State Highway 2 (Texas)
Encyclopedia
State Highway 2, or SH 2, is a deleted Texas
highway.
SH 2 was one of the original twenty-six state highway
s proposed in 1917, overlaid on top of the Meridian Highway and Gulf Division Highway. From 1919 the routing mostly followed present day Interstate 44
(I-44) from Oklahoma
to Wichita Falls
, and U.S. Highway 287 (US 287) to Fort Worth
. It continued on, routed along present day I-35W
and I-35
to Waco
. From here, the road divided into two branches, both signed as State Highway 2.
The western branch followed the Meridian Highway from Waco, roughly following I-35 through Austin
and San Antonio
, and terminating in Laredo
.
The eastern branch followed the Gulf Division Highway from Waco, routed along present day State Highway 6 through Bryan
to Hempstead
and into Houston
. From there the routing follows US 75 into Galveston, Texas
.
In 1926, US 81 was routed over SH 2 from Oklahoma to Laredo, while the Gulf Division branch was given a newly rerouted State Highway 6 number (cancelling the Eastern SH 2) from Waco to Houston. The remainder from Houston to Galveston was US 75. While the western routes were marked concurrently, by 1939, SH 2 was deleted in favor of US 81.
For the initial 1917 Texas routing proposal, while the main route continued southwest from Cleburne to Meridian, and then southeast to Waco, State Highway 2-A ran southeast from Cleburne to Hillsboro, where it met State Highway 6. By 1919, the routing of SH 2A remained similar, except the split from the main route happened at Burleson, travelling southeast through Alvarado to HIllsboro. In 1926, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over 2A section from Burlseon to Itasca, while SH 2A was reassigned to the old alignment of SH 2 from Burlseon to Cleburne and to the old alignment of SH 2E. The SH 2A designation was deleted in 1939 and was replaced by portions of SH 174, SH 171, and SH 291.
In 1922, new spur routes were formed off of the main SH 2:
State Highway 2-B was a spur in McLennan County running from Riesel northeast to Mart. By 1933 it was renumbered as SH 164
.
State Highway 2-C was a more direct route through central Texas betweel Temple and Round Rock, bypassing Taylor to the west. In 1926, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over it, with the old route of SH 2 transferred to SH 95 and SH 43.
State Highway 2-D was a spur route in north Texas branching off the main route at Bowie and travelling north through Ringgold and crossing into Oklahoma. In 1926, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over it, with the old route of SH 2 transferred to SH 50, SH 5, and SH 30.
State Highway 2-E was a short connector route between Cleburne and Itasca, connecting the main route and SH 2A. In 1926, SH 2E was reassigned to SH 2A.
State Highway 2-F was a planned spur routing splitting from the main route in Taylor and travelling south to Elgin. In 1926 the route had been transferred to SH 95.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
highway.
SH 2 was one of the original twenty-six state highway
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
s proposed in 1917, overlaid on top of the Meridian Highway and Gulf Division Highway. From 1919 the routing mostly followed present day Interstate 44
Interstate 44 in Texas
In the U.S. state of Texas, Interstate 44 has a short but regionally important stretch, connecting Wichita Falls with Oklahoma. Its entire length is concurrent with U.S. Highway 277 and U.S. Highway 281. I-44 provides access to downtown Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base. The Interstate...
(I-44) from Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
to Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
, and U.S. Highway 287 (US 287) to Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. It continued on, routed along present day I-35W
Interstate 35W (Texas)
Interstate 35W , an Interstate Highway, is the western half of Interstate 35 where it splits to serve different cities in Texas. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E at Hillsboro. I-35W runs north for , carrying its own separate sequence of exit numbers. It runs through Fort Worth...
and I-35
Interstate 35 in Texas
Interstate 35 in Texas is a major north–south Interstate Highway running from Laredo near the United States-Mexico border to the Red River north of Gainesville where it crosses into Oklahoma. Along its route, it passes through the cities of San Antonio, Austin, and Waco before it splits into two...
to Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
. From here, the road divided into two branches, both signed as State Highway 2.
The western branch followed the Meridian Highway from Waco, roughly following I-35 through Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
, and terminating in Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
.
The eastern branch followed the Gulf Division Highway from Waco, routed along present day State Highway 6 through Bryan
Bryan, Texas
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 76,201. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley . It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south...
to Hempstead
Hempstead, Texas
Hempstead is a city in Waller County, Texas, United States. The community, located at the junctions of U.S. Highway 290, Texas State Highway 6, and Texas State Highway 159, is around fifty miles northwest of Downtown Houston. The population was 4,691 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of...
and into Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. From there the routing follows US 75 into Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
.
In 1926, US 81 was routed over SH 2 from Oklahoma to Laredo, while the Gulf Division branch was given a newly rerouted State Highway 6 number (cancelling the Eastern SH 2) from Waco to Houston. The remainder from Houston to Galveston was US 75. While the western routes were marked concurrently, by 1939, SH 2 was deleted in favor of US 81.
Spur routes
The route had numerous spurs and alternate routings during its lifetime.For the initial 1917 Texas routing proposal, while the main route continued southwest from Cleburne to Meridian, and then southeast to Waco, State Highway 2-A ran southeast from Cleburne to Hillsboro, where it met State Highway 6. By 1919, the routing of SH 2A remained similar, except the split from the main route happened at Burleson, travelling southeast through Alvarado to HIllsboro. In 1926, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over 2A section from Burlseon to Itasca, while SH 2A was reassigned to the old alignment of SH 2 from Burlseon to Cleburne and to the old alignment of SH 2E. The SH 2A designation was deleted in 1939 and was replaced by portions of SH 174, SH 171, and SH 291.
In 1922, new spur routes were formed off of the main SH 2:
State Highway 2-B was a spur in McLennan County running from Riesel northeast to Mart. By 1933 it was renumbered as SH 164
Texas State Highway 164
State Highway 164 or SH 164 is a Texas state highway that runs from near Waco to Buffalo. The route was originally designated by 1933 from SH 6 to the town of Mart and was extended through Groesbeck to Buffalo by 1939.-Major intersections:...
.
State Highway 2-C was a more direct route through central Texas betweel Temple and Round Rock, bypassing Taylor to the west. In 1926, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over it, with the old route of SH 2 transferred to SH 95 and SH 43.
State Highway 2-D was a spur route in north Texas branching off the main route at Bowie and travelling north through Ringgold and crossing into Oklahoma. In 1926, the main route of SH 2 had been rerouted over it, with the old route of SH 2 transferred to SH 50, SH 5, and SH 30.
State Highway 2-E was a short connector route between Cleburne and Itasca, connecting the main route and SH 2A. In 1926, SH 2E was reassigned to SH 2A.
State Highway 2-F was a planned spur routing splitting from the main route in Taylor and travelling south to Elgin. In 1926 the route had been transferred to SH 95.