Oklahoma State Highway 8

State Highway 8
Route information
Maintained by ODOT
Length:	179.1 mi[1] (288.2 km)
Existed:	August 24, 1924 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US-277/SH-19 in Cyril
North end:	K-8 at the Kansas state line
Highway system
Oklahoma State Highways Interstate U.S. Turnpikes ← SH-7 SH-9 →

State Highway 8, also abbreviated as SH-8 or OK-8, is a highway maintained by the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Because it runs mainly north–south, it has an even number (which is normal for Oklahoma state highways, but opposite from national highways). Highway 8 runs from U.S. Highway 277 in Cyril, Oklahoma to the state line south of Kiowa, Kansas, for a total length of 179.1 miles (288.2 km)^[1] The highway has two lettered spur routes.

Highway 8 dates from the creation of the state highway system in 1924. Initially a border-to-border route, it was shortened to its current extent due to encroaching U.S. highways. SH-8 has followed its current route since 1966.

Route description

US-270, US-281, and SH-8 in Watonga, looking southbound.

The highway begins in Cyril, at US-277 (which at the time is concurrent with State Highway 19), and immediately heads northward. Fourteen miles (23 km) later, the highway passes through Anadarko, sharing a brief overlap with US-62/SH-9. It also becomes concurrent with US-281 here, which it remains with after passing through Anadarko.^[2]

US-281 and SH-8 continue northward to meet SH-152, which they overlap for five miles (8.0 km). SH-152 splits off to the west at Binger, and US-281/SH-8 go northward through Lookeba to meet SH-37 at its western terminus in Hinton. Four miles (6.4 km) to the north, the two highways have an interchange with Interstate 40 at its milemarker 101. After this, US-281/SH-8 cross the Canadian River and begin a concurrency with U.S. Highway 270 in Geary. SH-8 splits off by itself after passing through Watonga, sixteen miles (26 km) to the north.^[2]

North of Watonga, SH-8 generally runs parallel to SH-51A and, after intersecting SH-51 in Okeene, it runs parallel to SH-58. Eleven miles (18 km) north of Okeene, SH-58 and SH-8 switch places through a 9-mile (14 km) overlap, with SH-8 ending up running to the west through Fairview and SH-58 running to the east to Ringwood.^[2]

After swapping places with SH-58, Highway 8 continues north, overlapping US-60 for nine miles (14 km), spending the last three miles (4.8 km) also signed concurrently with US-412.^[2] Eleven miles (18 km) north of this, SH-8 has a three-mile (4.8 km) concurrency with SH-45 southeast of Carmen. Through Cherokee, the Alfalfa County seat, it overlaps U.S. Highway 64 and SH-58. After US-64 splits off to the west, SH-11 joins the concurrency.^[2]

After six miles (9.7 km), SH-58 splits off to the northeast. SH-11 and SH-8 remain overlapped for seven more miles (11.3 km)^[2] before splitting off to the north. SH-8 ends seven miles (11 km) to the north of this at the Kansas state line.^[2] After crossing the state line, it becomes K-8, which soon ends at K-2 in Kiowa, Kansas.^[3]

History

SH-8 was one of the original thirty-one state highways created on 1924-08-24.^[4] When it was created, it was a border-to-border highway, stretching from Texas to Kansas. It began at the Red River near Burkburnett, Texas. It then passed through Randlett and had a short concurrency with SH-5 west of Walters. The highway then ran through Lawton—concurring with the original SH-29—en route to Anadarko via Apache. In Anadarko, SH-8 linked up with the present highway. The remainder of the route was mostly the same as it is today.^[5]

In November 1926, AASHTO officially approved the United States Numbered Highways system. The Oklahoma Transportation Commission applied the national highways to Oklahoma's state highway system on 1926-11-26. Three U.S. highways were assigned to portions of what was then SH-8: U.S. Highway 64 was added to a segment of highway south of Cherokee, U.S. Highway 66 was added between Bridgeport and Geary, and U.S. Highway 70 was added from the Texas state line to Randlett.^[4] US-66 and 64 merely ran concurrently with SH-8. However, US-70 completely replaced the state highway, which was truncated so that its southern terminus was at US-70 in Randlett.^[6]

By 1936, several U.S. highways had been added to the system that took over parts of State Highway 8's route. US-62, added in 1930, took over the Lawton–Anadarko portion of the road. US-277 took over much of the remaining route between Randlett and Lawton. In addition, a US-70N had been created that overlaid US-277 between Randlett and the split with SH-5 west of Walters.^[7] These changes to the U.S. route system precipitated the truncation of SH-8 in 1936. On 1936-03-13, the section of the route between Anadarko and the state line was dropped. However, a new road between Anadarko and Cyril had been built; this became part of SH-8 and set the highway's southern terminus at its present location.^[4]

By the end of 1937, however, the highway's southern terminus had changed once again. On 1937-10-19, SH-8 had been truncated to Anadarko.^[4][8] However, on 1938-10-18, the route was extended back to the former southern terminus at Randlett;^[4] this change did not appear on the state map until the April 1941 edition. On 1941-04-14, the route was realigned to run through Cyril once again.^[4]

On 1955-09-12, SH-8 underwent a small realignment.^[4] Previously, the highway went due north from Carmen, then turned due east, running through Lambert before connecting to US-64 south of Cherokee.^[9] As a result of the 1955 realignment, SH-8 cut northeast to connect to US-64 directly, bypassing Lambert.^[10]

All of SH-8 between Randlett and Cyril was once again dropped on 1966-05-09,^[4] restoring the route to its current southern terminus at US-277/SH-19 in Cyril. No major changes to the highway have occurred since 1966.

Spurs

• SH-8A runs from SH-8 to SH-51A, north of Watonga. Along the way, it provides access to Roman Nose State Park.
• A former SH-8A connected the highway to the town of Geronimo. When SH-8 was truncated to Cyril in 1966, it became SH-281A.
• SH-8B is a spur route from SH-8 to Aline.

Junction list

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Caddo	Cyril	0.0	0.0	US-277 / SH-19	Southern terminus
	Anadarko	13.1	21.1	US-62 / SH-9	Eastern terminus of US-62/SH-9 concurrency
		13.7	22.0	US-62 / US-281 / SH-9	Western terminus of US-62/SH-9 concurrency, southern terminus of US-281 concurrency
		29.3	47.2	SH-152	Eastern terminus of SH-152 concurrency
	Binger	33.9	54.6	SH-152	Western terminus of SH-152 concurrency
	Hinton	46.1	74.2	SH-37	Western terminus of SH-37
		50.2	80.8	I‑40	Diamond interchange
Canadian		55.1	88.7	US-281 Spur	Northern terminus of US-281 Spur
Blaine	Geary	59.2	95.3	US-270	Southern terminus of US-270 concurrency
	Watonga	76.1	122.5	US-270 / US-281 / SH-3 / SH-33	Northern terminus of US-270/US-281 concurrency
		79.8	128.4	SH-51A	Southern terminus of SH-51A
		80.3	129.2	SH-8A	Southern terminus of SH-8A
	Okeene	99.4	160.0	SH-51
Major		110.4	177.7	SH-58	Eastern terminus of SH-58 concurrency
	Fairview	119.4	192.2	US-60 / SH-58	Western terminus of SH-58 concurrency, southern terminus of US-60 concurrency
	Orienta	125.4	201.8	US-412	Western terminus of US-412 concurrency
	Cleo Springs	119.4	192.2	US-60 / US-412	Northern terminus of US-60 concurrency, eastern terminus of US-412 concurrency
Alfalfa		136.7	220.0	SH-8B	Eastern terminus of SH-8B
		138.7	223.2	SH-45	Southern terminus of SH-45 concurrency
		141.7	228.0	SH-45	Northern terminus of SH-45 concurrency
		149.0	239.8	US-64 / SH-58	Southern terminus of US-64/SH-58 concurrency
		158.2	254.6	US-64 / SH-11	Northern terminus of US-64 concurrency, southern terminus of SH-11 concurrency
	Driftwood	165.2	265.9	SH-58	Northern terminus of SH-58 concurrency
		172.2	277.1	SH-11	Northern terminus of SH-11 concurrency
Oklahoma–Kansas state line		179.1	288.2	K-8 continues north into Kansas
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References

1. Google (2012-09-18). "Oklahoma State Highway 8" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
2. Official State Highway Map (Map) (2008 ed.). Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
3. Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map) (2013–2014 ed.). Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2013-04-13.
4. Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Planning & Research Division. "Memorial Dedication & Revision History - SH-8". Retrieved 2008-05-23.
5. Oklahoma State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1925 ed.). Oklahoma State Highway Department. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
6. Oklahoma State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (1927 ed.). Oklahoma State Highway Department. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
7. Map Showing Condition of Improvement of the State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (April 1937 ed.). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
8. Map Showing Condition of Improvement of the State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (April 1938 ed.). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
9. Highways of Oklahoma (PDF) (Map). Oklahoma Department of Highways. 1954. Retrieved 2008-05-24.
10. Oklahoma's Highways 1956 (PDF) (Map). Oklahoma Department of Highways. Retrieved 2008-05-24.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• SH-8 at OKHighways
• SH-8A at OKHighways
• SH-8B at OKHighways
• OK-8 on Two Wheel Oklahoma