mˈoʊst əv ðə hˈaɪweɪ wʌz ɚɹˈɪdʒɪnəli pˈɑːɹt ʌv stˈeɪt ɹˈaʊt ˈeɪt ˈeɪ, ænd wʌz lˈeɪɾɚɹ ɪmpɹˈuːvd θɹuː ɐn ˈɛfɚt tə pɹəvˈaɪd ɐn ˈɔːlwˈɛðɚ hˈaɪweɪ lˈɪŋkɪŋ nˈɔːɹðɚn nᵻvˈædə tə ðə pɐsˈɪfɪk nɔːɹθwˈɛst.
Most of the highway was originally part of State Route 8A, and was later improved through an effort to provide an all-weather highway linking northern Nevada to the Pacific Northwest.