Interstate 8 in Arizona

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Interstate 8
Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Length: 178.36 mi[1] (287.04 km)
Formed: 1964 (from US 80)
West end: I-8 at Yuma
Major
junctions:		 US 95 in Yuma
SR 85 in Phoenix
East end: I-10 near Casa Grande
State routes in Arizona
< SR 802 I-10 >
Unconstructed - Former

In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 8 (I-8) is a 178.36-mile (287.04 km) Interstate Highway that extends from the Arizona-California border to Interstate 10 near Casa Grande, Arizona. It serves the cities of Yuma and indirectly Phoenix and Tucson; it is the major route westwards to San Diego, California. Essentially, it is a bifurcation of the Interstate 10 route which goes to Phoenix and then Riverside–Los Angeles being the northern section, and Interstate 8 the southern.

Contents

[edit] Route description

I-8 enters Arizona from California at the Colorado River bridge at Yuma. Heading westbound out of Arizona, the highway continues on to San Diego. It initially heads south through Yuma until the interchange with US 95 where the freeway begins to makes the turn to the east. I-8 closely follows the alignment of the old US 80 route and in some locations, the US 80 alignment was upgraded and became I-8. West of Wellton, the highway curves towards the north to take a northeasterly course. Through this part of Arizona, I-8 passes along the northern edge of the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range and to the south of the Yuma Proving Ground. It keeps a northeastern heading until it reaches Gila Bend, Arizona where it intersects SR 85 which leads to Phoenix. After leaving Gila Bend, I-8 takes a southeastern heading as it passes through the Sonoran Desert National Monument. After exiting the monument, the highway continues on an easterly heading to a junction with SR 84 that will parallel I-8 to the north and go through Casa Grande while I-8 will pass to the south of the city. I-8 reaches its eastern terminus at an interchange with I-10 which continues on to Tuscon.[1][2]

[edit] History

The portion of the route of I-8 between Yuma and Gila Bend was originally part of the proposed state system of highway in 1921.[3] In 1926, this section became part of the cross-country highway US 80. The route was not paved at this time, but was a gravel road along the entire corridor.[4] In 1928, the portion of I-8 between Gila Bend and Casa Grande was designated as SR 84.[5] By 1929, a small portion of the highway was paved near Yuma and SR 84 was under construction.[6] By 1930, SR 84 was completed, but not paved and the segment of US 80 between Astec and Sentinel had been paved.[7] By 1931, the entire portion of the highway under the US 80 designation had been paved.[8] Paving of the SR 84 had commenced by 1934, with the portion of the highway in Maricopa County being paved.[9] By 1935, the entire future corridor of I-8 had been paved from Yuma to Casa Grande.[10]

With the coming of the Interstate Highways, the corridor was to be upgraded to Interstate standards. By 1963, this process was in progress with portions of the highway between Mohawk and Gila Bend, and between Gila Bend and Stanfield having been upgraded.[11] By 1971, I-8 was nearly complete including a new alignment east of Yuma built parallel and to the south of the original US 80 alignment. A new alignment was also built to the south of the SR 84 alignment at the eastern end of the highway from southwest of Stanfield to the eastern terminus at I-10 southeast of Casa Grande. The only portions of I-8 not completed at this time were the Casa Grande bypass and the western end near Yuma.[12] As the Interstate was completed, the highways that it replaced were removed from the state highway system. In 1973, the SR 84 designation was removed from the highway from Gila Bend to the split where I-8 followed a new alignment southwest of Stanfield.[13] In 1977, the US 80 designation was removed from this stretch in favor of I-8.[14]

[edit] Exit list

County Location Mile[1] # Destinations Notes
Yuma Yuma 0.59 1 Harold C. Giss Parkway
2.23 2 US 95 (16th Street) – San Luis, Quartzsite, Yuma Proving Grounds
3.98 3 SR 280 south (Avenue 3E) – Yuma International Airport, Marine Corps Air Station Yuma
7.66 7 Araby Road, 32nd Street – Arizona Western College
9.44 9 I-8 Bus.
12.27 12 Fortuna Road
14.28 14 Foothills Boulevard
21.06 21 Dome Valley Road – Dome Valley
30.84 30 Avenue 29E – Wellton
37.99 37 Avenue 36E – Roll
42.10 42 Avenue 40E – Tacna
54.98 54 Avenue 52E – Mohawk Valley
67.49 67 Avenue 64E – Dateland
73.53 73 Aztec Road (Avenue 70E) – Aztec
78.51 78 Spot Road (Avenue 75E)
Maricopa 87.10 87 Sentinel Road – Sentinel, Hyder, Auga Caliente
102.34 102 Painted Rock Dam Road
106.56 106 Paloma Road
Gila Bend 111.49 111 Citrus Valley Road
115.21 115 I-8 Bus.
115.68 116 SR 85 – Phoenix, Ajo, Gila Bend, Mexico
119.47 119 I-8 Bus. (Butterfield Trail) to SR 85 north / I-10 – Gila Bend
140.86 140 Freeman Road
144.60 144 Vekol Valley Road
Pinal 151.73 151 SR 84 east (Maricopa Road) – Stanfield
161.61 161 Stanfield Road
167.61 167 Montgomery Road
169.72 169 Bianco Road
172.62 172 Thornton Road – Casa Grande
174.62 174 Trekell Road – Casa Grande
Casa Grande 178.36 178A-B I-10 – Phoenix, Tucson Eastbound exit, westbound entrance

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Arizona Department of Transportation. 2006 ADOT Highway Log. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  2. ^ Google Maps. Overview map of I-8 in Arizona [map]. Retrieved on 2008-04-11.
  3. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Map of Proposed State Highway System of Arizona [map]. (1921) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  4. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Map of Arizona [map]. (1926) Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  5. ^ Arizona Department of Transportation. ADOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1928-P-144. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  6. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Map of Arizona [map]. (1929) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  7. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Condition Map of State Highway System [map]. (1930) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  8. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Condition Map of State Highway System [map]. (1931) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  9. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Condition Map of State Highway System [map]. (1934) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  10. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Road Map of Arizona [map]. (1935) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  11. ^ Rand McNally. Road Map of Arizona [map]. (1963) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  12. ^ Arizona Highway Department. Road Map of Arizona [map]. (1971) Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  13. ^ Arizona Department of Transportation. ADOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1973-20-075. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  14. ^ Arizona Department of Transportation. ADOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1977-16-A-048. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.


Interstate 8
Previous state:
California		 Arizona Next state:
Terminus