U. S. 2 connects Western Washington to Eastern Washington, and all states between here and the East Coast.

Although many local Western Washington travelers still think of it merely as a "state" roadway, it is also a Washington State Highway of Significance,a federal interstate highway and is a vital cog in our nation's STRAHNET network by which military, resources and people are transported in the event of a national or statewide disaster or emergency.

Overshadowed by attention and funding afforded I-90, the Alaskan Way Viaduct and the 520 bridge, the importance of U. S. 2 is sometimes overlooked and its significance to the state's continued economic vitality minimized. U. S. 2 is one of only two year-round east-west links across the Cascade Mountains.

U. S. 2 is finally coming into its own as the "other" east-west link which will ensure the State's continuing freight mobility and economic vitality. Besides the BNSF rail line, U. S. 2 is a major transportation corridor for all east-west container shipments to/from the ports of Tacoma and Seattle, as well as the means by which raw materials and mineral resources necessary for new development, and agricultural products from eastern Washington and the Sky Valley, are distributed to the world beyond Washington's borders.

The U. S. 2 Safety Coalition (formerly the Highway 2 Traffic Safety Coalition) was organized in 1997 following several traffic deaths in eastern Snohomish County. It was committed to reducing U. S. 2 fatalities by increasing capacity and adding safety improvements. The Coalition continues its early mission to this day, needed more than ever before, as fatalities and serious injuries continue to rise along with traffic volumes and gridlock.