The Banff–Windermere Highway , also known as the Banff-Windermere Parkway , is a 105 km (65 mi) highway which runs through the Canadian Rockies in British Columbia and Alberta in Canada. It runs from Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia to Castle Junction, Alberta (midway between Banff and Lake Louise ), passing through Kootenay National Park and Banff National Park . It is designated as part of British Columbia Highway 93 and Alberta Highway 93 .
17-497: The Banff–Windermere Highway begins at British Columbia Highway 95 in village of Radium Hot Springs at the north end of the 134 km (83 mi) Highway 93/95 concurrency , approximately 15 km (9 mi) north of Windermere Lake where the highway gains its name. The highway passes through the village, passing numerous tourist services, overlooking Sinclair Creek . Approximately 1.3 km (0.8 mi) northeast of Highway 95, it enters Kootenay National Park, passing through
34-558: A numbered highway system, and was designated as Highway 1B . In 1953, the highway between Roosville and Elko opened and was designated as Highway 93 as it was a northern extension of U.S. Route 93 , and in 1959 the Banff–Windermere Highway and Icefields Parkway were renumbered to be a part of Highway 93. [REDACTED] Roads portal [REDACTED] Media related to Banff-Windermere Highway at Wikimedia Commons British Columbia Highway 95 Highway 95
51-579: A suspension of construction, and following the conclusion of the war the British Columbia provincial government did not have enough funds to complete the project. The Banff-Windermere Road Agreement was reached whereby the federal government would complete the remaining 85 km (53 mi) of road, and in exchange they would receive a 5 mi (8 km) buffer of land on each side of the highway for conservation purposes; approximately 1,600 km (600 sq mi) in total. This resulted in
68-663: Is a north-south highway in the southeastern corner of British Columbia , opened in 1957. The highway connects with U.S. Route 95 , from which the highway takes its number, at the Canada–U.S. border at Kingsgate , just north of Eastport , Idaho . The section between the Canada-U.S. border and the Crowsnest Highway is known as the Yahk–Kingsgate Highway while the section between the Crowsnest Highway and Golden
85-678: Is another 7 km (4 mi) east to the Fort Steele junction, where Highway 3 hands Highway 95 off to Highway 93 . From the Fort Steele junction, Highway 95 follows Highway 93 north for 31 km (19 mi) through the community of Wasa , to where Highway 95A's east junction is located. From the Highway 95A junction, Highway 93/95 follows the Kootenay River upstream for 45 km (28 mi), through Skookumchuck to
102-563: Is known as the Kootenay–Columbia Highway . Highway 95, one of the most overlapped highways in the province, shares most of its route with other numbered highways. The 329 km (204 mi) long Highway 95 begins at the international border in a small community called Kingsgate . It connects to U.S. Route 95 at the Eastport-Kingsgate Border Crossing . Heading north from there, it follows
119-703: The Bow River valley, with a full view of Castle Mountain , and intersects the Trans-Canada Highway ( Alberta Highway 1 ) at Castle Junction, approximately 31 km (19 mi) west of Banff. From there, Highway 93 follows Highway 1 to Lake Louise, while the roadway (still referred to as part of the Banff-Windermere Highway ) continues another 1.1 km (0.7 mi) to the Bow Valley Parkway (Alberta Highway 1A) on
136-556: The Moyie River northeast for 11 km (7 mi) to the town of Yahk , where it merges onto the Crowsnest Highway ( Highway 3 ). Highway 95 follows the Crowsnest Highway northeast for 72 km (45 mi) to the city of Cranbrook , where Highway 95A , designated in 1968 and following the original alignment of Highway 95 for 54 km (34 mi) through Kimberley and Ta Ta Creek , begins. From Cranbrook, it
153-585: The BC provincial government to construct a road. With the overall goal of constructing an all-Canadian road between the Canadian Prairies and Pacific Ocean , the Alberta provincial and federal governments were consulted. Construction began in 1911, and by 1914 the road was opened between Calgary and Vermilion Pass as well as a 19 km (12 mi) western section. The outbreak of World War I resulted in
170-589: The bypass was numbered Highway 93 with the Highway through Kimberley continuing to be numbered 95 for a few years until the completion of the "freeway style" interchange at Eager Hill when the bypass became 93/95 with the Kimberly alignment becoming Highway 95A in order to discourage through traffic from unnecessarily passing through Kimberly. From south to north: [REDACTED] Media related to British Columbia Highway 95 at Wikimedia Commons Icefields Parkway Too Many Requests If you report this error to
187-656: The creation of Kootenay National Park . The road opened in 1922 and was first highway to cross the Central Canadian Rockies, with the Kicking Horse Trail across Kicking Horse Pass (the corridor which eventually became part of the Trans-Canada Highway) opening in 1926, connecting Lake Louise and Golden . The Banff–Windermere Highway took on the designation of Route 'U' in the 1930s until 1941 when British Columbia adopted
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#1732780668790204-640: The locations of Edgewater , Brisco , Spillimacheen and Parson , to where it terminates at its junction with the Trans-Canada Highway ( Highway 1 ) at Golden . Prior to 1941, British Columbia used lettered routes as opposed to numbers, and the Kootenay–Columbia Highway between Cranbrook and Golden was designated as part of Route U , which continued south to U.S. Route 93 at Roosville along present-day Highway 93. In 1941, British Columbia introduced numbered highways, with Highway 95 begin designated on 11 km (7 mi) Yahk–Kingsgate Highway,
221-586: The north side of the Bow River. The corridor along the Kootenay and Vermilion Rivers had been used as a first nations travel route for thousands of years. In 1858, Sir James Hector travelled through Vermilion Pass and recommended that it would be the best route for a wagon road. In the early 1900s settlers in the Columbia Valley advocated for improved connections with Banff and Calgary and lobbied
238-457: The northern extension of U.S. Route 95, while the Kootenay–Columbia Highway between Cranbrook and Golden was designated as Highway 4 . In 1953, the Highway 4 was moved to its present location on Vancouver Island , with the Kootenay–Columbia Highway being renumbered to Highway 95. In 1968, A shorter alignment opened bypassing the Kimberley route via Ft Steele and Wasa. Immediately after opening
255-490: The park gates. It continues through Sinclair Canyon and the Radium Hot Springs pools before passing through a short tunnel. East of the tunnel, the speed limit increases to 90 km/h (56 mph) and begins its climb to Sinclair Pass , reaching an elevation of 1,486 m (4,875 ft). East of the summit, the highway reaches a viewpoint of the Kootenay River valley, where it turns north and descends into
272-539: The town of Canal Flats , at the southern end of Columbia Lake . North of Canal Flats, Highway 93/95 travels for 58 km (36 mi) along the Columbia River , through the communities of Fairmont Hot Springs , Windermere and Invermere to the town of Radium Hot Springs , where Highway 93 diverges east. Highway 95 continues to follow the Columbia River north for 105 km (65 mi), through
289-670: The valley. The highway follows the Kootenay River to and area known as Kootenay Crossing , where the highway crosses the river and follows the Vermilion River . The highway follows the valley northeast and climbs up to Vermilion Pass at the Continental Divide , reaching an elevation of 1,680 m (5,510 ft). At the summit, the highway leaves both British Columbia and Kootenay National Park, entering Alberta and Banff National Park. The highway descends into
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