West Virginia Route 2

West Virginia Route 2
State	West Virginia
Type	WV
Maint	West Virginia Division of Highways
Length mi	232.2
Direction a	South
Terminus a	Huntington
Direction b	North
Terminus b	Wheeling
Counties	Wayne, Cabell, Mason, Putnam, Jackson, Wood, Pleasants, Tyler, Wetzel, Marshall, Ohio

West Virginia Route 2 is a state highway that follows the Ohio River for approximately 232 miles along the western edge of West Virginia. The highway connects the river cities of Huntington, Moundsville, and Wheeling and provides links to major corridors such as U.S. Route 60, Interstate 64, and Interstate 70. The route serves as a freight and commuter artery for communities in counties including Cabell County and Marshall County and parallels sections of the Ohio River and railroad lines like CSX Transportation.

Route description

The roadway begins in Huntington near intersections with U.S. Route 60 and proceeds north through Wayne County, passing near industrial sites tied to Norfolk Southern Railway operations and coal-loading facilities linked to the history of Appalachian coal mining. It continues along the riverfront by Kenova and crosses rural landscapes toward Mason County and the city of Point Pleasant, where it intersects routes to Gallipolis and connects with sites tied to the American Revolutionary War era and the Academic history of regional institutions.

North of Point Pleasant, the highway traverses Putnam County and approaches the suburban and industrial corridors of Jackson County and Wood County, giving access to Parkersburg-area links such as U.S. Route 50 and crossings toward Marietta. As it continues, the route passes through Pleasants County and Tyler County, providing connections to river towns with histories in steamboat trade and industries influenced by policies like the Homestead Act era land use and regional navigation improvements.

Approaching Wheeling, the highway enters Marshall County and Ohio County, intersecting major arteries including Interstate 70 and serving destinations tied to the National Road historic corridor and landmarks associated with figures like Gifford Pinchot in early conservation movements. The alignment frequently parallels U.S. Route 33 and rail corridors that were historically part of B&O Railroad routes.

History

The alignment of the route follows long-standing river transport and road patterns dating to early 19th-century turnpikes and steamboat landings on the Ohio River, connecting settlements established during the Northwest Ordinance era and westward migration associated with figures like Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Early improvements were influenced by federal projects such as the National Road and later by state highway initiatives under officials from the West Virginia Department of Transportation and figures in state politics including governors who supported road expansion during the New Deal and post-World War II highway era.

Major upgrades in the mid-20th century included pavement projects and bridges coordinated with agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers to address flood control and navigation, and to accommodate increasing traffic tied to the growth of manufacturers like Armco Steel and chemical plants linked to companies such as DuPont. The route’s corridor saw economic shifts with the decline of river-based heavy industry and the rise of commuter patterns to metropolitan centers like Huntington and Wheeling.

In recent decades, state transportation planning documents and federal funding mechanisms like the Federal Highway Administration programs have guided modernization, safety improvements, and bypass projects intended to reduce congestion in historic downtowns such as Moundsville and New Martinsville.

Major intersections

Significant intersections and junctions along the corridor include connections with U.S. Route 60 near Huntington, interchanges with Interstate 64 and Interstate 77 corridors serving Charleston-bound traffic, concurrency points with U.S. Route 50 near Parkersburg, crossings near Ohio River bridges connecting to Marietta and Wellsburg connections, and termini linking to Interstate 70 and routes into the Wheeling Tunnel and downtown Wheeling near landmarks such as the Oglebay Park area.

Other state and U.S. routes intersecting include links to West Virginia Route 62, West Virginia Route 68, and spurs serving county seats in Pleasants County and Tyler County that provide access to ferry crossings and historic river ports associated with steamboat commerce.

Future and improvements

Planned improvements promoted by the West Virginia Department of Transportation and regional planning commissions include widening, safety redesigns, and bypass construction to improve freight mobility tied to ports along the Ohio River Junctions. Projects have sought federal discretionary grants from programs administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation and coordination with environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act. Specific corridor enhancements target bridge replacements, realignment to reduce curvature near floodplain areas managed in part by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, and interchange upgrades to support connections with interstate freight corridors such as Interstate 70.

Local economic development initiatives driven by entities like regional chambers of commerce in Huntington and Wheeling emphasize multimodal access, integrating river terminals, short line railroads, and highway investments to attract manufacturers and logistics firms influenced by national trade patterns and tariff policies.

Related routes and business spur(s)

The corridor includes related designations and business routes providing downtown access and alternate riverfront alignments in towns such as Moundsville, Point Pleasant, and Wellsburg. These spurs interact with state routes like West Virginia Route 62 and connector roads to U.S. Route 35 and maintain links to historic ferry approaches and parklands such as Fort Henry Historical Park and sites associated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Category:State highways in West Virginia