Route Description
SR 8 begins at an interchange with I-76 and I-77 just southeast of Akron's central business district. The Akron Expressway, as the freeway is known within the city limits, heads up the east side of Akron. SR 8's first interchange is the main access to the central business district and the University of Akron. Just before leaving the center of Akron, an interchange with Perkins Street begins a concurrency with SR 59. The road continues over a viaduct, crossing over several railroads and the Little Cuyahoga River before continuing to the north side of Akron. Between exits 3C and 4, SR 8/59 cross into Cuyahoga Falls. Those two exits connect with the same stretch of road, but they have different names and are on different sides of the city limit.
The freeway continues north through Cuyahoga Falls, parallel to the Cuyahoga River proper; the freeway crosses the river just before exit 6. SR 59 leaves the freeway at exit 6 to head east toward Kent. SR 8, which until now has been heading slightly northeast, turns to the north and northwest after exit 6, interchanging with Graham Road in the process. The road continues through a relatively rural area on the eastern edge of Cuyahoga Valley National Park. Exits 10, 12, and 14A-B are normally only used as a connection to Hudson or Blossom Music Center and other points in the national park, as their immediate areas are sparsely populated and underdeveloped. Once it passes the Ohio Turnpike, SR 8 continues through a wooded area. Its last exit is with I-271, after which it suddenly enters Cleveland's southeastern suburbs.
Now known as Northfield Road, SR 8 continues parallel to I-271, intersecting SR 82, SR 14, and SR 17. Following its intersection with SR 17, SR 8 enters a brief concurrency with SR 43, during which it intersects I-480. SR 43 splits off, and SR 8 continues northward before joining US 422 and turning to the west. The new road is briefly known as Chagrin Boulevard before becoming Kinsman Road. SR 8/US 422 continues to the northwest through the immediate Cleveland area; during its approach to downtown Cleveland, SR 87 joins the concurrency, followed by an interchange with I-77.
For its final mile, SR 8/SR 87/US 422 picks up a concurrency of SR 14/SR 43, after which the road becomes known as Ontario Street and turns toward Public Square, the northern terminus of SR 8. SR 8's northern terminus is shared with seven other roads: SR 3, SR 14, SR 43, SR 87, US 42, US 322 and US 422.
Read more about this topic: Ohio State Route 8
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