Washington State Route 8

SR 8 runs {{convert|20.67|mi|km|2}} east from US 12 in Elma to an interchange with US 101 {{convert|5.90|mi|km|2}} northwest of Olympia. The route links the city of Elma with Olympia, and intersects only one other highway, SR 108, in McCleary.{{google maps |title=State Route 8 |url=https://www.google.com/maps/dir/47.0050923,-123.3878311/47.0563539,-123.0125368/@47.0320702,-123.2702254,24381m/am=t/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m2!4m1!3e0 |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}{{cite map |publisher=Rand McNally |title=The Road Atlas |year=2008 |pages=108 |section=H4, H5, H6 |isbn=0-528-93961-0}}{{cite map |publisher=G.M. Johnson |title=Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Thurston County |url=http://store.maplink.com/map.aspx?nav=MS&cid=10056,10078&pid=522952 |edition=2007 |year=2007 |series=City Street Maps |accessdate=October 19, 2008}} WSDOT has found that more than 17,000 motorists utilize the road daily at the interchange with US 101 based on annual average daily traffic (AADT) data.{{cite web |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/Annual_Traffic_Report_2007.pdf |title=Washington Annual Average Daily Traffic Data |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |year=2007 |accessdate=October 19, 2008}}

File:WA8.jpg portion of SR 8 going eastbound towards US 101.]]

SR 8 starts at an interchange with US 12 near downtown Elma. From the interchange, the expressway goes northeast and starts to parallel the Chehalis River.{{cite map |publisher=G.M. Johnson |title=Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Sequim, Aberdeen, Hoquiam |url=http://store.maplink.com/map.aspx?nav=MS&cid=10056,10078&pid=522973 |edition=2008 |year=2008 |series=City Street Maps |inset=Elma |accessdate=October 23, 2008}} After crossing the river twice, the highway intersects SR 108, which goes northeast towards Kamilche, west of McCleary. After passing Downtown McCleary, SR 8 has a partial cloverleaf interchange with Mox Chehalis Road. From the interchange, the expressway goes east to form the northern boundary of the Capitol State Forest,{{google maps |url=https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=47.027078,-123.164978&spn=0.07091,0.142822&z=12 |title=Capitol State Forest |accessdate=October 19, 2008}} and passes Summit Lake.{{cite map |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR8/SlideRepair/map.htm |title=SR 8 – Emergency Slide Repair – Unstable Slope Map |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |cartography=Tele Atlas |year=2007 |accessdate=October 19, 2008}} From Summit Lake, the highway turns northeast and merges with US 101 southbound.{{cite map |title=Official State Highway Map |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/87105CAD-83A9-49A7-80F3-5719637C1E2D/0/FrontMapBig.pdf |publisher=Washington State Department of Transportation |location=Olympia, Washington |year=2008 |edition=2008–2009 |scale=1:842,000 |series=Official State Highway Maps |cartography=U.S. Geological Survey |section=E2 |accessdate=October 19, 2008}}

The entire length of SR 8 is expressway. When combined with US 12 to the west and US 101 to the east, it serves as the primary connection between the Puget Sound region and Washington's Pacific coast.

File:WA-PSH9.svg.]]

Before the Primary and Secondary system, SR 8 in 1923 was part of a branch of State Road 9, from Elma to Grand Mound.{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G784AAAAIAAJ |accessdate=October 19, 2008 |edition=1923 |year=1923 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |chapter=Chapter 185}} Later, in 1937, the route from Elma to Grand Mound became part of Elma – Grand Mound branch of Primary State Highway 9 (PSH 9 EG).{{cite book |author=Washington State Legislature |title=Session Laws of the State of Washington |url=http://leg.wa.gov/CodeReviser/documents/sessionlaw/1937pam1.pdf |accessdate=October 19, 2008 |edition=1937 |year=1937 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |location=Olympia, Washington |chapter=Chapter 190}} PSH 9 EG became SR 8 in 1964 during the 1964 highway renumbering, in which the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) replaced the previous system of Primary and Secondary Highways with a new system called State Routes, which is still in use today.{{cite web |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/Identification-of-state-highways.pdf |title=Identification of State Highways, Part 1 |author=C. G. Prahl, Washington State Highway Commission |date=December 1, 1965}}{{cite web |url=https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/state-route-numbers.pdf |title=Identification of State Highways, Part 2 |author=C. G. Prahl, Washington State Highway Commission |date=December 1, 1965}} The highway became part of the Ocean Freeway, an expressway that aimed to connect Aberdeen and the Pacific Coast with Olympia in the 1960s.{{cite news |date=January 23, 1969 |title=Ocean Freeway's Last Link Opens Jan. 30 |page=C1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-ocean-freeways-last-li/129064864/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=July 29, 2023}} The first section between McCleary and Mud Bay opened in October 1962 and was followed a year later by an extension to Elma.{{cite news |date=October 7, 1962 |title=Gov. Rosellini; Rep. Hansen in Ceremony |page=A4 |work=The Tacoma News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-tribune-gov-rosellini-rep-ha/98409317/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=July 29, 2023}} The {{convert|3|mi|km|adj=mid}} freeway bypass of Elma opened in June 1965 as part of US 410.{{cite news |date=June 23, 1965 |title=Crash Kills 3 At Elma |page=1 |work=The Daily Chronicle |agency=Associated Press |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/88408409/crash-kills-3-at-elma/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=November 5, 2021}}{{cite news |date=January 1965 |title=Construction Roundup |page=21 |work=Washington Highway News |volume=12 |issue=7 |publisher=Washington State Highway Commission |oclc=29654162 |url=https://cdm16977.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16977coll1/id/4955 |via=WSDOT Library Digital Collections |accessdate=November 5, 2021}}

File:Washington State Route 8 (1964).png to Grand Mound.]]

Later in 1967, US 12 was extended from Lewiston, Idaho westward to Aberdeen.{{cite web |url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/us12.cfm |title=U.S. 12 Michigan to Washington |access-date=October 19, 2008 |last=Weingroff |first=Richard F. |date=May 7, 2005 |publisher=Federal Highway Administration}} It was approved on June 20, 1967, and it replaced the route of US 410, therefore making the highway obsolete. Since US 12 used the all-weather White Pass and SR 8 from Elma to Grand Mound, and US 410 used Chinook Pass, which was closed during the winter, US 12 bypassed US 410 and what is now SR 8.{{cite news|work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin|title=All-Weather Plan Picked By Highway Commission|date=April 23, 1967|page=5}} Signs were changed in late December 1967,{{cite news|work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin|title=Highway 410 is now U.S. No. 12|date=December 28, 1967|page=1}} and the bypassed segments of US 410 became a new SR 8.{{cite news |title=U-B Action Line |work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin |date=September 29, 1968|page=1}}{{cite web|url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/1970_ATR.pdf|author=Washington State Highway Commission|author-link=Washington State Highway Commission|title=Annual Traffic Report|year=1970|accessdate=October 19, 2008}}

During the Winter 2007 storm, a slope that held up SR 8 was eroded by floodwaters. The slope, located on SR 8 west of the US 101 interchange, and is scheduled to begin this season and last 2 months.{{cite web |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr8/sliderepair/ |title=SR 8 – Emergency Slide Repair – Unstable Slope |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |accessdate=October 19, 2008}} In 2010, WSDOT aims to rebuild the columns that support the SR 8/US 101 interchange and reduce the risk of failure in an earthquake, such as the 2001 Nisqually earthquake.{{cite web |url=http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr8/us101xseismic/ |title=SR 8 – US 101 Undercrossing – Seismic Retrofit |author=Washington State Department of Transportation |accessdate=October 19, 2008}}

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• [https://www.angelfire.com/wa2/hwysofwastate/sr008.html Highways of Washington State]

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Category:Transportation in Grays Harbor County, Washington

Category:Transportation in Thurston County, Washington