Tennessee State Route 8
State Route 8 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Map TN 8; primary in red, secondary in blue, unsigned in green | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TDOT | ||||
| Length | 75.43 mi (121.39 km) | |||
| Existed | October 1, 1923[1]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |    US 41 / US 76 / SR 3 at the Georgia State Line in East Ridge | |||
 I-75 in East Ridge
   US 127 / SR 28 / SR 111 in Dunlap | ||||
| North end |  SR 56 in McMinnville | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Tennessee | |||
| Counties | Hamilton, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
State Route 8 (SR 8) is a 75.43-mile-long (121.39 km) north–south state highway in East and Middle Tennessee. It connects the cities of Chattanooga and McMinnville via Signal Mountain and Dunlap.[2]
Route description
Hamilton County
SR 8 begins in Hamilton County as the unsigned companion route to US 41/US 76 at the Georgia border in East Ridge, where they continue concurrent with Georgia State Route 3. As Ringgold Road, they head east and have an interchange with I-75 and go through downtown before passing through the Bachman Tubes and entering Chattanooga, where it becomes Westside Drive and having an interchange with I-24. They then come to an intersection and become concurrent with US 11/US 64/SR 2 (E 23rd Street) and head north on Dodds Avenue. They pass through neighborhoods before US 41/US 76/SR 8 split from US 11/US 64/SR 2 (Dodds Avenue) and continue east along E Main Street. They then become concurrent with SR 17 (S Willow Street) before SR 8 splits off and heads north along Market Street. SR 8 enters downtown as a signed secondary highway, having intersections with SR 316 (M L King Boulevard) and SR 389 (W 4th Avenue) before crossing the Tennessee River (via the Market Street Bridge) and becoming Cherokee Boulevard. SR 8 then has an interchange with US 27/SR 29/SR 27, at the southern terminus of US 127, which it becomes concurrent with, along with SR 27, in Red Bank, with SR 8 becoming unsigned again. They then come to a junction where SR 27 splits off and goes west (signed south) before winding its way up a mountain and going through Signal Mountain. US 127/SR 8, then go through Walden and Fairmount before crossing into Sequatchie County.
Sequatchie County
They then go through Lone Oak before meandering down a mountainside and entering a valley in Center Point, where they intersect SR 283. US 127/SR 8 then enter Dunlap and have an intersection with SR 28, which becomes the unsigned companion route of US 127. They go north through downtown before coming to an interchange with SR 111, where SR 8 separates from US 127/SR 28 and follows that route, becoming signed for the first time as a primary highway. SR 111/SR 8 leave Dunlap and wind their way through a narrow valley to Cagle and have an intersection with SR 399. SR 8 soon leaves SR 111 and heads eastward to enter Van Buren County.
Van Buren and Warren Counties
SR 8 shortly runs through a remote area of Van Buren County Before crossing into Warren County. It then runs through some farmland and crosses the Collins River before junctioning with SR 127 and entering McMinnville. SR 8 then comes to an end at an intersection with SR 56 just west of downtown.
Major junctions
 | This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. |
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | East Ridge | 0.0 | 0.0 |   US 41 south / US 76 east (Old Dixie Highway/SR 3 south) – Ringgold | Georgia state line; southern terminus; southern end of US 41/US 76 concurrency; SR 8 begins as an unsigned secondary highway |
  I-75 to I-24 – Knoxville, Atlanta | I-75 exit 1 southbound and 1A/B northbound | ||||
| East Ridge–Chattanooga line | Bachman Tubes under Missionary Ridge | ||||
| Chattanooga |  I-24 west – Nashville | I-24 exit 181A; eastbound exit and westbound entrance on I-24 | |||
   US 64 west / US 11 south (E 23rd Street/SR 2 west) | Southern end of US 64/US 11/SR 2 concurrency | ||||
  US 64 east / US 11 north (Dodds Avenue/SR 2) | Northern end of US 64/US 11/SR 2 concurrency; provides access to Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport | ||||
 SR 17 north (S Willow Street) | Southern end of SR 17 concurrency | ||||
  US 41 north / US 76 west / SR 17 south (W Main Street) to I-24 / US 27 | Northern end of US 41/US 76/SR 17 concurrency; SR 8 becomes signed | ||||
 SR 316 (M L King Boulevard) to US 27 west | Eastern terminus of SR 316 | ||||
 SR 389 west (W 4th Street) to US 27 | Eastern terminus of SR 389 | ||||
| Market Street Bridge (Chief John Ross Bridge) over Tennessee River | |||||
| Chattanooga–Red Bank line | Stringer's Ridge Tunnel; SR 8 changes from Cherokee Boulevard to Dayton Boulevard | ||||
| Red Bank | US 27 south – Downtown | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| Dayton Boulevard (Old US 27/SR 29) - Hixson | SR 8 turns west from Dayton Boulevard to Signal Mountain Road | ||||
 US 27 / US 127 begins (SR 27 east/SR 29) – Chattanooga, Dayton | Interchange; southern terminus of US 127; southern end of US 127/SR 27 concurrency; SR 8 becomes unsigned | ||||
| Signal Mountain |  SR 27 west (Cherokee Trail) – Powells Crossroads, Jasper | Northern end of SR 27 concurrency | |||
| Sequatchie | Center Point |  SR 283 south (East Valley Road) – Powells Crossroads, Whitwell | Northern terminus of SR 283 | ||
| | Bridge over the Sequatchie River | ||||
| Dunlap | SR 28 south – Whitwell, Jasper | Southern end of unsigned SR 28 concurrency; SR 8 becomes a primary route | |||
| US 127 north (Rankin Avenue/SR 28 north) / SR 111 south – Pikeville, Chattanooga | Interchange; northern end of US 127/SR 28 concurrency; southern end of SR 111 concurrency; SR 8 becomes signed | ||||
| Cagle |  SR 399 west (Rifle Range Road) – Gruetli-Laager, Palmer | Eastern terminus of SR 399; provides access to Savage Gulf State Natural Area (South Cumberland State Park) | |||
| | SR 111 north (Artillery Road) – Spencer | Northern end of SR 111 concurrency | |||
| Van Buren | No major intersections | ||||
| Warren | | Bridge over the Collins River | |||
| |  SR 127 (Shellsford Road) – Sparta, Viola | ||||
| McMinnville | 75.43 | 121.39 | SR 56 (Beersheba Highway) – Downtown, Beersheba Springs, Altamont | Northern terminus; SR 8 ends as a signed primary highway | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
References
- ^ Highway Planning Survey Division (1925). Biennial Report of the Commissioner of the Department of Highways and Public Works State of Tennessee for the Years 1923 and 1924 (PDF) (Report). Nashville: Tennessee Department of Highways and Public Works. pp. 39–44. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ Tennessee Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (2004 ed.). DeLorme.