Delaware Route 2 - Route Description

Route Description

DE 2 begins at the Maryland border southwest of Newark, where it continues southwest into that state as MD 279. From the state line, the route heads northeast on Elkton Road, a four-lane divided highway. The route heads through commercial areas of Newark to an intersection with DE 2 Bus., DE 4, and DE 896. At this point, DE 2 Bus./DE 896 continue northeast on Elkton Road while DE 2 heads southeast for a concurrency with DE 4 and DE 896 on the three-lane undivided Christiana Parkway, carrying two eastbound lanes and one westbound lane. The road runs through wooded areas and comes to a bridge over Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line, curving east and widening into a four-lane divided highway as it passes to the south of the former Newark Assembly plant used by Chrysler. At the intersection with South College Avenue DE 896 splits to the south and DE 2/DE 4 continues east past the University of Delaware campus to the north, intersecting Chestnut Hill Road. At this point the road becomes Chestnut Hill Road and runs between farmland to the north and residential neighborhoods to the south, coming to a crossing of Norfolk Southern's Delmarva Secondary railroad line. The road heads into commercial areas and intersects DE 72.

At this point, DE 2 turns north to form a concurrency with DE 72 on two-lane undivided South Chapel Street, heading through agricultural areas to the east of the University of Delaware campus. The two routes continue northeast onto Library Avenue and heads through woods as it comes to a bridge over Amtrak's Northeast Corridor railroad line. The road heads north into commercial areas and widens into a four-lane divided highway as it comes to an intersection with Delaware Avenue, which carries the eastbound direction of DE 2 Bus./DE 273. Here, eastbound DE 273 turns north to join DE 2/DE 72 and the road reaches an intersection where westbound DE 2 Bus./DE 273 head west on Main Street and DE 273 continues east as Ogletown Road. Past this intersection, the name of DE 2/DE 72 becomes Capitol Trail as it turns northeast and passes under CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision railroad line. The road leaves Newark and continues northeast through wooded residential areas, briefly becoming undivided as it crosses White Clay Creek.

DE 72 splits from DE 2 by heading northwest on Possum Park Road, with DE 2 continuing northeast through more suburban areas of homes and businesses as a four-lane divided highway, with the name changing to Kirkwood Highway. The road passes to the south of Pike Creek and intersects several roads including Polly Drummond Hill Road/Red Mill Road, North Harmony Road, Upper Pike Creek Road, Pike Creek Road, and Milltown Road. In Marshallton, the route widens to six lanes and comes to an intersection with DE 7. Past this intersection, DE 2 continues past businesses and shopping centers, intersecting Duncan Road. The road comes to a bridge over Red Clay Creek and the Wilmington and Western Railroad before heading into commercial areas in Prices Corner and coming to an intersection with Newport Gap Pike, which heads northwest as DE 41 and southeast as DE 62. At this point, DE 41 turns east to form a concurrency with DE 2, and the two routes continue east through commercial areas, passing to the north of Prices Corner Shopping Center. The road comes to a bridge over Centerville Road before reaching a partial cloverleaf interchange with the DE 141 freeway, where DE 41 comes to its southern terminus.

Past this interchange, DE 2 narrows to four lanes and continues east through a mix of homes and businesses, passing to the south of a V.A. Hospital and crossing Little Mill Creek. At this point, the route enters Elsmere and becomes Wilmington Avenue, heading through more developed areas and briefly turning southeast before curving back to the east and reaching an intersection with DE 100. Past this intersection, the road comes to a bridge over a junction between CSX's Philadelphia Subdivision and an East Penn Railroad line before passing more urban homes. DE 2 crosses into Wilmington to the north of Canby Park and splits into the one-way pair of South Lincoln Street eastbound and South Union Street westbound, heading northeast. The one-way pair, which carries in two lanes in each direction, passes urban homes and businesses and reaches an intersection with DE 48 (Lancaster Avenue). At this point, DE 2 becomes North Lincoln Street eastbound and North Union Street westbound, with the westbound direction forming a concurrency with westbound DE 48 between West 2nd Street and Lancaster Avenue. DE 2 continues into the Little Italy neighborhood, where it intersects the northern terminus of DE 9. The route passes through the Hill Top neighborhood and continues to its eastern terminus at DE 52.

DE 2 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 49,378 vehicles at the DE 141 interchange to a low of 20,486 vehicles between DE 48 and DE 52. None of DE 2 is part of the National Highway System.