Route Nationale 2 (RN-2) is Haiti’s southern cross-country highway, forming a key part of the national highway system. It runs from Avenue des Quatre Chemins in Les Cayes (South Department), near the western tip of the Tiburon Peninsula, to its northern terminus in Port-au-Prince, where it connects with Route Nationale 1 (RN-1).
RN-2 passes through several major cities from west to east, including Les Cayes, Aquin, Miragoâne, Léogâne, Petit-Goâve, Gressier, Carrefour, and Port-au-Prince. Within the capital, it is commonly called Boulevard Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and outside the capital region, it is known as Route du Sud.
At 186 km (118 miles) long, RN-2 is the third-longest highway in Haiti, after RN-1 and RN-3. Approximately one-third of the route lies within the South Department. While the highway was part of Haiti’s original road network plan, its final sections were completed in later years.
Route Nationale 2 in Miragoâne
RN-2's southern terminus at Avenue des Quatre Chemins in Les Cayes, Sud, Haiti
Route description[]
The highway runs 186 km (118 miles) from Carrefour Quatre-Chemins in the Les Cayes Borough to Downtown Port-au-Prince, where it becomes Route Nationale 1. A southwestern extension, RD-25, connects the highway to RD-72 just north of the Chardonnières Region.
RN-2 map, with distance markers (in miles)
Route Nationale 2 elevation chart.
The elevation chart of the 186 km (118-mile) route shows two steep climbs and four more gradual ones. The highest point, around 300 meters (1,000 feet), lies on the Nippes–Sud border. The steepest section occurs near Aquin at the 145 km (90-mile) mark, where the road rises from 9 to 95 meters (28 to 313 feet) over 2.25 km (1.4 miles), resulting in a 3.8% grade.
RN-2 extension
Road surface
Road surface Route Nationale 2
Topography[]
46% of the road passes through mountainous terrain, marked by elevated, rugged landscapes that may pose construction and accessibility challenges. The remaining 54% traverses plains, characterized by flat or gently rolling land, which is generally more favorable for infrastructure development, agriculture, and settlement.
Criticism[]
A major limitation of RN-2 is that access to the entire South Department of Haiti—including key cities like Les Cayes and Jérémie—depends on a single, heavily congested bottleneck in the commune of Carrefour, just southwest of Port-au-Prince. This stretch of road is the only viable land route connecting the southern peninsula to the capital and the rest of the country, making it a critical chokepoint with no alternative. The road through Carrefour is chronically congested due to a combination of dense local traffic, roadside vendors, inadequate traffic management, and narrow lanes. These conditions result in significant delays for both passenger and freight transport. The lack of redundancy in the road network poses a serious risk: any disruption—whether from protests, accidents, or natural disasters—can isolate the entire South, as seen during the 2021 earthquake when humanitarian aid was delayed. The bottleneck also raises transportation costs, hinders economic activity, and limits access to services in the region.
Route 2 Quick elevation chart
Junction list[]
Junction list[]
| RN-2 Direction: East 🔽 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Borough | Municipality | km | Locale | Notes |
| Les Cayes | Les Cayes | 0.0 | Carrefour Quatre Chemins | JCT  
|
| 1.5 | ~~Rivière l’Islet~~ | ~ ~ ~ | ||
| 3.9 | Bergeraud | |||
| 10.2 | Laurent | |||
| 11.6 | Boulmier | |||
| Cavaillon | 19.5 | Ville de Cavaillon | JCT 
| |
| 21.6 | Carrefour Boileau | JCT 
| ||
| Aquin | Saint-Louis-du-Sud | 27.6 | Solon | |
| 34.0 | Ville de Saint-Louis-du-Sud | |||
| 39.6 | Meyance | |||
| 42.8 | Manioc | |||
| 49.3 | Zanglais | |||
| 51.0 | Morisseau | |||
| Aquin | 53.0 | Ville d’Aquin | ||
| 55.2 | Plaine Délice | |||
| 56.4 | Quartier | |||
| 59.4 | Vieux Bourg d’Aquin | JCT 
| ||
| 61.1 | Carrefour 44 | JCT 
| ||
| 64.0 | Macéan | |||
| 66.0 | La Colline | |||
| 69.1 | Route Saint-Grégoire | |||
| Miragoâne | Fonds-des-Nègres | 71.4 | Carrefour Virgile | |
| 73.9 | Ville de Fonds-des-Nègres | |||
| 79.3 | Pémerle | |||
| Miragoâne | 80.7 | Bonne Fer | ||
| 81.7 | Beycard | |||
| 84.2 | Dambreville | |||
| 85.1 | Cadiac | |||
| 86.8 | Dimisaine | |||
| 88.8 | Saint-Michel | |||
| 89.8 | Chéresi | |||
| 91.2 | Carrefour Moussignac | JCT 
| ||
| 93.3 | DuParc | |||
| 95.2 | Chalon | |||
| 97.7 | Savane-Ouest | |||
| 98.2 | Carrefour Desruisseaux | |||
| 99.9 | Saint-Karl | JCT 
| ||
| 106.6 | Lake Miragoâne | |||
| Léogâne | Petit-Goâve | 102.3 | Olivier | |
| 104.0 | Potier | |||
| 109.9 | Fond Douze | |||
| 112.3 | Carrefour Marose | |||
| 113.6 | Vialet | |||
| 116.3 | Croix Hilaire | |||
| 119.9 | Massia | |||
| 123.2 | Ville de Petit-Goâve | |||
| 125.4 | Provence | |||
| Grand-Goâve | 127.7 | Tapion | ||
| 133.3 | Thauzin | |||
| 134.7 | Ville de Grand-Goâve | |||
| 136.3 | Gros Jacques | Ti Paradis | ||
| 138.3 | Fauché | |||
| 139.5 | Carrefour Fauché | |||
| 141.8 | Grand-Trou | |||
| Léogâne | 143.5 | Bellevue | ||
| 144.6 | L’Oiseau | |||
| 146.6 | L’Acul | |||
| 150.4 | ~~Carrefour Dufort~~ | JCT 
| ||
| 153.9 | Petit-Paradis | |||
| 156.8 | Ville de Léogâne | |||
| 159.5 | Sigueneau | |||
| 161.2 | ~~Rivière Momance~~ | ~ ~ ~ | ||
| 162.0 | Saint-Mesmin | |||
| 163.2 | Geffrard | |||
| Gressier | 166.7 | Santo | ||
| 167.7 | Ville de Gressier | |||
| 172.0 | Merger | |||
| 173.5 | Grand-Saline | |||
| Port-au-Prince | Carrefour | 175.3 | Mer Mapoe | |
| 178.8 | Mariani | Route des Rails | ||
| 180.4 | ~~Rivière-Froide~~ | ~ ~ ~ | ||
| 181.6 | Arachon | |||
| 183.7 | Bizoton | |||
| 184.6 | Fontamara | |||
| Port-au-Prince | 186.5 | Martissant | ||
| 187.5 | Bolosse | JCT 
| ||
| 189.1 | Rue Pavée | JCT  
|
Dufort