Massachusetts Route 2A

Massachusetts Route 2A is a 20.5-mile (33.0 km) state highway in north-central Massachusetts, serving as an alternate route to the primary Route 2 corridor. It connects the cities of Leominster and Cambridge, passing through several historic communities including Concord and Acton. The route provides a more local, surface-level alternative to the limited-access Route 2 highway, traversing significant historical landscapes and commercial districts.

Route description

Beginning at an interchange with Route 2 in western Leominster, the route heads southeast as Lancaster Street, passing near commercial areas and the Johnny Appleseed Visitor Center. It continues into Lancaster as Main Street, skirting the campus of Atlantic Union College. The highway then enters Harvard, running concurrently with Route 110 briefly before turning eastward through the town center. It proceeds through Acton as Massachusetts Avenue, intersecting with Route 27 and passing Acton Memorial Library and the Isaac Davis Trail. Entering Concord, the route follows Massachusetts Avenue past historic sites like the Old Manse and the North Bridge within Minute Man National Historical Park. It continues into Lincoln and Lexington, where it is known as Massachusetts Avenue and passes the Battle Green and Buckman Tavern. The eastern terminus is at a complex intersection with Alewife Brook Parkway and the Route 16 connector in Cambridge, near the Alewife MBTA station.

History

The alignment largely follows early colonial post roads and turnpikes, including segments of the historic Concord Turnpike and the Old Marlborough Road. Much of the route through Concord and Lexington is integral to the story of the American Revolutionary War, traversing ground marched by the Minutemen and British regulars during the Battles of Lexington and Concord. In the 20th century, it was designated as part of the original Route 2 before the construction of the modern limited-access highway to the north. The road was renumbered to its current 2A designation once the new Route 2 bypass was completed through the region, cementing its role as a secondary, historic routing. The corridor has been the subject of preservation efforts, particularly within Minute Man National Historical Park, to maintain its 18th-century character.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Worcester and Middlesex counties. {| class="wikitable" |- ! Location ! mi ! km ! Destinations ! Notes |- | Leominster | 0.0 | 0.0 | Route 2 – Gardner, Boston | Western terminus at interchange |- | Lancaster | 3.5 | 5.6 | Route 70 (Main Street) – Clinton, Sterling |- | Harvard | 7.2 | 11.6 | Route 110 west (Ayer Road) – Ayer | Western end of concurrency with Route 110 |- | | 7.8 | 12.6 | Route 110 east (Still River Road) – Bolton | Eastern end of concurrency with Route 110 |- | Acton | 11.4 | 18.3 | Route 27 (Main Street) – Sudbury, Maynard |- | Concord | 14.1 | 22.7 | Route 62 (Main Street) – Maynard, Bedford |- | Lexington | 17.3 | 27.8 | Route 4 / Route 225 (Bedford Street / Massachusetts Avenue) – Burlington, Bedford |- | Cambridge | 20.5 | 33.0 | Alewife Brook Parkway / Route 16 connector | Eastern terminus; access to Alewife Station |}

See also

* List of state highways in Massachusetts * Minute Man National Historical Park * Battles of Lexington and Concord * Massachusetts Route 2

Category:State highways in Massachusetts