Length 69.4 km | ||
 | ||
Existed: 1955 renumbering – present West end: LA 2 / LA 159 in Shongaloo East end: US 63 / US 167 / LA 2 in Bernice Parishes Webster Parish, Louisiana, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, Union Parish, Louisiana | ||
Louisiana Highway 2 Alternate (LA 2 Alt.) is a state highway located in northern Louisiana that runs 43.1 miles (69.4 km) in a west–east direction from Shongaloo to Bernice, connecting to its parent route at either end.
Contents
Map of LA-2 Alt, Louisiana, USA
LA 2 Alternate parallels the route of LA 2 to the north, traveling through the town of Haynesville where it intersects U.S. Highway 79 (US 79). It is the only "Alternate" state route in Louisiana.
Route description
From the west, LA 2 Alternate begins at an intersection with LA 2 and LA 159 in Shongaloo. While LA 2 turns to the south co-signed with LA 159, LA 2 Alternate heads due east and crosses from Webster Parish into Claiborne Parish. Just across the parish line, LA 2 Alternate intersects LA 521. It then continues eastward for 4.0 miles (6.4 km) and enters the town of Haynesville. Here it intersects LA 534, crosses the Louisiana and North West Railroad (LNW) tracks, and intersects US 79. LA 2 Alternate turns south, approaching the center of town and overlapping US 79 for one block, before resuming an eastward course along Sherman Street. On the east edge of town, LA 2 Alternate intersects LA 807.
After 5.7 miles (9.2 km), LA 2 Alternate intersects LA 161 at a point known as Gordon and curves to the southeast. 3.8 miles (6.1 km) later, it intersects LA 520, and the two highways engage in a brief concurrency until LA 520 turns north at Colquitt. LA 2 Alternate continues southeast for another 8.9 miles (14.3 km) to Summerfield. Here it zigzags briefly onto LA 9 before continuing southeast for 7.4 miles (11.9 km) to Weldon where it crosses into Union Parish.
LA 2 Alternate proceeds southeast into the town of Bernice, where it intersects and turns south onto the concurrent US 63 and US 167. Approaching the center of town, eastbound (or southbound) traffic proceeds onto Plum Street while westbound (or northbound) traffic follows Cherry Street. LA 2 Alternate ends six blocks later when it reaches its parent route at 4th Street.
LA 2 Alternate is a two-lane, undivided highway for its entire length, except for the brief four-lane, divided segment concurrent with US 63 and US 167 at its eastern end.
History
In the original Louisiana Highway system in use between 1921 and 1955, the entire route of LA 2 Alternate was part of State Route 70.
LA 2 Alternate is an anomaly in the current system, being the only special state route designated in the 1955 renumbering and the only "Alternate" state route. Its route has seen only one major change, the relocation of its western terminus from Sykes Ferry to Shongaloo in the early 1970s. The intervening route was assumed by LA 2, which was re-routed through Webster Parish at this time, shortening LA 2 Alternate by 5.0 miles (8.0 km). The only other change resulted from the recent widening of US 63/US 167 to four lanes in Bernice, concurrent with LA 2 Alternate at its eastern end, via the couplet of Plum and Cherry Streets.