Route 8

From route 77 in Akron to route 20 in Cleveland.

Counties:

Summit, Cuyahoga

Length:

42 miles

General Direction:

North/South

Dual Certifications:

  • Supercedes route 59 from 2 miles north of downtown Akron to Cuyahoga Falls.
  • Superceded by route 422 from Shaker Heights to Cleveland.

    Intersections:

    0: 76,77; 2: 18; 3: 59W,261W; 4: 261E; 8: 59E; 15: 303; 17: 80; 20: 271; 22: 82; 28: 14; 30: 480,17,43; 33: 422

    Freeway Sections:

  • From Akron to route 80.

    Four-Lane Divided Highway Sections:

  • From route 80 to Northfield.
  • From route 480 to route 422.

    History of route 8:

  • Original state highway.
  • Originally routed from West Virginia state line in Marietta to Cleveland along current route 60 from Marietta to Devola, route 821 from Devola to Byesville, route 209 from Byesville to Cambridge, unnumbered roads roughly paralleling route 77 from Cambridge to Newcomerstown (route 21 from 1926-71), route 36 from Newcomerstown to Uhrichsville, route 250 from Uhrichsville to New Philadelphia, route 800 from New Philadelphia to Canton, an unnumbered road from Canton to Akron, route 8 from Akron to Bedford, and route 14 from Bedford to Cleveland.
  • In 1926, rerouted from Uhrichsville to Fly along previous route 48 (current route 800).
  • Marietta to Newcomerstown certified as route 21 in 1926.
  • Newcomerstown to Uhrichsville certified as route 16 in 1926.
  • Uhrichsville to New Philadelphia dually certified with route 6 in 1926.
  • By 1931, rerouted from Bedford to route 14 via North Randall.
  • Bedford to Cleveland certified as route 14 by 1931.
  • By 1938, rerouted from 2 miles north of Bedford to Cleveland along an unnumbered road and route 422.
  • Ohio Turnpike to Shaker Heights upgraded to four lanes in 1955.
  • Akron to 2 miles north of Akron upgraded to freeway and certified as route 8B (bypass 8) by 1962.
  • Akron bypass certified as route 8 in 1969.
  • Fly to Canton certified as route 800 in 1970.
  • Canton to Akron decertified in 1970.
  • Truncated at Akron in 1970.
  • 2 miles north of Akron to Cuyahoga Falls upgraded to freeway by 1977.
  • Cuyahoga Falls to route 80 upgraded to freeway by 1989.
    Last updated by John Simpson on 8-08-98 at 16:38 EDT.