{{Short description|Highway in Washington}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{redirect-synonym|WA 8|{{ushr|Washington|8}}}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Infobox road |state=WA |type=SR |route=8 |section=035 |map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|frame-lat=47.032|frame-long=-123.198|zoom=9|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/Washington State Route 8}}}} |map_custom=yes |map_notes=SR 8 highlighted in red |length_mi=20.67 |length_ref=<ref name="log">{{WSDOT State Highway Log |year=2020 |pages=249–253 |link=yes |accessdate=September 23, 2021}}</ref> |established=1964<ref name="rcw">{{cite web |url=http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=47.17.035 |title=RCW 47.17.035: State Route 8 |publisher=Washington State Legislature |accessdate=October 19, 2008}}</ref> |direction_a=West |terminus_a={{jct|state=WA|US|12}} in Elma |junction={{jct|state=WA|SR|108}} in McCleary |direction_b=East |terminus_b={{jct|state=WA|US|101}} near Olympia |counties=Grays Harbor, Thurston |previous_type=SR |previous_route=7 |next_type=SR |next_route=9 }}
'''State Route 8''' ('''SR 8''') is a state highway in Grays Harbor and Thurston counties, of the U.S. state of Washington. It extends {{convert|20.67|mi|km|2}} from U.S. Route 12 (US 12) in the city of Elma, east to an interchange with US 101 about {{convert|5.90|mi|km|2}} northwest of the state capital, Olympia. SR 8 intersects SR 108 west of McCleary. The route connects Elma and Olympia as part of a corridor between Aberdeen and the Puget Sound region.
The highway was part of the Elma – Grand Mound branch of Primary State Highway 9 (PSH 9 EG) from 1937 until 1964, which ran from Elma southeast to Interstate 5 (I-5), formerly US 99 in Grand Mound, which was later added as part of US 12 in 1967. The road also forms the northern boundary of Capitol State Forest in Thurston County.
==Route description==
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.<ref name="log"/> The route links the city of Elma with Olympia, and intersects only one other highway, SR 108, in McCleary.<ref name="map">{{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}}</ref><ref>{{cite map |publisher=Rand McNally |title=The Road Atlas |year=2008 |pages=108 |section=H4, H5, H6 |isbn=0-528-93961-0}}</ref><ref>{{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 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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.<ref name="wa aadt">{{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 |archive-date=March 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326014935/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/Annual_Traffic_Report_2007.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
[[File:WA8.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The expressway 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.<ref>{{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 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> 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,<ref>{{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}}</ref> and passes Summit Lake.<ref>{{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 |archive-date=September 30, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120930070617/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR8/SlideRepair/map.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> From Summit Lake, the highway turns northeast and merges with US 101 southbound.<ref name="map"/><ref>{{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}}</ref>
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.
==History== [[File:WA-PSH9.svg|75px|thumb|The shield of PSH 9 EG.]]
Before the Primary and Secondary system, SR 8 in 1923 was part of a branch of State Road 9, from Elma to Grand Mound.<ref name="1923-law">{{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}}</ref> 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).<ref name="1937-law">{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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 |access-date=February 2, 2020 |archive-date=October 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030044024/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/6836215D-E301-43F3-895A-472BD2FDE86A/0/Identification.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{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 |access-date=February 10, 2020 |archive-date=October 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201030023216/https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2005/04/26/state-route-numbers.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The highway became part of the Ocean Freeway, an expressway that aimed to connect Aberdeen and the Pacific Coast with Olympia in the 1960s.<ref name="TNT-1969">{{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}}</ref> The first section between McCleary and Mud Bay opened in October 1962 and was followed a year later by an extension to Elma.<ref name="TNT-1969"/><ref>{{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}}</ref> The {{convert|3|mi|km|adj=mid}} freeway bypass of Elma opened in June 1965 as part of US 410.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>
[[File:Washington State Route 8 (1964).png|200px|thumb|right|A map showing SR 8 in 1964, when the highway went from Elma to Grand Mound.]]
Later in 1967, US 12 was extended from Lewiston, Idaho westward to Aberdeen.<ref name="us12">{{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}}</ref> It was approved on June 20, 1967, and it replaced the route of US 410, therefore making the highway obsolete.<ref name="us12"/> 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.<ref>{{cite news|work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin|title=All-Weather Plan Picked By Highway Commission|date=April 23, 1967|page=5}}</ref> Signs were changed in late December 1967,<ref>{{cite news|work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin|title=Highway 410 is now U.S. No. 12|date=December 28, 1967|page=1}}</ref> and the bypassed segments of US 410 became a new SR 8.<ref>{{cite news |title=U-B Action Line |work=Walla Walla Union-Bulletin |date=September 29, 1968|page=1}}</ref><ref name=ATR1970>{{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|archive-date=June 25, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625093148/http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/mapsdata/tdo/PDF_and_ZIP_Files/1970_ATR.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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.<ref>{{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}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>
==Major intersections== {{WAinttop|length_ref=<ref name="log"/>}} {{WAint |county=Grays Harbor |cspan=4 |location=Elma |lspan=2 |mile=0.00 |mspan=2 |road={{jct|state=WA|US|12|dir1=west|city1=Montesano|city2=Aberdeen}} |type=trans |notes=Continues as US 12 west }} {{WAint |mile=none |road={{jct|state=WA|US|12|dir1=east|city1=Oakville|city2=Centralia|city3=Yakima}} |notes=Interchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance }} {{WAint |lspan=2 |location=McCleary |mile=6.03 |road={{jct|state=WA|SR|108|dir1=east|SR-Bus|108|dir2=east|city1=McCleary|city2=Shelton}} |notes= }} {{WAint |mile=7.39 |road={{jct|state=WA|SR-Bus|108|dir1=west|name1=Mox Chehalis Road|city1=McCleary}} |notes=Interchange }} {{WAint |county=Thurston |location=none |mile=20.67 |road={{jct|state=WA|US|101|dir1=south|city1=Olympia}} |notes=Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance }} {{jctbtm|keys=trans}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{Attached KML|display=inline,title}} *[https://www.angelfire.com/wa2/hwysofwastate/sr008.html Highways of Washington State]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Washington State Route 008}} 008 Category:Transportation in Grays Harbor County, Washington Category:Transportation in Thurston County, Washington