Interstate 8 in Arizona

Infobox road
state=AZ
type=I
route=8


length_mi=178.36
length_round=2
length_ref=cite web |url=http://tpd.az.gov/data/reports/2006SHSLog.pdf |title=2006 ADOT Highway Log |author=Arizona Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-04-11]
established=1964 (from US 80)
direction_a=West
terminus_a=jct|state=CA|I|8 at Yuma
junction=jct|state=AZ|US|95 in Yuma
jct|state=AZ|AZ|85 in Phoenix
direction_b=East
terminus_b=jct|state=AZ|I|10 near Casa Grande
previous_type=AZ
previous_route=802
next_type=I
next_route=10In the U.S. state of Arizona, Interstate 8 (I-8) is a convert|178.36|mi|km|2|sing=on|lk=on 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.

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 Tucson. [cite map|publisher=Google Maps|title=Overview map of I-8 in Arizona|accessdate=2008-04-11|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=12292208217460437544,32.728310,-114.617480%3B401209425362210788,32.817011,-111.683029&saddr=I-8+E+%4032.728310,+-114.617480&daddr=Exit+178A+%4032.817011,+-111.683029&doflg=ptm&sll=32.795685,-113.150255&sspn=3.181171,5.119629&ie=UTF8&z=8]

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.cite map|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1921-az.html|title=Map of Proposed State Highway System of Arizona|year=1921|accessdate=2008-05-04] 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.cite map|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1926-az.html|title=Map of Arizona|year=1926|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|accessdate=2008-05-03] In 1928, the portion of I-8 between Gila Bend and Casa Grande was designated as SR 84. [cite web|author=Arizona Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-05-04|url=http://www.azhighwaydata.com/resolutions/?resnum=1928-P-144|title=ADOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1928-P-144] By 1929, a small portion of the highway was paved near Yuma and SR 84 was under construction.cite map|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1929-az.html|title=Map of Arizona|year=1929|accessdate=2008-05-04] By 1930, SR 84 was completed, but not paved and the segment of US 80 between Astec and Sentinel had been paved.cite map|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1930-az.html|title=Condition Map of State Highway System|year=1930|accessdate=2008-05-04] By 1931, the entire portion of the highway under the US 80 designation had been paved.cite map|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1931-az.html|title=Condition Map of State Highway System|year=1931|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|accessdate=2008-05-04] Paving of the SR 84 had commenced by 1934, with the portion of the highway in Maricopa County being paved.cite map|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1934-az.html|title=Condition Map of State Highway System|year=1934|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|accessdate=2008-05-04] By 1935, the entire future corridor of I-8 had been paved from Yuma to Casa Grande.cite map|url=http://www.arizonaroads.com/maps/index.html|title=Road Map of Arizona|year=1935|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|accessdate=2008-05-04]

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.cite map|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1963-az.html|title=Road Map of Arizona|year=1963|publisher=Rand McNally|accessdate=2008-05-04] 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.cite map|url=http://www.rockymountainroads.com/maps/1971-az.html|title=Road Map of Arizona|year=1971|publisher=Arizona Highway Department|accessdate=2008-05-04] 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. [cite web|author=Arizona Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-05-04|url=http://www.azhighwaydata.com/resolutions/?resnum=1973-%20-075|title=ADOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1973-20-075] In 1977, the US 80 designation was removed from this stretch in favor of I-8. [cite web|author=Arizona Department of Transportation|accessdate=2008-05-04|url=http://www.azhighwaydata.com/resolutions/?resnum=1977-16-A-048|title=ADOT Right-of-Way Resolution 1977-16-A-048]

Exit list

References