NY border in Williamstown to Boston via N. Adams, Greenfield, Gardner, Fitchburg, Littleton, Concord, Arlington and Cambridge.

Cosigned with I-91 near Greenfield.
Cosigned with US 7 in Williamstown.
Cosigned with MA 8 in North Adams.
Cosigned with MA 8A in Charlemont.
Cosigned with MA 112 in Buckland.
Cosigned with MA 2A in several pieces: Shelburne and Greenfield, Gill and Erving, Concord
Cosigned with MA 140 in Westminster.
Cosigned with MA 111 in Acton and Concord.
Brief multiplex with US 20 in Boston.
Brief multiplex with MA 28 in Boston.

Sections of Super-2 through Erving. Limited access highway from Erving to Acton. Divided highway from I-95 to US 3.

Originally NE-7. When the New England routes were replaced by US routes, NE-7 became MA 2. The routing west of Greenfield remains largely unchanged. In 1930, 2 headed south of Williamstown with US 7 and then extended to NY on current MA 43. In 1933, Rt 2 left Greenfield on modern MA 2A to Turner’s Falls. It stayed with what is now MA 2A whenever possible, all the way into Arlington where it ended.

By 1936, MA 2A had been assigned to the section from Lexington to Concord, and 2 was moved slightly to the south. It followed the Alewife Brook & Fresh Pond Parkways to Mt. Auburn St to Memorial Drive. It met MA 2A at the Harvard Bridge and crossed it.

By 1942, Rt 2 was a highway from Concord east into Cambridge. By 1953, the highway reach Westminster. MA 2A took over the former sections of 2. In 1957, a section of highway was built to bypass Athol and Orange to the south. East of US 202, it was called Bypass 202; west it was Bypass 2. By 1961, the bypass was numbered as part of 2. Once again, MA 2A picked up the older routing.

By 1966, I-91 was built from Greenfield north to the VT line. The brief stub of highway east to Turner’s Falls was also built by then; Route 2 was added to both as it is now. By 1971, the Gardner and Athol/Orange bypasses were connected. As usual, MA 2A picked up the old routing.

Dan Vincent’s MA 2 page