Louisiana Highway 8
Route information
Maintained by Louisiana DOTD
Length	155.9 mi[1] (250.9 km)
Existed	1955 renumbering–present
Major junctions
West end	SH 63 across the Sabine River
Major intersections	US 171 in Leesville LA 28 east of Leesville I-49 near Boyce US 71 in Colfax US 167 south of Dry Prong US 165 in Pollock US 84 in Jena
East end	US 425 / LA 15 in Sicily Island
Location
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parishes	Vernon, Rapides, Grant, La Salle, Catahoula
Highway system
Louisiana State Highway System Interstate US State Scenic
← LA 7 → LA 9

Louisiana Highway 8 (LA 8) is a state highway in Louisiana. It spans 156 miles (251 km) beginning at the Louisiana/Texas state line west of Leesville and ending at an intersection with U.S. Route 425 and LA 15 in Sicily Island.

Route description

From the west State Highway 63 becomes LA 8 after crossing the Sabine River near Burr Ferry.^[2] At the Burr's Ferry Bridge in Vernon Parish, LA 8 heads east, and merges with U.S. Highway 171 north in Leesville. In Leesville, U.S. 171/LA 8 continues north as a four lane, divided road through town. LA 8 breaks off from U.S. 171 at the northern city limits and joins and runs concurrent with LA 28 east, and continues northeastward as a four lane divided Highway. LA 28/LA 8 intersects with LA 468 (The old Slagle road) south just before LA 8 splits and heads northeast as a two lane road, Intersecting with LA 469, passing through Slagle, intersecting LA 121, the LA 465, and passing north of Simpson, before exiting Vernon Parish and entering northwestern Rapides Parish.

In Rapides Parish, LA 8 continues northeastward, passing north of Lake Rodemacher, and merges with I-49 for approximately a mile. LA 8 then splits from I-49 after approximately a mile and passes through Boyce and heads due north, crossing the Red River into Grant Parish. At Colfax, LA 8 turns eastward and intersects U.S. Highway 71, US 167, and US 165 in Pollock. LA 8 then turns northeastward and enters La Salle Parish.

In Jena, LA 8 merges with US 84 and turns to the southeast. After approximately 6 miles (9.7 km), LA 8 splits with US 84 and continues eastward into Catahoula Parish. In Catahoula Parish, LA 8 passes through Harrisonburg and Sicily Island, where it ends at an intersection with US 425 and LA 15.

History

In the original Louisiana Highway system in use between 1921 and 1955, LA 8 was part of several shorter routes, including: State Route 21 from the Texas state line to Slagle; Route 107 to Boyce; Route 144 to Colfax; Route 19 to Harrisonburg; and Route 18 to Sicily Island.^[3] All were designated by various acts of the state legislature between 1921 and 1926. The routes were joined together under the single designation of LA 8 when the Louisiana Department of Highways renumbered the state highway system in 1955, creating one of several east–west cross-state routes.^[4]

Future

The segment of LA 8 between the Texas state line and Leesville is part of the High Priority Corridor 99 (Central Louisiana Corridor). Along this corridor, LA 8 will be upgraded to interstate standards at the Sabine River Bridge before either paralleling or being upgraded to I-14. A timeline for this has not been determined.^[5][6][7]

Major junctions

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Vernon	​	0.0	0.0		SH 63 west – Burkeville, Jasper	Burr's Ferry Bridge over the Sabine River; Texas state line
	Burr Ferry	1.4	2.3		LA 111 south – Evans	Western end of LA 111 concurrency
		2.0	3.2		LA 111 north – South Toledo Bend State Park	Eastern end of LA 111 concurrency
	Caney	9.3	15.0		LA 464 south	Northern terminus of LA 464
	Leesville	18.4	29.6		US 171 south (South 6th Street) – Fort Johnson, Lake Charles	One-way pair; western end of LA 8 westbound / US 171 southbound concurrency
		18.4	29.6		US 171 (North 5th Street) / East Texas Street	One-way pair; western end of LA 8 eastbound / US 171 northbound concurrency
		19.2	30.9		LA 1213 north (Kurthwood Road)	Southern terminus of LA 1213; no direct access from westbound LA 8
		19.7	31.7		US 171 north / LA 28 begins – Shreveport	Roundabout; eastern end of US 171 concurrency; western end of LA 28 concurrency
		20.0	32.2		LA 1213 south (Kurthwood Road) / LA 117 north – Kurthwood, Hagewood	Northern terminus of LA 1213, southern terminus of LA 117; no access from LA 1213 north to LA 8 west and LA 117 south to LA 8 east
	​	23.9	38.5		LA 184 west – Fort Johnson	Eastern terminus of LA 184
	​	24.9	40.1		LA 468 west	Eastern terminus of LA 468
	​	25.2	40.6		LA 28 east (Alexandria Highway)	Eastern end of LA 28 concurrency
	​	26.3	42.3		LA 469 south	Northern terminus of LA 469
	Slagle	29.8	48.0		LA 121 east	Western terminus of LA 121
	Simpson	37.1	59.7		LA 465 west	Western end of LA 465 concurrency
		38.1	61.3		LA 465 east – Sieper	Eastern end of LA 465 concurrency
Rapides	Flatwoods	51.9	83.5		LA 119 north – Gorum, Derry	Southern terminus of LA 119
	Zimmerman	61.6	99.1	103	I-49 north to LA 1 – Shreveport	Western end of I-49 concurrency
	​	65.1	104.8	99	I-49 south / LA 1200 south – Alexandria	Eastern end of I-49 concurrency; western end of LA 1200 concurrency
	​	65.4	105.3		LA 1200 north to LA 1 – Boyce	Western end of LA 1200 concurrency
Grant	​	73.1	117.6		LA 492 east	Western terminus of LA 492
	Colfax	76.6	123.3		LA 158 north (Eighth Street)	Southern terminus of LA 158
	​	78.6	126.5		LA 3169 east
	​	78.9	127.0		US 71 north – Montgomery, Shreveport	Western end of US 71 concurrency
	​	79.7	128.3		US 71 south / LA 3169 west – Alexandria	Eastern end of US 71 concurrency; eastern terminus of LA 3169
	​	83.5	134.4		LA 123 east – Dry Prong	Western terminus of LA 123
	Bentley	91.0	146.5		US 167 – Winnfield, Alexandria
	Pollock	96.3	155.0		US 165 north (Ridge Street) / Hill Street	Western end of US 165 concurrency
		96.9	155.9		US 165 south / Wills Road	Eastern end of US 165 concurrency
	​	97.5	156.9		LA 366 west / Pollock Cemetery Road	Eastern terminus of LA 366
La Salle	​	113.5	182.7		LA 774 east / Snyder Road	Western terminus of LA 774
	​	115.4	185.7		LA 772 east	Western terminus of LA 772
	​	116.1	186.8		LA 773 south	Northern terminus of LA 773
	Midway	117.5	189.1		LA 3104 north / Hatcher Road	Southern terminus of LA 3104
	Jena	118.8	191.2		LA 127 south (South First Street)	Western end of LA 127 concurrency
		119.0	191.5		US 84 west / LA 772 west (West Oak Street) / LA 127 north (North First Street)	Eastern end of LA 127 concurrency; western end of US 84 / LA 772 concurrencies
		119.9	193.0		LA 459 north (Aimwell Road) – Aimwell	Southern terminus of LA 459
		120.0	193.1		LA 772 east	Eastern end of LA 772 concurrency
	Whitehall	126.2	203.1		US 84 east / LA 460 west – Jonesville, Natchez	Western end of US 84 concurrency; eastern terminus of LA 460
Catahoula	​	135.4	217.9		LA 126 west	Western end of LA 126 concurrency
	​	136.0	218.9		LA 126 east	Eastern end of LA 126 concurrency
	Harrisonburg	143.8	231.4		LA 124 east – Jonesville	Western end of LA 124 concurrency
		144.2	232.1		LA 124 west (Bushley Street)	Eastern end of LA 124 concurrency
	​	144.9	233.2		LA 922
	Leland	152.1	244.8		LA 913 north	Southern terminus of LA 913
	​	153.9	247.7		LA 914 west	Eastern terminus of LA 914
	​	154.8	249.1		LA 916 north	Southern terminus of LA 916
	Sicily Island	155.5	250.3		LA 1017 south (Woodward Lane)	Northern terminus of LA 1017
		155.9	250.9		US 425 south / LA 15 south (Chisum Street)	One-way pair
		155.9	250.9		US 425 north / LA 15 north (Chisum Street)	One-way pair
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Spur route

Louisiana Highway 8 Spur (LA 8 Spur) is a 0.18-mile (0.29 km) highway in Flatwoods, Louisiana. It runs from west to east. LA 8 Spur follows the original routing from I-49 to LA 1, connecting the two highways. It is unsigned for its entire route. It was created in 2002, to give numbering to the short section between LA 1 and I-49.

The entire highway is in Flatwoods, Rapides Parish.

mi	km	Destinations	Notes
0.00	0.00	I-49 / LA 8
0.18	0.29	LA 1
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References