Route 8

Good news from the Beacon about everyone’s favorite constantly under construction expressway!

Get ready for detour, delays on Route 8

By Rick Armon
Beacon Journal staff writer

POSTED: 09:50 p.m. EST, Nov 06, 2009

Rick Armon can be reached at 330-996-3569 or rarmon@thebeaconjournal.com.

Construction of the new bridge from frontage road just south of Hines Hill Road to the entrance of the Ohio Turnpike. (Karen Schiely/Akron Beacon Journal)

BOSTON HEIGHTS.: Most highway construction projects are winding down now, but not the massive one at the state Route 8-Interstate 80 interchange.

Motorists traveling south on Route 8 will face a new traffic pattern beginning Saturday or Sunday as they are pushed off the highway and onto a bypass road with streetlights.

For about a year, southbound vehicles will be forced to use the two-lane bypass — the aptly named Frontage Road — as construction crews focus on rebuilding southbound Route 8 and ramps for the Ohio Turnpike, Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman Justin Chesnic said.

Flashing signs will alert drivers to the new traffic pattern. Vehicles will exit Route 8 just north of Hines Hill Road, travel behind the Clarion Hotel, drive over a new bridge spanning the turnpike and re-enter the highway just south of Boston Mills Road.

Southbound motorists should expect delays and lane closings today as workers begin the shift. Northbound drivers won’t see any changes — other than the continued construction and occasional lane closing.

About 60,000 vehicles use Route 8 each day.

Jeremy Peak, who works at the BP gas station on state Route 303, laughed when told about the new traffic pattern.

Customers already grouse about the Route 8 construction — which has been going on for years — so he imagined he’ll hear more complaints as motorists get used to the new route.

”It sucks,” he said about the ongoing project.

When Route 8 southbound reopens, Frontage Road will remain. It will become part of the new Route 8 interchange that will provide access to and from Hines Hill and Boston Mills, and connect the Ohio Turnpike to Hines Hill and Boston Mills.

The project is to be completed by June 2011.

The Route 8-Interstate 80 interchange work is part of a $262 million project designed to transform Route 8 from Akron to Macedonia into a nonstop highway — as opposed to one with traffic lights and intersections.

The multiyear effort has involved interchange, bridge, sign and paving projects; shutting down access from side streets; and widening state Route 82 in Macedonia.

For details about the project, go online to http://stateroute8.com.

We are so grateful to have so many loyal customers.  Some customers are so loyal, that they keep checking in every couple of weeks to see if we’ve gotten new merchandise.  And out of those who come in every couple of weeks, I know quite a few are looking for items that are out of stock.  Well, we’ve got some good news…. NEW MERCHANDISE IS COMING SOON!  And by soon, I mean just a few weeks…I really mean it.

By the beginning of October, we’ll have more sizes & colors in of some of your favorites like Survival (Where the Weak are Killed & Eaten), Route 8, Akron WITNESSED First, and more!  We’re going to reprint some of the classic colors, but we’re also open to suggestion on new colors!  Let us know any ideas you might have for some of your favorite RCC designs!

Check out our friend, famed Akron artist Todd V sporting Route 8 on Fox 8 this morning!

RCC fan JCK rockin' Route 8 at Ray's.

Ah…March 18th.  A lot of asprin and greasy food will be consumed today to help make a lot of people feel better post-St. Patrick’s Day.  I myself had fun last night.  A LOT of fun.  Special thanks to Ray’s Pub and Matinee in Highland Square, Frank’s Place on Market, and the wonderful team at the Arlington St. IHOP for making the night great.

I’m going to go take an asprin…and maybe a nap.

The greenish beer (plus Irish margaritas) were starting to kick in.

As you can see, our last blog post was December 6th.  It is now January 5th.  You’re probably wondering where we have been.  Luckily for us (not so much for the blog world) we have been super-busy catering to the needs of hundreds of people looking for the coolest shirts in Akron.  Between our downtown store, our Summit Mall kiosk, and our ever popular website- www.rubbercityclothing.com- we were slammed.  It was so great to see people out shopping, especially shopping locally.  All the new merchandise went over really well (if you haven’t seen it yet…click here); plus people still love the old favorites like 330 (short and long sleeves are still on sale for $10), Akron WITNESSED First, Route 8, and Survival: Where the Weak are Killed and Eaten.

We are so thankful for all of the support and business we’ve gotten the past few weeks and months.  We’ve even had fans send in pictures wearing their Akron pride around the country! Here are some we’ve received:

RCC's #1 Fan, Dominic wearing the Akron Li'l Slugger tee at a bowling alley.

Another one of Dominic- showing Las Vegas that Akron WITNESSED First (and about to get beat up by Marie).

Former Akronite Renee may be out west now, but she still has love for Route 8. Here's our favorite li'l highway shirt at Mt. Charleston, just north of Las Vegas.

Little Amelia Rose was Made In Akron. Like the photography? Check out www.shanewynn.com- her mommy's a photographer.

Baby Nano was Made In Akron before making Thailand home.

Thank you Akron!  Keep the love coming!

As we mentioned a couple of weeks ago, your favorite Akron store is now carrying some of your favorite Akron music.  The latest addition to the RCC music family is Winslow, a soul/rock band based out of Kent/Akron/Cleveland.  If you haven’t heard them yet, you NEED to check them out NOW!  These guys are amazing and probably won’t stay local for long.  This six-piece band is great live.  The lead singer, Maurice Martin even wears RCC for their shows from time to time.

A truly unique blend of soul, rock, jazz, and blues, Winslow’s first album Crazy Kind of Love has created quite a buzz with radio, tv, and magazines all over Northeast Ohio.  You can now get it here at Akron’s favorite t-shirt/ Rubber love store; along with Winslow t-shirts, posters, stickers, and pins.  Right now only the album is available at RubberCityClothing.com, but as soon as we get more shirts, posters, etc. we’ll get those up on the site too.  Until then, come down to our humble little store on High St to get your Winslow merch-fix.

Check Winslow out online at www.winslowsoul.com. or www.myspace.com/winslowsoul.They’ve got some local shows coming up that you should definitely check out.

Thanks to everyone for their patience these last few days with the remodeling going on at Rubber City Clothing.  Sorry that it extended into Wednesday, but the extra day was much needed.  We’re just about done, with fresh paint, new fixtures, and some more sales space.  It’s working out so much better than we originally planned.

The store is really coming together, with special thanks to Karen & Wendy from We Gallery next door.  They have done an AMAZING job of creating, building, and installing a lot of the new fixtures in the store.  We’d also like to thank Beth from the Akron Art Museum, for helping us out with her stellar painting skills.  These girls are truly awesome.  We’re open back up now, with a few more little changes to come.  All should be complete by Monday, so come in and check out our revamped space!

Our new holiday line should be coming in soon- about 2 weeks.  We’ve got some really cool new designs, plus some new colors of some of your favorite RCC classics.  We’re also getting some replenishment of some things we’ve been out of stock in, like the Li’l Slugger t-shirt and hoodie, the “330″ hoodie, and our Route 8 line.  We are taking pre-orders on some items, so if there’s something you know you want, give Sarah G a call at the store- 330.434.4722 and let her know.

While Ohio Route 8 runs north and south between Akron and Cleveland, it was seen as far east as Baltimore, MD this past weekend.  How exactly?  Akron’s beloved rocker, Chrissie Hynde was sporting this RCC design at a Pretenders’ show at Sonar last Friday.  By all reviews and accounts, it was a great show.

Special thanks to Pretenders’ fan, Todd for the pic from the show.  Let’s hope Chrissie and the rest of The Pretenders find there way down the real Route 8 to play an Akron show soon!!!