Estonian national road 2

National Road 2
Põhimaantee 2
Route information
Maintained by Estonian Transport Administration
Length	282 km (175 mi)
Major junctions
From	Tallinn
Major intersections	Ülemiste Jüri Kose Kose-Risti Mäo Mäeküla Imavere Mõhküla Puhu Kärevere Tiksoja Tartu Tartu Reola Tatra Saverna Kanepi Kanepi Võru Võru Verijärve
To	Luhamaa
Location
Country	Estonia
Counties	Harju County  Järva County  Jõgeva County  Tartu County  Põlva County  Võru County
Highway system
Transport in Estonia
← T1 → T3

Tallinn-Tartu-Võru-Luhamaa maantee (Tallinn-Tartu-Võru-Luhamaa highway, alternatively Põhimaantee nr 2, unofficially abbreviated T2) is a 282-kilometre-long north-southeast national main road in Estonia. The route follows the same path as European route E263. The road forms a major north-south corridor within Estonia, connecting the two largest cities. The highway starts in Tallinn and passes a number of notable towns, namely Kose, Põltsamaa, Tartu and Võru, with arterials branching off towards Paide, Valga, Põlva. The highway ends in Luhamaa intersecting with the T7, heading to either Latvia or Russia.

In 2021, the highest traffic volumes were around Tallinn and Tartu, with highest recorded AADT figures being 28,000 and 19,000 respectively. Heavy traffic figures are second only to the T4, with around 1000 trucks recorded daily between Tallinn and Tartu. The road forms a major transport north-south transport route within Estonia, as it connects the two largest cities in Estonia.

The road is a dual carriageway for 86 kilometres. The main part is between Tallinn and Mäo, forming the longest continuous stretch of dual carriageway in Estonia. Remaining stretches are short stubs just before and exiting Tartu. Several 2+1 stretches have been constructed between Mäo and Tartu to alleviate overtaking dangers. Future plans only envisage the construction of dual carriageways, albeit these have been largely put on hold due to austerity measures.

History

Early history

Research shows a trail of sorts between Tallinn and Tartu already present in the early 14th century, with negotiations during the St. George's Night uprising requiring travel between Tallinn, Tartu and Paide.

Roads in the modern sense started appearing during Swedish rule with a network of postal routes and postal stations established. By this point, several routes between Tallinn and Tartu via Rakvere, the Piibe highway and Põltsamaa were present, with these routes being largely unchanged later.

20th century

Modern Estonia was historically administratively divided between Estonia and Livonia. As Tartu lay in Livonia, there was no significant demand for travel between Tallinn and Tartu. The route gained its modern levels of importance during the 20th century.

Until the mid-1920s the current T2 highway terminated at Põltsamaa, connecting via Aidu to Piibe highway. Onwards from Põltsamaa and towards Kärevere was only important on a parochial level and no longer a main route, as no bridge over the Emajõgi was constructed in Kärevere until 1928 and a ferry was required. The first bridge, eventually constructed in 1928, collapsed in just two days. Hence the Tallinn-Mäo-Põltsamaa highway was rather used for traffic between Tallinn and Riga, with the route continuing towards Viljandi, Karksi-Nuia and the border at Polli.

Kärevere bridge, 1928, collapsing in just two days

In the 1930s, plans were devised to construct a new Tallinn-Riga highway via Paide and Põltsamaa, running completely straight between Tallinn and Põltsamaa. The designed road had a width of 8 metres, with a granite foundation and topped with gravel, and a speed limit of 150km/h. In Viljandimaa the road would've passed straight across Parika bog and over large valleys. The route between Tallinn and Paide would've shortened by 21 kilometres, 24 kilometres total between Tallinn and Tartu. Construction began from Tallinn in December 1934, employing up to 450 people. With the highway costing 2.4 million kroons but very little money allocated by the state, construction was slow and only 8 kilometres of road (up to Assaku) were constructed by 1940.

By the end of the 1940s, developing Tallinn-Tartu via Mäo and Põltsamaa became preferred to Piibe highway. The highway attained all-Union importance, one of three such highways in Estonia (alongside Tallinn-Pärnu, Tallinn-Narva). It was, however, was nothing more than a twisty and tight gravel road, prone to disappearing in blizzards. In 1947, only 4,4 kilometres of highway was dust-free, and this too near urban areas.

The highway was covered in blacktop fully only by 1960, but with no foundation works undertaken, it was prone to falling apart. Works were undertaken in the following years to construct a proper bed, covered with asphalt concrete.

Large-scale construction works took place in the 1970s and 1980s. Between 1986-1990 the first stretch of dual carriageway was constructed between Tallinn and Jüri. Works continued towards Vaida but halted in 1993 due to economic downturn resulting from the collapse of the USSR, restarted and finished in 1997-1998.

21st century

Widening of the highway continued slowly in the 2000s. By 2003, a section of dual carriageway was completed from Vaida to Aruvalla, but without grade-separated junctions or collectors. Joining the EU provided the state access to development funding and large scale works on the aforementioned section began in 2007, which also saw an interchange constructed in Puurmani. 2010 saw the opening of Mäo interchange, a key junction for central Estonia, with the road rerouted and built from scratch as dual carriageway.

Further works began in 2011 with dual carriageway extended from Aruvalla to Kose, finished in 2013, during which Estonia's first ecoduct was constructed. In the same year, a 2-kilometre stretch of dual carriageway and the Postimaja interchange were constructed on Tartu's western bypass, with a further three kilometres of 2+2 opened the next year.

The first 2+1 sections of the highway (and indeed in all of Estonia) were opened in 2017 between Annikvere and Neanurme, with further sections opened in 2018, 2019, and 2023.

The largest road construction project in Estonian history began in 2017, extending the dual carriageway from Kose to Võõbu. The highway was completely built from scratch on a new route, with interchanges, ecoducts, and electronic signage. The latter is used for a new at-grade animal crossing solution, with sensors detecting animals near the highway and lowering the speed limit accordingly. This was the first section of highway in the country with a speed limit of 120km/h.

A further extension, similarly on an all-new route, was opened between Võõbu and Mäo in 2022, hence roughly half of the route between Tallinn and Tartu is now dual carriageway. A further few kilometres were widened between Kärevere and Kardla in the same year.

Route description

The T2 (Estonian: põhimaantee 2) is a major north-southeast highway connecting the capital of the country, Tallinn, to the second largest city, Tartu and beyond into Põlva- and Võrumaa. It follows the same route as European route E263.

The route begins in Tallinn from Viru Square and runs through the city for 6 kilometres, following the city streets of Narva maantee, Pronksi and Tartu maantee. It services Tallinn Airport, with planes taking off and landing just above the highway. At Assaku, the road crosses the yet-unbuilt Rail Baltica, with a viaduct already in place. In Jüri, the carriageway is taken over a roundabout junction with the T11. Until Vaida, the road is nearly arrow-straight, as per pre-war plans. The road continually modernises towards Mäo as newer dual carriageway sections are encountered. Bypassing Mäo, the T5 is met at an interchange, with the road transforming to single carriageway a few kilometres after.

From here, the road will pass through settlements owing to the age of its route, with lower speed limits and speed cameras in place. Shortly after Põltsamaa the road widens to 2+1, with a speed limit of 100km/h on bypassing sections. Road width alternates several times until Tartu, with another 2+1 section, dual carriageway and single carriageway.

T2 in Võrumaa

Approaching Tartu the road splits in two, with the T40 heading straight into Tartu and the T2 bypassing it from the west. The opposite direction forces traffic into a full stop, giving way to northbound T40 traffic. Several roundabouts and roundabout interchanges are met with the T22103, T92 and T3 respectively. The bypass continues with grade-separated interchanges, the largest being a trumpet interchange with the city's southern/eastern bypass. Widening to dual carriageway, the highway services Tartu Airport, after which it continues southbound as single carriageway. The road will again head through or close past settlements with lowered speed limits.

Before Võru, the road heads left on a T-junction. Roundabouts are met bypassing Võru and another T-junction after Võru, the road once again heading left. The highway terminates in almost the very southern tip of Estonia, with border crossings to Latvia and Russia via the T7 only 18 and 2,5km away, respectively.

Road length of lane

6 km

80 km

40 km

16 km

14 km

7 km

2 km

3 km

9 km

2 km

3 km

3 km

97 km

Urban

2+2 road

1+1 road

2+1 road

1+1 road

2+1 road

1+1 road

2+2 road

1+1 road

Urban

1+1 road

2+2 road

1+1 road

Route table

The route passes through Harju County (Tallinn, Rae, Kose), Järva County (Paide, Järva), Jõgeva County (Põltsamaa), Tartu County (Tartu, Tartu, Kambja), Põlva County (Kanepi), Võru County (Võru, Setomaa).

Municipality	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Tallinn	Viru väljak	0.0	0.0		Viru Square is the starting point for four highways - Tallinn-Narva, Tallinn-Tartu, Tallinn-Pärnu and Tallinn-Paldiski. Concurrency with T1.
	Pronksi			T11608	Urban intersection
	Ülemiste			– Narva	Peterburi tee crosses on flyover; end of T1 concurrency.
	Ülemiste			T11290	Urban intersection
	Mõigu			T11330	Urban intersection
Exiting Tallinn, start of dual carriageway
Rae	Assaku			T11330 – Järveküla, Assaku	Furthermost ramps divided by 1,4km
	Pildiküla			T11332 – Lehmja, Pildiküla
	Jüri			– Keila, Pärnu highway, Narva highway, Jüri
	Patika			T11114 – Nabala, Kautjala, Patika centre
	Vaida			T11202 – Vaidasoo T11155 – Vaida T11114
	Aruvalla			T11202 – Urge, Tuhala, Jägala
	Piuga			T11704 - Tuhala, Saula	Southbound exit ramp only
Kose	Saula			T11704 T11703	North- and southbound entrance only
	Siniallika			T11703 – Saula centre	Northbound exit only
	Kolu			T11204 T11203 – Tammiku, Oru, Kolu T11705
	Kurena			T11706	Southbound exit only
	Kuivajõe			– Kose; T11205 – Kose-Uuemõisa, Karla; T11708
	Kose-Risti			– Purila, Kose;	Pre-motorway T2 forms northbound exit from T11708
	Ardu			T11141 – Ardu, Ojasoo, Triigi
Paide	Mustla			T11141 – Ardu, Mustla
	Otiku			T15220 – Eivere T15218 – Anna T15179 – Otiku centre
	Korba				Southbound entrance only; pre-motorway T2 rejoins
	Kükita			T15217 – Mäo, Tarbja centre	Southbound exit only; pre-motorway T2
	Mäo			– Pärnu, Türi, Paide, Rakvere, Aravete
	Valgma			T15159 – Mäo centre; Vodja
End of dual carriageway
Paide	Mäeküla			– Piibe maantee, Koeru
	Mäeküla			T15175 – Mündi
Järva	Prandi			T15182 – Prandi
	Koigi			T15162 – Päinurme, Koigi centre
	Koigi			T15182 – Prandi
	Koigi			T15167 – Laimetsa
	Käsukonna			T15167 – Laimetsa
	Imavere			– Viljandi, Imavere centre
	Kiigevere			T15164 – Imavere
Põltsamaa	Adavere			T14163 – Rutikvere
	Adavere			T14186 – Puiatu
	Mõhküla			T14166 – Eistvere
	Põltsamaa			– Võhma, Põltsamaa
	Põltsamaa			T14170 – Põltsamaa, Pajusi
	Põltsamaa			– Põltsamaa, Jõgeva
	Põltsamaa			T14172 – Lustivere
	Annikvere			T14174 – Annikvere centre
Start of 2+1
Põltsamaa	Kaliküla			T14173 – Lustivere
	Neanurme			T14177 – Umbusi
	Neanurme			T14191 – Tõrenurme	Northbound exit and entrance only
	Pikknurme			T14175 – Umbusi; T14178 – Saduküla
End of 2+1
Põltsamaa	Puurmani			T14179 – Puurmani; T14180 – Tabivere; T14246	Single carriageway interchange
Tartu	Siniküla			T22107 – Laeva, Siniküla centre
	Rootsi			T22107 – Siniküla, Laeva
Start of 2+1
End of 2+1
Tartu	Kärevere			– Kärkna, Jõgeva highway
Start of dual carriageway
End of dual carriageway
Tartu	Kardla			T22102 – Kardla
	Kardla			T22106 – Ilmatsalu
	Rähni			T22104 – Rahinge
	Tiksoja			T22101 – Vorbuse
	Tiksoja			– Tartu city centre
	Ilmatsalu			T22103 – Ilmatsalu, Rahinge; Tartu, Ilmatsalu street
	Viljandi			– Viljandi, Puhja Tartu, Viljandi maantee
	Riia			– Valga, Elva City centre	Grade-separated roundabout junction with T2 on flyover
Kambja	Variku			Tõrvandi, Roopa street	Single carriageway interchange
	Postimaja			Narva, Räpina, Jõgeva, Tartu
Start of dual carriageway
Kambja	Tõrvandi			T22104 – Lemmatsi	Westbound exit and southbound entrance only
	Lennu			T22132 – Külitse, Tartu Airport, Tõrvandi
End of dual carriageway
Kambja	Reola			T22133 – Unipiha  – Põlva
	Tatra			T22134 – Virulase
	Tatra			– Otepää
	Kambja			T22180 – Nõo
	Kambja			T22136 – Rebase
	Kambja			T22188 – Kavandu
	Kambja			T22135 – Sirvaku
	Kambja			T22135 – Sirvaku
Kanepi	Vissi			T22185 – Pangodi, Kammeri
	Vissi			T18143 – Vooreküla
	Maaritsa			T18136 – Prangli
	Maaritsa			T18148 – Otepää
	Sulaoja			T18134 – Krüüdneri
	Sulaoja			T18176 – Piigaste
	Abissaare			T18133 – Pikareinu
	Saverna			– Põlva
	Saverna			T18127 – Krootuse
	Saverna			T18174 – Tiido
	Saverna			T18147 – Otepää, Valgjärve
	Silgu			T18123 – Jõksi
	Kanepi			T18167 – Ihamaru
	Kanepi			T18295 – Otepää, Kanepi
	Kanepi			T18120 – Varbuse
	Kanepi			– Otepää, Kanepi
	Kanepi			– Põlva
	Erastvere			T18116 – Sillaotsa
	Peetrimõisa			T18244 – Magari, Sulbi
Võru	Peetrimõisa			T18170 – Heimtali church
	Mäekülä			T25150 – Antsla, Osula, Raiste
	Navi			– Pärnu
	Navi			T25136 – Väimela, Navi
	Võru			– Võru, Põlva
	Võru			– Võru, Koidula, Räpina
	Verijärve			T25146 – Umbsaare
	Verijärve			– Valga, Võru
	Verijärve			T25131 – Rõuge
	Verijärve			T25239 – Lasva
	Räpo			T25133 – Uue-Saaluse
	Tootsi			T25138 – Kasaritsa
	Holsta			T25225 – Uue-Saaluse
	Holsta			T25172 – Vana-Saaluse
	Hinsa			T25210 – Loosi
	Hinsa			T25221 – Vana-Saaluse
	Vastseliina			T25162 – Loosi, Kapera
	Vastseliina			T25211 –
	Vastseliina			T25182 – Obinitsa, Meremäe
	Vastseliina			T25132 – Vastseliina
	Illi			T25164 – Meremäe, Vana-Vastseliina, Tsiistre, Kirikumäe
	Vatsa			T25174 – Miikse
	Viitka			T25158 – Pältre
Setomaa	Luhamaa			– Riga, Pskov
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

See also

• European route E263

External links

Media related to Estonian national road 2 at Wikimedia Commons

• Geographic data related to Estonian national road 2 at OpenStreetMap