Nevada State Route 8A
State Route 8A | |
|---|---|
Map The portion of former SR 8A that is no longer part of the Nevada State Route network in red The portion kept and assigned new route designations not shown | |
| Route information | |
| Existed | 1929–1976 |
| Former SR 8A segment | |
| West end |  SR 299 at California state line near Cedarville |
| Major intersections |  SR 34 at Vya SR 34A in rural Humboldt County |
| East end |  SR 140 near Denio |
| Re-designated segments | |
| South end |  US 6 near Tonopah |
| Major intersections |  US 50 in Austin |
| North end |  US 40 in Battle Mountain |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| Highway system | |
| |
State Route 8A (SR 8A) is a decommissioned state highway in the U.S. state of Nevada that had 3 segments. Despite being no longer maintained by the Nevada Department of Transportation, the northernmost segment of it is still known as SR 8A, with the part in Washoe County designated County Route 8A. This portion is an unimproved road that connects California State Route 299, which ends at the Nevada/California state line near Cederville, with Nevada State Route 140. This portion has gained minor fame as Satellite navigation devices and maps sometimes result in unprepared travelers using it, unaware it is a dirt road across a large uninhabited portion of Nevada. Some incidents have been featured in the news, television and a movie, Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story.
The remainder of the route consisted of two paved segments, with a north-south orientation. These portions are still part of the state route network, however have been assigned new designations as part of the 1976 renumbering.
Route description
The full length of the route ran from California State Route 299 in a general easterly and southeasterly direction via Vya and Denio to then State Route 8, now US 95, north of Winnemucca. There was a gap in the route which could be filled via US 95 and then US 40, now I-80. The route resumed at Battle Mountain running south along modern SR 305 to Austin where it then followed modern SR 376 to US 6 near Tonopah.
History
It was a branch of State Route 8, which followed US 95 north from US 40 at Winnemucca to Oregon.[1] The part northwest from US 95 towards the Oregon state line later became State Route 140, part of the Winnemucca to the Sea Highway. In the late 1970s renumbering, the north–south portion became State Route 305 (Battle Mountain to Austin) and State Route 376 (Austin to Tonopah), but the portion from SR 140 west to California did not remain in the state highway system. (SR 140 was to be renumbered to State Route 291, but this was not carried through.)[2] However, signs remain on that segment, and so SR 8A still de facto connects SR 140 with California.[3]
Incidents
The northernmost segment still known as Route 8A has gained minor fame as Satellite navigation device software and maps sometimes result in unprepared travelers using it, unaware it is a dirt road across a large uninhabited portion of Nevada. Some incidents have been featured in the news, television, and a movie, Snowbound: The Jim and Jennifer Stolpa Story. This movie profiles a young family who became stranded during a snowstorm while driving on Route 8A, looking for an alternate route across Nevada as I-80 was closed due to the storm.[4] They were following a paper AAA map that showed the ghost town of Vya, which they assumed from its presence on the map as being an active town.[5] After initially trying to shelter together, the father realized they would run out of food and water soon, and left to find help. He walked for 12 hours in the snow before being rescued by a Washoe County snow plow driver.[6]
Major intersections
This table only shows the portion still known as Route 8A.
 | This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. |
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washoe | | SR 299 | |||
| Vya | SR 34 | Western end of SR 34 concurrency | |||
| | SR 34 | Eastern end of SR 34 concurrency | |||
| Humboldt | | SR 34A | Eastern terminus of SR 34A | ||
| | SR 140 | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
- U.S. Route 95 in Nevada - the modern designation for Nevada State Route 8, the parent highway of route 8A.
Other decommissioned routes serving only ghost towns that are still known by their former designation
- Nevada State Route 3C
- Nevada State Route 34
- Nevada State Route 48
- Nevada State Route 49
- Nevada State Route 82
References
- ^ Nevada Department of Highways, Official Road Map of the State of Nevada, 1939
- ^ Nevada Department of Highways, Official Highway Map of Nevada Archived 2015-01-22 at the Wayback Machine, 1978-79
- ^ Photographs of SR 8A signs from October 2006: eastbound at the state line and eastbound beyond SR 34
- ^ "Snowbound Stolpa family found, Jan. 6, 1993". Reno Gazette Journal. Jan 5, 2020.
- ^ Stienstra, Tom (December 10, 2006). "Maps, directions no guarantee of a safe journey". [[w:San Francisco Chronicle|]]. pp. D–13. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ "Remembering the Stolpas' tale of snowy survival". KCRA-TV. Jan 7, 1993. rebroadcast on Jan 17, 2020