North Expressway
NOTE: The south end of the North Expressway in Akron just underwent a massive reconstruction project. Go to the official site for details.
North Expressway
NOTE: The south end of the North Expressway in Akron just underwent a massive reconstruction project. Go to the official site for details.
Not
sure why this sign post is so tall. Other nearby overhead signs
are the same way.
On Ohio 8 Southbound in Cuyahoga
Falls, approaching Ohio 59 (it joins Ohio 8 at the interchange
to which this sign refers)
Confusing
Interchanges
On most maps, it appears that ramps
lead between Portage Trail (road on overpass) and Ohio 8/59 to
the north. This is not the case. These ramps actually go under
Portage Trail and connect with Broad Boulevard, which is to the
south. In between those two roads are the ramps connecting Portage
Trail to Ohio 8/59 to the south; these ramps meet Portage Trail
on its bridge over the freeway (the onramp is visible in the background).
There are also ramps between Broad Boulevard and Ohio 8/59 to
the south. Also note that even though Ohio 59 has joined Ohio
8 by this point, 59 is not acknowledged by many signs, especially
signs directing traffic onto this freeway, nor is it acknowledged
by the public in general (who simply call the whole stretch of
freeway "Route 8").
For
many years, Akron had a unique style of traffic light, like these
at the intersection of Carroll Street and the Ohio 8 Northbound
ramp for Carroll Street/Buchtel Street/University
of Akron. The red light always used a twelve-inch lens and
had a cut-away visor. Green and yellow usually used eight-inch
lenses (like the light for Westbound Carroll on the right assembly)
but occasionally used twelve-inch ones (like the light for Westbound
Carroll in the center assembly); yellows always had tunnel visors,
and greens always had cut-away visors. The visor pattern is identical
to that used on the traffic lights installed by the
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in that state. Arrows usually
had twelve-inch lenses, as pictured. You can also see the use
of an all-twelve-inch five-lens "doghouse" assembly
(for Eastbound Carroll in the center assembly). The color was
consistently the dark green pictured. Akron is getting away from
this style (notice the Ohio 8 ramp/Buchtel intersection in the
background), but signal assemblies using it are still widespread
throughout the city.
The
south end of Ohio 8 and the north end of "Central Interchange."
The interchange southeast of Downtown Akron where
Interstate 76, Interstate 77, and Ohio 8 meet is called the "Central
Interchange"; go here
for a map. (As you might guess, the highways leading away from
this interchange are officially called the North, East, South,
and West Expressways, though in common practice they are only
called by their route numbers.) This interchange only existed
in part for a while; toward the beginning of the time of area
freeway construction, only the North and East Expressways were
completed, and only the ramps needed to connect those two highways
at the Central Interchange were built. This is apparent by looking
at the interchange: Notice how the top level looks more modern
than the middle level. The ramps that carry I-77 traffic through
this interchange are built to have two lanes, but only one is
in use on each; the other is painted over with diagonal stripes.
There is a "secret" off-ramp in this interchange: The
ramp from Ohio 8 to I-76 Westbound/I-77 Northbound has its own
off-ramp to Johnston Street (the street on the bridge in the foreground),
but the only sign announcing the ramp is in the exit gore of the
ramp (and even then, the font on that sign is not the standard
ODOT freeway-sign font). Some maps also show a corresponding on-ramp
connecting Lumiere Street to the Ohio 8 on-ramp from I-76 Westbound,
but this ramp no longer exists, having been closed due to its dangerous engineering (thanks to K. M.-R. for confirming its former existence). About
the signs, which have been replaced since this photo was taken in 1999: It's interesting how Ohio 8 didn't warrant its own
"END" sign. Notice that there was once an Interstate
shield just to the left of the I-77 shield in the left sign. Also
notice the signs in general: They seem to be of a fairly old design.
This type of sign was commonly found around Akron for many years. Also see the I-76 & I-76/77
Akron pages.
Questions and comments can be sent to Sandor Gulyas or Marc Fannin
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