This page describes the construction history of Route 2, the major highway across northern Massachusetts. Over the past 70 years the ``2'' designation has moved due to new construction, consistently marking the best route.
For the most part, the roads currently designated as Route 2A made up Route 2 c. 1930. The two major unnumbered sections of historic Route 2 are in Montague, where the 2A designation was moved from the original Route 2 to a newer but recently bypassed alignment in 1965, and Concord, where it was moved in the 1980s because the town didn't want a numbered route passing through downtown.
In common usage, ``Route 2'' ends at Alewife Brook Parkway at the Cambridge-Arlington line. Surface streets through Boston and Cambridge are referred to by name regardless of numbering. Also, the functional end of Route 2 is at the city line. City residents have blocked attempts to extend Route 2 as a distinct, useful facility.
| Date | Construction |
|---|---|
| 1910s | Mohawk Trail built. Berkshires become popular tourist attraction. |
| 1914 | Mohawk Trail completed from Charlemont to North Adams. |
| 1916 | Planning begins for diversion north of Greenfield Mountain, Greenfield-Shelburne. |
| 1925-1929 | Taconic Trail (Route 2 west of Williamstown) built. |
| 1932 | Bypass of Montague takes Route 2 through the west part of Erving and Gill with grade separation at Route 63. (The new bridge between Erving and Gill came in time to provide an alternate route when the other bridges on the Connecticut River were destroyed in a flood in 1936. The current bridge between Turners Falls and Greenfield, on former Route 2, dates from 1936.) |
| 1933-1935 | Four lane bypass of Concord and Lexington, from the rotary in Cambridge to the rotary in Concord. Through Lincoln the new Concord Turnpike follows the path of the 19th century Cambridge and Concord Turnpike. |
| 1937-1947? | New Route 2 built from Merriam Ave., Fitchburg to Route 140, Westminster, approximately following the path of the old Fifth Massachusetts Turnpike. |
| 1950-1953 | New four lane road, mostly freeway, from the Concord Rotary to Merriam Ave., Fitchburg. The near-freeway section in Concord and Acton follows the path of the older, two lane, Route 111. |
| 1951? | Realignment and grade separation at Old Shelburne Road, Greenfield. (Bridge date 1951. Shelburne 1950 map shows old route, Greenfield 1954 map shows new road but route 2 on old alignment.) |
| 1954 | Route 2 realignment through Shelburne. Old route followed Shelburne Center Road, Robert's Road, and Shelburne Summit Road. |
| 1955 | Shelburne Falls bypass including two grade separated intersections with Route 112. Old route is 2A. |
| 1955 | New bridge and realignment at Deerfield River crossing in Charlemont, and possibly also at the Florida-Savoy line. |
| 1955-1957 | Two lane limited access highway built from Route 202 in Orange east to Route 202 in Phillipston. 300 foot right of way leaves room for second roadway. |
| 1957-1960 | Two lane limited access highway built from the east end of Erving east through Wendell and Orange to Route 202. |
| 1961? | New freeway built from Route 68, Gardner east to Route 140, Westminster. |
| 1965? | As I-91 is built, Route 2 bypasses Greenfield with a new freeway spur connecting to I-91. (2A designation moves from old old Route 2 to old Route 2.) |
| 1965? | Freeway extended a mile or two further east of Route 140 in Westminster. |
| 1968 | New alignment in part of Erving, a straight two and three lane road replaces a winding two lane road. Space reserved for second roadway. Further improvements through Erving and Gill get protested to death. |
| c. 1970 | New freeway built from Route 68 in Gardner to Route 202 in Phillipston. (Not open in January, 1969.) |
| c. 1970 | Four to six lane undivided (?), non-limited access road from Lexington to Cambridge upgraded in place to freeway. (Open through Lexington by 1969, and to Cambridge by January, 1971.) |
| 1970s? | Divided highway from Route 12 in Leominster through Fitchburg to Westminster. |
| 1976 | Massachusetts prepares Environmental Impact Study for freeway upgrade through Lincoln and Concord, a project that is soon abandoned. |
| 1984-1987 | Grade separations of Willard Road, Depot Road and Route 31 in Westminster and Fitchburg. One at-grade intersection remains. |
| 1988? | Route 2 divided from Bedford Street, Lincoln, to Route 128, Lexington. |
| 1996? | Last grade crossing (Mount Elan Road, Fitchburg-Leominster) between 2A in Erving and 111 in Acton removed. Traffic signal remains. |
| 2006 | Median barrier installation completed through Concord, except the short Elm Street section, 35 years after it was made an urgent priority. |
| 2007 | A bypass around the paper mill in Erving opened in 2007 after four years of construction. |
| 2012? | Construction of a freeway upgrade between Bedford Street, Lincoln, and Route 126 is planned to begin not sooner than 2009, but MassHighway has no money for right of way acquisition. (project 602984) |
| 2015? | Construction of an interchange to replace the Concord Prison Rotary is planned for summer 2013. (project 602091) |
| 2057? | Completion of the freeway between Orange and Phillipston, promised for forty years, was postponed for at least 50 years in 2007. |
| Segment | Age | |
|---|---|---|
| Align | Layout | |
| New York to Williamstown (Route 7) | 1929 | |
| Williamstown to Greenfield (I-91) | old | |
| Shelburne Falls bypass | 1955 | |
| Shelburne Center bypass | 1954 | |
| Greenfield bypass (I-91 to 2A) | 1965 | |
| Gill to Erving | 1932 | |
| west Erving | 1968 | |
| east Erving | old | |
| Wendell, Orange (West of 202) | 1960 | |
| Orange (East of 202), Athol, Phillpston | 1957 | |
| Phillipston, Gardner (West of 68) | 1970 | |
| Gardner (East of 68), Westminster (West of 140) | 1961 | |
| Westminster (East of 140) to Leominster (Route 12) | 1937 | 1987 |
| Leominster (Route 12) to Concord (Rotary) | 1953 | |
| Concord and Lincoln (West of Bedford St.) | 1935 | |
| Lincoln (East of Bedford St.) | 1935 | 1988 |
| Lexington to Cambridge | 1935 | 1970 |
In the nineteenth century several turnpikes (toll roads) were the functional predecessors of modern Route 2, forming a high quality (for the time) route across most of northern Massachusetts. From west to east, these were the Williamstown, Second Massachusetts, Fourteenth Massachusetts, Fifth Massachusetts, Union, and Cambridge and Concord Turnpikes. In some cases the abandoned Turnpikes were upgraded and incorporated into the state highway system.
This page was written by John Carr. Thanks to Alexander Svirsky and Ron Newman for information. For the early history of road transport along the current Route 2 corridor, The Turnpikes of New England is a good reference. The UNH historic USGS map collection provided valuable information about old alignments. Deane Merrill's (now gone) Franklin County historical maps site was helpful. For a history of the number see Daniel ``SPUI'' Moraseski's state routes page.