End of US highway 2 (western segment) |
1926-1948
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1948-1984
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1984-present
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Today I-75 skirts the west side of town, but Business Spur I-75 connects with Mackinac Trail / Ashmun Street, which historically carried US 2. At Portage Avenue traffic was directed east, as shown on this historic map:
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Today the area around US 2's original terminus has changed quite a bit, and from ground level it is hard to get a feel for how things were, but one can get a great overview of the area from the nearby Tower of History, as seen here:
The view is to the east; the road at lower right is Portage. Just past the ice arena (with the curved roof) is Johnston Street, where US 2 turned left. The next block is Water Street; right where the ore ship is docked (actually a museum now), US 2 turned right into what is now a parking area. Historically that was where people could catch the ferry that went to Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, so that is where the US 2 designation ended.
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In 1984, the east end of the US 2 was truncated to its current terminus in St. Ignace.
Originally US 2 went only as far west as Bonners Ferry ID. There is some question as to the original route of US 2 between Bonners and Moyie Springs, and therefore the location of its junction with US 95 as well...
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At the time, US 95 used Main Street all the way through town. So it is possible that the US 2 designation ended on Main near the courthouse, but that is only speculation.
In 1948 the west end of US 2 was extended to Everett WA. That was right about the time that US 99 was re-routed such that it used Broadway through most of town (instead of Rucker), so US 2 would have begun there: |
However, the US 2 designation officially continues ahead via the roadway signed "Everett", a bit past the southbound I-5 onramp. This winds up on California Street, and US 2 ends at its junction with Maple Street (which is designated as WA hwy. 529). That intersection is shown here:
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Hewitt is now just a surface road ahead. US 2 traffic is directed to turn left (as the red car in the middleground is doing). That merges with I-5 traffic and then curves back to join the US 2 bridge over the Snohomish River (visible in the distance). The first eastbound confirming marker is posted on that bridge:
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Research and/or photo credits: Mark Bozanich, Chris Elbert; William Elliott; Andy Field; Alex Nitzman; Mike Roberson; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa; Gary Voshol; Mike Wiley
Page originally created 2000;
last updated Oct. 6, 2019.
last updated Oct. 6, 2019.