U.S. Route 2 Truck (St. Johnsbury, Vermont)
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U.S. Route 2 (Truck) is designated as a bypass around St. Johnsbury, VT. Its eastern terminus is at the junction of U.S. Route 2 and VT 18 east of the town of St. Johnsbury, VT. Eastbound, it follows VT 18 south for .3 miles to Interstate 93, north on I-93 to I-91 north just south of St. Johnsbury.
The truck route then follows I-91 north to its western terminus at the intersection of I-91 and U.S. 2 west of St. Johnsbury.
Navigating a tractor trailer through downtown St. Johnsbury via U.S. 2 is tricky at best and dangerous at worst, with several sharp turns on narrow, downtown streets with one very steep grade involved on Eastern Avenue. The truck route was designated in an attempt to alleviate the truck traffic in the congested downtown area.
Interestingly, since the truck route utilizes two interstate highways, the maximum weight limits are the same as the interstates. This poses a problem for local trucks loaded with logs and wood chips, since their weight typically exceeds interstate limits, but is still within the limits for state and federal highways. This creates a situation where the most dangerous and difficult to handle trucks are forced to use the main U.S. 2 route through downtown St. Johnsbury.
