Delaware 2 constitutes a heavily traveled east-west highway serving northern New Castle County. Signed as early as 1938, Delaware 2 begins at the Maryland state line by way of Elkton Road (Maryland 279). Elkton Road provides a four-lane surface arterial between the city of Elkton, Maryland, Interstate 95 Exit 109, and west Newark. The state route turns eastward from Elkton Road via Christina Parkway (Delaware 4 & 896) to bypass downtown. Until about 1990 Delaware 2 however continued through town via Elkton Road and the one-way couplet of Main Street (westbound) and Delaware Avenue (eastbound). The relocation was undertaken in an effort to reroute through traffic away from the central business district and University of Delaware campus. Delaware 2 Business now takes the place of the original mainline through downtown. Delaware 2 meanwhile follows Chestnut Hill Road (Delaware 4) between Delaware 896 (South College Avenue) and Delaware 72 (South Chapel Street). At South Chapel Street Delaware 2 joins Delaware 72 on a north-south alignment east of town between Delaware 4 and Main Street (Delaware 273). At Main Street Delaware 2 becomes the four-lane divided Kirkwood Highway eastward out of the city limits.

Delaware 2 Business follows the original Delaware 2 routing through the city. Delaware 2 bypasses the University of Delaware campus and central business district along Delaware 4 and 72. Map created by Kelly Krapp (October 2007).

Delaware 2 & 72 part ways at the south end of Possum Park Road. Delaware 72, Polly Drummond Hill Road, Upper Pike Creek Road, Milltown Road, Delaware 7 (Limestone Road), and Duncan Road provide north-south routes from the Robert Kirkwood Highway into the Pike Creek Valley. Almost all of Kirkwood Highway is developed with commercial strip malls or shopping centers and subdivisions or apartment complexes. Delaware 2 was built along a new four-lane roadway starting in 1939-41 and opened between Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike) and Elsmere by 1944. Expansion of the roadway westward to the city of Newark followed by 1949. The dual highway replaced the two-lane Old Capitol Trail on a new alignment to the north.

Kirkwood Highway undulates over slow rolling hills associated with the edge of the Appalachian Piedmont. The character of the road however is completely suburban and during the peak hours of travel Delaware 2 is overrun with commuters. A six lane bridge replaced a four-lane span over the Red Clay Creek in the late 1980s. The expanded capacity brings all of Delaware 2 between St. James Church Road and Delaware 141 (Newport Freeway) up to six lanes. At the east end of the bridge is the merge with Delaware 41 (Newport Gap Pike). Delaware 41 originally continued southward along the pike into Newport but saw relocation in 1979 to coincide with the opening of the Newport Freeway (Delaware 141). Now Delaware 41 shares a half-mile overlap with Delaware 2 through Prices Corner to the Exit 6 interchange of Delaware 141.

Delaware 41 ends at the Delaware 2 & 141 partial-cloverleaf interchange at Prices Corner. The junction also composes the north end of the Newport Freeway. The limited-access highway joins Kirkwood Highway with Interstate 95-295-495 and New Castle via U.S. 202 & Delaware 141 (Basin Road). Delaware 141 continues north of Delaware 2 as Centre Road to Greenville and Fairfax as a four-lane surface arterial. Delaware 2 leaves the interchange for the town of Elsmere.

Delaware 2 continues along the Kirkwood Highway through Elsmere. The four-lane divided highway is sign posted with a 35 mph speed limit that is generally strictly enforced. An improvement project in Elsmere during the early 2000s replaced all span wire mounted traffic signals with ornamental mast arms and also involved street and landscaping to the highway itself. Kirkwood Highway itself becomes Wilmington Avenue at the intersection of Sanders and New Road. New Road represents the original Delaware 2 between Sanders Road and the Wilmington city line at Canby Park. Wilmington Avenue parallels the discontinuous New Road across the CSX Railroad via a four-lane bridge. The span crosses the railroad line between Delaware 100 (Dupont Road) and Prospect Road. The crossing was built in the late 1980s to replace the original 1949 two-lane bridge.

Delaware 2 enters the city of Wilmington at Canby Park. There the state route partitions between the one-way couplet of Lincoln Street (eastbound) and Union Street (westbound). Delaware 2 eastbound carries two lanes through the Hill Top and Little Italy neighborhoods of the city to the terminus at Delaware 52 (Pennsylvania Avenue). Union Street, one block to the north, carries three overall lanes westward between Pennsylvania Avenue and Canby Park.

Delaware 2 Mileage Table

Delaware 2 2002 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)

• 26,908 - Maryland line to Ott's Chapel Road
• 23,907 - Chrysler Plant entrance to S. College Avenue (Christiana Parkway)
• 29,216 - Chestnut Hill Road (Old Delaware 4) to Delaware 72/S. Chapel Street
• 21,287 - Delaware 273 east/Delaware Avenue - Delaware 273 west/Ogletown Road
• 37,893 - Red Mill Road to Harmony Road
• 50,636 - Henderson Road to Milltown Road
• 52,509 - Delaware 41 to Delaware 141
• 25,489 - Linden Avenue to Delaware 100/Dupont Road
• 9,468 - Gedees Street to Delaware 48/Lancaster Avenue
• 21,147 - Delaware 48/Lancaster Avenue to Delaware 9/W. 4th Street

Delaware 2 Terminus Collection

Western Terminus
	The final westbound reassurance shield of Delaware 2 resides within sight distance of the Maryland state line. Elkton Road becomes Maryland 279 at the border and continues westward to Exit 109 of Intestate 95 and into the Cecil County seat of Elkton itself. The mast arm traffic light signals visible on the horizon are situated at the eastern terminus of Maryland 277 (Fletchwood Road). Photo taken 04/30/04.
	Entering the Diamond State by way of Maryland 279 (Elkton Road) through west Newark. The four-lane arterial becomes concrete between the state line and Delaware Avenue. Ahead is a 2000 installed mast arm traffic light assembly for McIntire Drive and an industrial park. Photo taken 03/28/04.
Eastern Terminus
Perspective from Delaware 2 east
	An end sign is posted for Delaware 2 at the intersection of Lincoln Street and Pennsylvania Avenue (Delaware 52). Lincoln Street becomes two-way across Delaware 52 for one block to 13th Street. Lincoln Street is discontinuous between 13th and Liberia Street due to the placement of the CSX Railroad line. To the left Delaware 52 travels out of the city to junction Delaware 100 & 141 at Greenville. Southward Pennsylvania Avenue ascends toward Broom Street and downtown. Photo taken 04/01/04.
Perspective from Delaware 52 south
	Delaware 2 begins at Pennsylvania Avenue by way of Union Street westbound. The split route follows Union Street (westbound) and Lincoln Street (eastbound between Delaware 52 and Canby Park. The state highway carries five lanes overall and is the main route between north Wilmington and Elsmere and the Kirkwood Highway. The only Delaware 2 shield posted for Union Street on Pennsylvania Avenue southbound resides next to the Union Street east intersection at the CSX overcrossing. The shield however is missing a right-hand arrow for the Union Street westbound turn ahead. Photo taken 04/01/04.
	One block south of the westbound beginning of Delaware 2 is the eastern terminus at Lincoln Street. The eastbound only street becomes two-way east of Delaware 52 en route to Thirteenth Street and the Trolley Square vicinity. Photo taken 04/01/04.
Perspective from Delaware 52 north
	No Delaware 2 shields are posted on Pennsylvania Avenue northbound for the Union Street westbound intersection. The roadway does widen to five lanes with the addition of a dedicated left turn lane for the westbound beginning of the state route. Depicted here is the eastern terminus (Lincoln Street) on Delaware 52 northbound. Photo taken 04/01/04.

Delaware 2 Guides

• Delaware 2 Eastbound
• Delaware 2 Westbound

Offsite Links

• Delaware Roads - DE 2 (Steve Alpert)
• Delaware 2 @ OKRoads.com (Eric Stuve)

Page Updated November 19, 2007.