U.S. Highway 202
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United States Highway 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
The road has borne the number 202 since at least 1935. Prior to this, sections of the road were designated U.S. 122, as it intersected US 22. Its current designation is based on its intersection with US 2 in Maine.
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Delaware
The original southern terminus of US 202 was State Road in Wilmington. The road was truncated to Interstate 95 in 1964, and the portion between I-95 and State Road was redesignated DE 202. However, in 1984, the designation was extended southward along I-95 to DE 141 and down DE 141 to the Basin Corner intersection with US 13 and US 40.
North of I-95, US 202 uses the Concord Turnpike. This stretch is three lanes in each direction, with an enlarged median in Talleyville that hosts retail businesses.
Pennsylvania
US 202 continues northward to West Chester, running concurrently with US 322 between US 1 and Chatwood. Just below West Chester, a bypass begins that speeds traffic past West Chester toward King of Prussia. The bypass parallels the Pennsylvania Turnpike and eventually runs into I-76; US 202 leaves the freeway at this point and passes popular shopping malls outside Norristown.
North of Norristown, US 202 is largely a two-lane road except for a bypass of Doylestown, the seat of Bucks County. Just before New Hope, the road enters another bypass to cross the Delaware River. As with many such crossings, the bridge is free entering New Jersey but tolled in the opposite direction. Old US 202 is designated as PA 179 and NJ 179; this bridge crossing the Delaware is free.
New Jersey
PA 179/NJ 179 is Old York Road, a road that connected New York City with Philadelphia. US 202 rejoins Old York Road at Ringoes, where it begins to run concurrently with NJ 31 for five miles (8 km), to Flemington. This stretch, and the 13 miles (21 km) between Flemington and Somerville, are four-lane divided highway.
At Somerville, the road merges with US 206 at a now-reconfigured Somerville Circle. Parts of the old traffic circle, which also carries NJ 28, remain below the US 202 flyover. US 202 splits northeastward from US 206 at Bedminster and again becomes a two-lane road.
From here to the state line, US 202 has largely been supplanted by I-287, which during its construction dumped traffic onto US 202 at many points. US 202 continues through Morristown to Morris Plains and an intersection with NJ 53. Interestingly, with a few exceptions, US 202 is maintained by counties rather than the New Jersey Department of Transportation north of NJ 53. The following sections are state-maintained:
- At the I-80 interchange
- At the US 46 intersection
- Along the NJ 23 concurrency
- At the I-287 interchange in Oakland
US 202 continues past Boonton along the Boonton Turnpike to Wayne, where it then picks up NJ 23 for about two miles (3 km) and then exits on Black Oak Ridge Road. It then follows the Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike and Ramapo Valley Road to Mahwah before crossing the state line on the Franklin Turnpike.
New York
US 202 is mostly designated east-west in New York, owing to its greater coverage in those directions.
Franklin Turnpike becomes Orange Avenue in Suffern, and US 202 continues to a very brief multiplex with NY 59 before tailing off on Wayne Avenue and heading east toward Haverstraw. Most of this stretch is two-lane road.
At Haverstraw, US 202 turns north along US 9W to Bear Mountain and then crosses the Bear Mountain Bridge, running concurrently with US 6, the Grand Army Highway. The two roads wind around a cliff before landing in Peekskill and separating for several miles, with US 202 taking the more southerly route through Amawalk and Somers. The highways reunite at Brewster and become a four-lane road for their last few miles before the state line.
Connecticut
At Danbury, US 6 and 202 climb up onto I-84, which had just been joined by the north-south US 7, making a four-way multiplex. US 7 and 202 split from I-84 and US 6 at Exit 7. They remain a freeway for a short stretch but drop back to a two-lane road approaching New Milford, in bucolic Litchfield County, where they split.
US 202 continues through Torrington and on to Cherry Brook, where it then runs concurrently with US 44 for several miles before turning northward at Avon. For the run to the state line, US 202 runs concurrently with CT 10.
Massachusetts
US 202 and MA 10 enter the Bay State at the "Congamond Notch", a southward jog in the state line that includes Congamond Lake. North of Westfield, US 202 turns eastward toward Holyoke and Belchertown. It then heads north along the west side of the Quabbin Reservoir toward Athol, where it runs along the two-lane limited access MA 2 to Phillipston. There, it heads north again as a two-lane road.
New Hampshire
US 202 remains a two-lane highway for most of its length in the Granite State.
It heads north, through Jaffrey, to Hillsborough, where it turns eastward along a multiplex with NH 9. At Concord, New Hampshire, the state capital, US 202 heads north and picks up a multiplex with US 3 for a short time, and then turns eastward again along Interstate 393, a recently built freeway spur that also carries US 4. The freeway ends short of Chichester, but NH 9 rejoins the two-lane multiplex along with US 4 and 202.
At Northwood, US 202 and NH 9 leave US 4. NH 9 splits off a few miles later, leaving US 202 to continue alone toward Rochester, where the road jumps up onto the Spaulding Turnpike (NH 16) for a short, non-tolled distance. US 202 leaves the turnpike two miles (3 km) before the state line.
Maine
US 202 is posted as an east-west highway in Maine.
The highway enters the state at South Lebanon and continues through Sanford and Gorham to Auburn and Lewiston. A very short stretch through the latter two cities is four-lane highway, but most of its length in the Pine Tree State is comprised of two-lane road.
Approaching the state capital of Augusta, US 202 has a multiplex with ME 11, ME 17, and ME 100. US 202 runs concurrently with US 201 as it crosses the Kennebec River, and shortly thereafter it picks up ME 3 and ME 9. ME 3 splits off at South China, but ME 9 stays with US 202 all the way to its terminus in Bangor.