End of US highway 8 |
1926-1929
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1929-1930
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1930-1979
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1979-present
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US 8 was originally supposed to begin at US 41 in Powers MI. The following excerpt is from AASHO's April 1927 route log:
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The route was to be signed with US 2 west to Hermansville, then southwesterly through Faithorn, crossing the Menominee River near there into Wisconsin; it was to connect with its current route at or near Pembine WI:
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However, despite what that map showed, a direct road between Pembine and Hermansville has never been built. So when US 8 was first actually implemented, it appears to have been routed north from Pembine with US 141 to US 2 between Iron Mountain and Quinnesec MI. It is unclear whether it was co-signed east with US 2 to Powers -- or actually, whether it was even signed at all before 1929. At any rate, it was only a few years before the east end of US 8 was shifted to its current terminus at Norway. These photos were taken looking north on Brown Street, approaching 7th Avenue (US 2)...
That was the original west end of US 8. As of this writing, US 61 still serves Wyoming; it runs along what is locally called Superior Street, Forest Boulevard, and/or Chisago CR 30. In 1930 the west end of US 8 was extended to Minneapolis. Over the years it had a couple different termini there, as we will see below. But first, an interesing note about dates: it was 1976 when Minnesota obtained permission from AASHTO to truncate the US 8 designation out of Minneapolis. Here is that agenda item from the minutes of their meeting in July of that year...
...but despite that, I have heard that US 8 remained in Minneapolis for another five years. From 1930 all the way to 1978, US 8 was signposted to a terminus at the intersection of 3rd and Washington (see the Minneapolis page). Then from 1978-1981 the terminus was truncated to the intersection of Broadway and New Brighton Boulevard. This photo was looking east on Broadway:
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To the left, New Brighton heads off at a northeasterly angle -- the car turning that direction is at the former west beginning of US 8. It is unusual that the US 8 designation ended here, since Broadway was not designated as a highway. But there is an interchange with I-35W just to the left, and since New Brighton extends only another quarter-mile to this intersection, maybe the state figured they might as well just maintain the entire road...
The flyover in the distance is also visible in this photo, which was taken from northbound I-35 at the west beginning of US 8:
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Traffic on southbound I-35 does not have direct access to US 8. Rather, drivers are directed to exit at Broadway, head east, and then north:
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Drivers exiting there will soon see the first eastbound marker:
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The signage in the distance is in reference to US 8's first junction, which is with US 61. Jeff Morrison's page has more photos and commentary regarding this terminus.
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Research and/or photo credits: Patrick Allen; Christopher Bessert; Barry Camp; Monte Castleman; Paul Dienhart; Bruce Kasprzyk; Jim Lindsay; Tyler Mace; Jeff Morrison; Robert Mortell; Alex Nitzman; Greg Osbaldeston; Steve Riner; Dale Sanderson; Michael Summa
Page originally created 2002;
last updated Dec. 11, 2023.
last updated Dec. 11, 2023.