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Pennsylvania Route 8

Route map:
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Pennsylvania Route 8 marker
Pennsylvania Route 8
William Flinn Highway
Map
Route of PA 8 highlighted in red, and business and truck routes in blue
Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length148.6 mi[1] (239.1 km)
Major junctions
South end I-376 / US 22 / US 30 in Wilkinsburg
Major intersections
North end US 20 in Erie
Location
CountryUnited States
StatePennsylvania
CountiesAllegheny, Butler, Venango, Crawford, Erie
Highway system
← PA 7→ PA 9

Pennsylvania Route 8 (PA 8) is a major 148.6-mile-long (239.1 km) state route in western Pennsylvania. Officially, PA 8 is named the William Flinn Highway.

Its southern terminus is at Interstate 376 (I-376)/U.S. Route 22 (US 22)/US 30 in Pittsburgh. Its northern terminus is US 20 in Erie.

Route description

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Pittsburgh to Interstate 80

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The southern terminus of PA 8 is at an interchange with I-376/US 22/US 30 east of downtown Pittsburgh. The route, running along Ardmore Boulevard, Penn Avenue and Washington Boulevard, heads west from I-376 and runs through the eastern districts of the city. PA 8 has intersections with Pennsylvania Route 380 and Pennsylvania Route 130 prior to crossing the Allegheny River and exiting Pittsburgh.

PA 8 is a major street in downtown Butler.

North of the bridge that crosses the Allegheny River, PA 8 meets Pennsylvania Route 28 at an interchange. 8 miles (13 km) north of Pittsburgh, PA 8 intersects Interstate 76 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike at exit 39. In Middlesex Township, PA 8 runs concurrent with Pennsylvania Route 228 for 2 miles (3 km). In Butler, PA 8 crosses Connoquenessing Creek on the General Richard Butler Bridge then runs with Pennsylvania Route 356 through downtown on South Main Street.

North of the city of Butler, PA 8 meets U.S. Route 422 at an interchange. Near Moraine State Park, PA 8 meets Pennsylvania Route 528 and Pennsylvania Route 173. About 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Slippery Rock, PA 8 meets Pennsylvania Route 108. In the town of Harrisville, PA 8 intersects Pennsylvania Route 58 (Grove City Harrisville Road). A few miles north of the Butler-Venango county line, PA 8 meets Interstate 80 at exit 29 near Barkeyville.

Mae West Bend

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About 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of the interchange of PA 28 (in the borough of Etna) is a very sharp and hazardous curve, known to Pittsburghers as "Mae West Bend". The site of numerous accidents over the years, this curve has recently been widened by razing the deteriorating buildings along the inner edge of the curve and digging out the mountainside so that two lanes ran in each direction throughout the curve[2][3] (southbound travelers previously had to merge left on the curve as the right lane ended).

Interstate 80 to Erie

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PA 8 northbound past PA 208 in Barkeyville

2 miles (3 km) north of I-80, PA 8 becomes a limited-access highway. The expressway, built between 1973-1976, is 9 miles (14 km) long and has only two exits, one of which serves as the northern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 308. North of the expressway, PA 8 is called Pittsburgh Road. South of Franklin, PA 8 merges with U.S. Route 62, beginning a 10-mile (16 km) concurrency with the route. In Franklin, PA 8 and US 62 meet U.S. Route 322 in the city center. The routes form a short, 0.5 miles (0.8 km) concurrency through the city before splitting near the Allegheny River. North of US 322, PA 8 and US 62 begin to parallel the Allegheny River. West of downtown Oil City, the concurrency with US 62 ends. US 62 crosses the Allegheny and runs south of the city before turning north towards the Allegheny National Forest and New York. PA 8, however, continues into Oil City, where PA 8 meets Pennsylvania Route 8 Business, the first of two auxiliary routes of PA 8, at Center Street. While PA 8 Business heads into Oil City, PA 8 runs west of the city along the former routing of Pennsylvania Route 8 Bypass, rejoining PA 8 Business at North Seneca Street north of town.

PA 8/PA 27 through Titusville

North of Oil City, PA 8 is named Oil City-Titusville Road. In the city of Titusville, PA 8 meets Pennsylvania Route 27 and the southern terminus of Pennsylvania Route 89 at the intersection of Franklin Street and Central Avenue. PA 8 forms a concurrency with PA 27 westward along the one-way streets of Central Avenue and Diamond Street before splitting at Spring Street.[4]

In Riceville, PA 8 intersects Pennsylvania Route 77. 5 miles (8 km) north of PA 77, PA 8 enters Erie County. In Union City, PA 8 merges with U.S. Route 6 for 0.5 miles (0.8 km) through downtown. Just north of the split with US 6, PA 8 meets the southern terminus of the northern segment of Pennsylvania Route 97. PA 8 passes by a dry lake called Union City Lake south of Wattsburg, where it merges with Pennsylvania Route 89. The two routes run concurrent to one another through Wattsburg, where PA 8 and PA 89 meet the western terminus of Pennsylvania Route 474, to the Venango Township community of Lowville, where PA 8 breaks from PA 89, taking a more westerly routing than PA 89. PA 8 is named Wattsburg Road between Lowville and the Erie city line.

1.5 miles (2.4 km) southeast of Erie, PA 8 interchanges with Interstate 90 at exit 29, which shows a sign for Parade Street (northbound) and Hammett (southbound).

In the city itself, PA 8, as Pine Avenue, meets the northern terminus of Old French Road (PA 97) a mere 700 feet (210 m) south of its northern terminus at U.S. Route 20. PA 97 and PA 8 effectively join to become Parade Street, which continues north to Front Street, just south of the Bayfront Parkway.

History

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PA 8 was first signed in 1926 from West Virginia to Erie. South of Pittsburgh, PA 8 followed the current U.S. Route 19 alignment from the West Virginia state line to Canonsburg, as well as the present Pennsylvania Route 50 alignment from Bridgeville to Crafton. The West Virginia – Pittsburgh segment was decommissioned in 1930.[5]

In 1934, construction began on PA 8 between the Allegheny–Butler county line and Three Degree Road. This segment opened in 1935. Later, in 1958, construction commenced on the segment from Grant Avenue to Pennsylvania Route 28 in Etna. In that same year, the route was widened and a median was installed from Franklin to Reno. The Grant Avenue – PA 28 segment was completed the following year. In 1961, PA 8 from the end of the Richard C. Frame Memorial Highway at Interstate 80 to Franklin was upgraded with a median, and, in 1968, the section from Reno to Oil City had a median installed as well.[6][7][8][9]

In 1973, construction began on the section of expressway from Pennsylvania Route 308 in Pearl to the northern end of the present expressway south of Franklin in Venango County. That same year, the southern terminus of PA 8 was moved from West Carson Street in Pittsburgh to Pennsylvania Route 28 in Etna. In 1974, construction began on the remainder of the expressway from the present southern end at Wesley to PA 308. The highway was completed in 1976.

In 1977, the southern terminus was moved to its current location from PA 28 in Etna. In 1979, the route was realigned onto what was then PA 8 Bypass (Main Street) to bypass downtown Oil City. PA 8 Bypass, initially signed in 1941, was decommissioned while the former routing in PA 8 in Oil City became Pennsylvania Route 8 Business.[10]

Major intersections

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CountyLocation[11]mi[12]kmDestinationsNotes
AlleghenyWilkinsburg0.0000.000
 I-376 / US 22 / US 30 west (Penn-Lincoln Parkway) – Pittsburgh, Monroeville

 US 30 east (Ardmore Boulevard)		Exit 78B on I-376, southern terminus of PA 8
Pittsburgh2.4623.962
 PA 380 east (Dallas Avenue)		Southern end of concurrency with PA 380
2.7474.421
 PA 380 west (Penn Avenue) / Blue Belt (Fifth Avenue)		Northern end of concurrency with PA 380; southern end of concurrency with Blue Belt
4.9888.027
 PA 130 east / Green Belt (Allegheny River Boulevard) – Penn Hills		Southern end of concurrency with Green Belt; western terminus of PA 130
5.3228.565
 Blue Belt / Green Belt (Highland Park Bridge) to PA 28		Interchange; northern end of concurrency with Blue Belt / Green Belt
Allegheny River6.641–
7.039		10.688–
11.328		Senator Robert D. Fleming Bridge
Sharpsburg–Etna line6.92011.137
 To PA 28 – Sharpsburg		Interchange; northbound exit and southbound entrance, via Bridge Street; Exit 5A on PA 28 north
7.09711.422SharpsburgInterchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance
Sharpsburg–Etna–
Shaler Township tripoint		7.24811.665 PA 28 / Blue Belt (Allegheny Valley Expressway) – Pittsburgh, KittanningInterchange; southbound exit and northbound entrance; Exit 5B on PA 28
Hampton Township12.50920.131 Green Belt (Duncan Avenue)Southern end of concurrency with Green Belt
13.29621.398 Green Belt (Harts Run Road)Northern end of concurrency with Green Belt
14.80023.818 Yellow Belt (Wildwood Road) – North Park, Dorseyville
16.26226.171
 I-76 Toll / Penna Turnpike – Ohio, Pittsburgh		Exit 39 (Butler Valley) on Penna Turnpike; E-ZPass or toll-by-plate
Richland Township17.93728.867 PA 910 / Orange Belt (Gibsonia Road) – New Kensington, Pittsburgh International Airport
19.07230.693 Red Belt (Bakerstown Road) – Bakerstown, Tarentum, WarrendaleInterchange; no northbound exit
ButlerMiddlesex Township22.68436.506
 PA 228 west – Mars		Southern end of concurrency with PA 228
24.38039.236
 PA 228 east (Glade Mill Road) – Saxonburg, Ekastown		Northern end of concurrency with PA 228
Butler Township31.53550.751AK SteelInterchange
Butler34.46155.460
 PA 356 south (Wayne Street)		Southern end of concurrency with PA 356
34.653–
34.736		55.769–
55.902
 PA 68 / PA 356 north (Cunningham Street / Jefferson Street)		Northern end of concurrency with PA 356
Butler Township36.05558.025 US 422 (Benjamin Franklin Highway) – Kittanning, New CastleInterchange
Center Township37.52360.387
 PA 308 north (West Sunbury Road) – West Sunbury		Southern terminus of PA 308
Clay Township43.88870.631
 PA 138 north (Euclid Road) – West Sunbury		Southern terminus of PA 138
Brady Township47.04475.710
 PA 528 south (Prospect Road) – Prospect, Moraine State Park		Northern terminus of PA 528
47.17775.924
 PA 173 north – Slippery Rock		Southern terminus of PA 173
Slippery Rock Township52.89185.120
 PA 108 west – Slippery Rock		Eastern terminus of PA 108
Harrisville55.88889.943 PA 58 (Mercer Street) – Eau Claire, Grove City
VenangoBarkeyville59.98596.536 PA 208 (Clintonville Road / Barkeyville Road) – Clintonville, Grove City
60.86697.954 I-80 – Clarion, SharonExit 29 on I-80
Irwin Township63.322101.907Southern end of freeway
Nectarine, WesleySouthbound exit and northbound entrance, via Georgetown Road
66.190106.522
 PA 308 south – Pearl, Bullion		Northern terminus of PA 308
Sandycreek Township73.458118.219Northern end of freeway
Frenchcreek Township76.015122.334
 US 62 south – Mercer		Southern end of concurrency with US 62
Franklin77.512124.743

 US 322 west (13th Street) to PA 417		Southern end of concurrency with US 322
77.952125.452
 US 322 east (Liberty Street)		Northern end of concurrency with US 322
Oil City85.484137.573
 US 62 north (Petroleum Street) – Tionesta

 PA 428 north (Halyday Street)		Northern end of concurrency with US 62; southern terminus of PA 428
85.705137.929

 PA 8 Bus. north (Center Street)		Southern terminus of PA 8 Bus.
86.436139.105

 PA 8 Bus. south (Seneca Street)		Northern terminus of PA 8 Bus.
Rouseville88.838142.971
 PA 227 east (Cherry Run Road)		Western terminus of PA 227
Cherrytree Township93.600150.635
 PA 417 south – Dempseytown, Franklin		Northern terminus of PA 417
CrawfordTitusville100.518161.768



 PA 8 Truck north / PA 27 Truck west (St. John Street)		Southern terminus of PA 8 Truck; eastern terminus of PA 27 Truck
100.753–
100.798		162.146–
162.219
 PA 27 east (Diamond Street / Central Avenue)

 PA 89 north (North Franklin Street)		Southern end of concurrency with PA 27; southern terminus of PA 89
100.985162.520

 PA 8 Truck south (South Perry Street)		Northern terminus of PA 8 Truck; western terminus of PA 27 Truck
101.187162.845
 PA 27 west (West Central Avenue) – Meadville		Northern end of concurrency with PA 27
Hydetown103.554166.654
 PA 408 west (Main Street) – Hydetown		Eastern terminus of PA 408
Bloomfield Township113.985183.441 PA 77 – Spartansburg, Meadville
ErieUnion City122.291196.808
 US 6 west (Meadville Road) – Meadville		Southern end of concurrency with US 6
122.933197.841
 US 6 east (East High Street) – Corry		Northern end of concurrency with US 6
123.092198.097

 PA 97 north (Perry Street) to I-90		Southern terminus of PA 97
Amity Township130.771210.456
 PA 89 south – Corry		Southern end of concurrency with PA 89
Wattsburg131.290211.291
 PA 474 east – Clymer, Jamestown		Western terminus of PA 474
Venango Township132.854213.808
 PA 89 north – North East		Northern end of concurrency with PA 89
Millcreek Township145.298–
145.315		233.834–
233.862		 I-90 – Buffalo, ClevelandLouis A. Magnano Interchange;[13] Exit 29 on I-90
Erie148.675239.269
 PA 97 south (Old French Road)		Northern terminus of PA 97
148.807239.482 US 20 (East 26th Street)Northern terminus of PA 8
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Special routes

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PA 8 Business

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PA 8 Bus. southbound in Oil City
Business plate.svg
Pennsylvania Route 8 Business marker
Pennsylvania Route 8 Business
LocationOil City, Pennsylvania
Existed2000–present

Pennsylvania Route 8 Business is a 1-mile-long (1.6 km) business route in Venango County, Pennsylvania.

In 1979, a two-lane but development-free bypass of Oil City was constructed on the westbank of Oil Creek and featured the designation of Pennsylvania Route 8 Bypass. The original eastbank sector and its two bridges were initially kept as mainline Route 8. The first half of the very short route features one-way couples through the heart of the municipality, and the northern half features a single, business-lined two-lane street. Mainline Route 8 was redirected to the former bypass upon the commissioning of Route 8 Business.[14]

PA 8 Truck

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Truck plate.svg
Pennsylvania Route 8 Truck marker
Pennsylvania Route 8 Truck
LocationTitusville, Pennsylvania
Existed1980–present

Pennsylvania Route 8 Truck is a 1⁄2-mile-long (0.80 km) truck route in Titusville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania. In 1980, the designation was established to remove trucks from the complicated intersection with Pennsylvania Route 27 and to provide direct access for local trucks past the borough's small industrial area along St. John Street. For its entire length it is cosigned with Truck Route 27.

PA 8 Alternate Truck

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Alternate truck plate.svg
PA Route 8 Alternate Truck marker
PA Route 8 Alternate Truck
LocationCrawford County, Pennsylvania
Existed2013–present

Pennsylvania Route 8 Alternate Truck is a truck route around a weight-restricted bridge over the East Branch of the Oil Creek, on which trucks over 32 tons and combination loads over 40 tons are prohibited. The route follows PA 408 and PA 77 and was signed in 2013.

PA 8 Bypass

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By-pass plate.svg
Pennsylvania Route 8 Bypass marker
Pennsylvania Route 8 Bypass
LocationOil City, Pennsylvania
Existed1979–2000

Pennsylvania Route 8 Bypass was the original designation for PA 8 Business. PA 8 Bypass was signed in 1979, but was decommissioned and renamed PA 8 Business in 2000.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ DeLorme Street Atlas USA 2007 software, Toggle Measure Tool
  2. ^ "Route 8/Mae West Bend almost ready".
  3. ^ "S.R. 8, Mae West Bend | Mascaro". www.mascaroconstruction.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020.
  4. ^ "I cartelli elettorali nei giardini degli Stati Uniti". Il Post (in Italian). October 31, 2024. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
  5. ^ Pennsylvania Road Map (front section) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1930. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  6. ^ Pennsylvania Road Map (front section) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1940. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  7. ^ Pennsylvania Road Map (front section) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1960. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  8. ^ Pennsylvania Road Map (front section) (PDF) (Map). Pennsylvania Department of Highways. 1970. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 5, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  9. ^ Pennsylvania Senate Bill 1088 (1985-1986)
  10. ^ Pennsylvania Road Map (front section) (PDF) (Map). PennDOT. 1980. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2011. Retrieved December 28, 2007.
  11. ^ "Video Log". Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  12. ^ Bureau of Maintenance and Operations (January 2016). Roadway Management System Straight Line Diagrams (Report) (2015 ed.). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  13. ^ Pennsylvania General Assembly (October 16, 1996). "Bradford County Veteran Memorial Bridge, Jimmy Stewart Boulevard and Louis A. Magnano Interchange – Designation" (PDF). Retrieved August 20, 2016.
  14. ^ PA 1 - PA 50 (Map). 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2011.[unreliable source]
  15. ^ PA 1 - PA 50 (Map). 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2011.[unreliable source]
[edit]
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