Floodgap Roadgap's RoadsAroundME: US Highway 2A (Maine)

RoadsAroundME is retired.

No updates will be made. The site will be accessible indefinitely, but information will not be updated, and current road routing information will inevitably be inaccurate.
You use the site at your own risk.

US Highway 2A (Maine)

<< Maine State Route 2 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 3 >>

Termini and Mileage (2006)

Termini (in-state)
Main alignment: Int of RTE 2, RTE 2A, Orono to Int of RTE 1, RTE 2A, Houlton
Mileage (in-state)
Main alignment: 48.01 miles (total over all segments)

Regional and National Route Information

History as Pole Highway (1919-1925)
Part of the White - Blue Aroostock Trail in Orono-Old Town.

History as New England Interstate (1925)
Originally NEI 15.

History as US Highway
See below for history of original segments.

Notes and History
Maine has two Alternate US 2 alignments, both active. These appear to be the only US 2As that ever existed in the entire nation, so like US 1A, Maine also has the longest US 2A (this time by default).

Macwahoc to Houlton (43.5 miles). This is the longest US 2A in the United States and was first designated in 1936, passing through Haynesville. This was originally ME 166; despite being well-established based on previous maps by this time, the 1939 state map erroneously(?) shows this routing as ME 2SH. There is an abandoned alignment near Linneus still signed as Old Route 2A, likely from the late 1940s. Incidentally, NAVTEQ is terribly ambiguous about its routing into Houlton; it approaches on Military St, not Bangor St, and terminates at Kendall St with US 1/US 2. The confusion is not helped by several wrong signs around this intersection, which are probably indicating the through route but not necessarily the actual alignment. What is more interesting is that until US 2 was moved, US 2A did intersect along Bangor St (see US 2), and more interesting still, Bangor St was previously Military Rd, just to make things even more baffling.
This US 2A is part of the Pine Tree Trail in its entirety as an alternate routing.

Orono to Old Town (4.6 miles). This was first designated in 1954 over what was the former alignment of US 2 (see US 2 for this history of this change). Primarily acting as a service spur for the University of Maine, it branches off modern US 2 along College Avenue, passing to the west of the campus, then northeast along Stillwater Avenue and Center St in Old Town to intersect US 2 and ME 43.

For some reason, NAVTEQ says there is a 2A in Bangor. This does not match any of my route logs or field reports from the area (see Google Maps).

Additional Resources

Maine Highways: U.S. 2 (JP Kirby)
Alternate U.S. Highways (US 1 to US 40) (Robert Droz)

<< Maine State Route 2 All Points in Maine Maine State Route 3 >>

Routing information is property of the Maine Department of Transportation, based on most current data available at time of this writing. No warranty or guarantee is expressed or implied regarding this routing's suitability for travel or resemblance to fact. RoadsAroundME is not affiliated with, sponsored by or funded by the taxpayers of the state of Maine, or the Maine Department of Transportation.
All images, photographs and multimedia, unless otherwise stated, are copyright © 2005-2010 Cameron Kaiser. All rights reserved. All writeups are copyright © 2005-2010 Cameron Kaiser. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying or duplication without express consent of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited. Please contact the sitemaster to request permission if you wish to use items from this page.

Return to RoadsAroundME
RoadsAroundME is a part of Floodgap Roadgap.

Termini and Mileage (2006)	Termini (in-state) Main alignment: Int of RTE 2, RTE 2A, Orono to Int of RTE 1, RTE 2A, Houlton Mileage (in-state) Main alignment: 48.01 miles (total over all segments)

*Regional and National Route Information*	History as Pole Highway (1919-1925) Part of the White - Blue Aroostock Trail in Orono-Old Town. History as New England Interstate (1925) Originally NEI 15. History as US Highway See below for history of original segments.

*Notes and History*	Maine has two Alternate US 2 alignments, both active. These appear to be the only US 2As that ever existed in the entire nation, so like US 1A, Maine also has the longest US 2A (this time by default). Macwahoc to Houlton (43.5 miles). This is the longest US 2A in the United States and was first designated in 1936, passing through Haynesville. This was originally ME 166; despite being well-established based on previous maps by this time, the 1939 state map erroneously(?) shows this routing as ME 2SH. There is an abandoned alignment near Linneus still signed as Old Route 2A, likely from the late 1940s. Incidentally, NAVTEQ is terribly ambiguous about its routing into Houlton; it approaches on Military St, not Bangor St, and terminates at Kendall St with US 1/US 2. The confusion is not helped by several wrong signs around this intersection, which are probably indicating the through route but not necessarily the actual alignment. What is more interesting is that until US 2 was moved, US 2A did intersect along Bangor St (see US 2), and more interesting still, Bangor St was previously Military Rd, just to make things even more baffling. This US 2A is part of the Pine Tree Trail in its entirety as an alternate routing. Orono to Old Town (4.6 miles). This was first designated in 1954 over what was the former alignment of US 2 (see US 2 for this history of this change). Primarily acting as a service spur for the University of Maine, it branches off modern US 2 along College Avenue, passing to the west of the campus, then northeast along Stillwater Avenue and Center St in Old Town to intersect US 2 and ME 43. For some reason, NAVTEQ says there is a 2A in Bangor. This does not match any of my route logs or field reports from the area (see Google Maps).

*Additional Resources*	Maine Highways: U.S. 2 (JP Kirby) Alternate U.S. Highways (US 1 to US 40) (Robert Droz)