Misplaced Pages

#834165

49-743: For most of its length, the river is paralleled by Highway 5 , and the Canadian National Railway (both of which cross the river a couple of times). The North Thompson passes by several small communities, the most notable being Blue River , Clearwater , and Barriere . Tributaries of the North Thompson River include Pyramid Creek , Canvas Creek , the Albreda River , Thunder River , Mud Creek , Blue River , Mad River , Raft River , Clearwater River , and Barrière River . The North Thompson's largest tributary

98-561: A convoy led by Premier Bennett in an open-air convertible that smashed through paper banners strung across the new highway lanes, stopped at the Coquihalla Summit to dedicate a time capsule, and continued to Merritt for further celebrations. The total cost for the highway between Hope and Merritt was approximately $ 848 million. Phase 2, between Merritt and Kamloops, opened in September 1987, re-routing Highway 5, while Phase 3

147-526: A fishing rock near the mouth of what is now known as the Coquihalla River. According to Stó꞉lō oral history, the skw'exweq (water babies, underwater people) who inhabit a pool close to the rock would swim out and pull the salmon off the spears, allowing only certain fisherman to catch the salmon." Highway 5 begins south at the junction with Crowsnest Highway ( Highway 3 ) at uninhabited Othello , 7 km (4 mi) east of Hope (named after

196-609: A nearby siding on the Kettle Valley Railway, which used many Shakespearean names). Exit numbers on the Coquihalla are a continuation of those on Highway 1 west of Hope, as it is an extension of the freeway that starts in Horseshoe Bay. 35 km (22 mi) north of Othello, after passing through five interchanges, Highway 5 reaches the landmark Great Bear snow shed . The location of the former toll booth

245-455: A rapid that resembles the Fraser's famous rapid. Many river rafting companies offer a variety of trips through the rapids. British Columbia Highway 5 Highway 5 is a 543 km (337 mi) north–south route in southern British Columbia , Canada. Highway 5 connects the southern Trans-Canada route ( Highway 1 ) with the northern Trans-Canada/Yellowhead route ( Highway 16 ), providing

294-475: A toll plaza constructed at the summit of Coquihalla Summit ; it was designed to accommodate 13 toll booths for 14 lanes of traffic. On May 16, 1986, Phase 1 was officially opened, and Highway 5 was re-routed between Hope and Merritt; its construction required 31 bridges and underpasses and over 3.7 million tonnes (4,100,000 short tons) of gravel. The opening celebrations featured a ceremony in Hope followed by

343-937: A two-lane undivided road and the Crowsnest Highway ends 113 km (70 mi) later at the Trans-Canada Highway in Medicine Hat. Alberta Transportation has long-term plans to upgrade the entire Highway 3 corridor to a freeway from the British Columbia border to Medicine Hat. The plans include the construction of a Lethbridge bypass to render the CANAMEX Corridor free-flowing through southern Alberta, in combination with proposed bypasses of Fort Macleod, Claresholm and Nanton . The route would split from Highway 3 west of Coalhurst and run east, bypassing Lethbridge and Coaldale to

392-712: Is 13 km (8 mi) north of the snow shed, passing through another interchange and the 1,244 m (4,081 ft) Coquihalla Pass. Highway 5 is the only highway in British Columbia to have had tolls ; a typical passenger vehicle toll was $ 10. Now free to drive, at the Coquihalla Lakes junction, the highway crosses from the Fraser Valley Regional District into the Thompson-Nicola Regional District . 61 km (38 mi) and five interchanges north of

441-513: Is a four-lane divided highway with several signalized intersections and a speed limit of 80 km/h (50 mph). After leaving the concurrency it immediately crosses the South Thompson River and enters a First Nations Reserve, temporarily leaving Kamloops city limits. A particularly important intersection is the signal lights at Halston Drive, which is one of only two access points to the north half of Kamloops. Highway 5 re-enters

490-624: Is featured predominantly in the reality docuseries Highway Thru Hell , which follows a group of towing companies that operate in the Interior and Highway 5. On November 14, 2021, a major storm in southern British Columbia damaged sections of the Coquihalla Highway and other routes in the area. Over the course of November 14 and 15, 200 millimetres (7.9 in) of rain fell along the Coquihalla route. The heavy rain eventually caused several large washouts at multiple points along

539-544: Is low compared to the Coquihalla and Kamloops sections of Highway 5. In its whole length there is only one traffic signal, which is in the town of Valemount . Services for drivers are provided in the major towns. Highway 5 follows the North Thompson River north from Kamloops and Heffley Creek for approximately 54 km (34 mi), along a parallel course with the Canadian National Railway 's main line. It passes an important junction for Adams Lake in

SECTION 10

#1732773277835

588-406: Is mostly an urban freeway with a speed limit of 100 km/h (62 mph). It passes through five interchanges, connecting to the core area of Kamloops, before the concurrency splits and Highway 5 exits off the road to the north in a complex five-way interchange. After separating from Highways 1 and 97, Highway 5 proceeds north for approximately 19 km (12 mi). For most of this section, it

637-648: Is the Clearwater River, which joins at the town of Clearwater. The Clearwater River drains much of Wells Gray Provincial Park . A notable feature along the North Thompson is Little Hells Gate , a mini-replica of the much larger Hells Gate rapids on the Fraser River. About 17.4 kilometres (10.8 mi) upstream from the small town of Avola , the North Thompson River is forced through a narrow chute only about 30 feet (9.1 m) wide, creating

686-564: Is the northern section of Highway 5. This section is 314 km (195 mi) long. It is largely a two-lane undivided road, with some rare three- or four-lane sections for passing, although work has been constantly underway (especially in the Heffley Creek–Clearwater section) to create more passing opportunities. The speed limit is 100 km/h (62 mph) for the most part except in towns, where it can drop as low as 50 km/h (31 mph). Traffic volume on this section of highway

735-701: The Cascade Mountains the route of the former Kettle Valley Railway , which existed between 1912 and 1958. It is so named because near Hope, it generally follows the Coquihalla River , for about 60 km (37 mi), and uses the Coquihalla Pass . The pass is named Kwʼikwʼiya꞉la in the Halq̓eméylem language used by the Stó꞉lō , which means "stingy container" and refers specifically to

784-671: The Crowsnest Pass , the location at which the highway crosses the Continental Divide between British Columbia and Alberta. In British Columbia , the highway is entirely in mountainous regions and is also known as the Southern Trans-Provincial Highway. The western-most segment between the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5A is locally known as the Hope - Princeton Highway, and passes by

833-560: The Trans-Canada Highway network, Highway 5 is not represented with a Trans-Canada marker. Regardless, Highway 5 is designated as a core route of Canada's National Highway System . Between Hope and Kamloops , Highway 5 is known as the Coquihalla Highway (colloquially "the Coq", pronounced "coke"). It is a 186-kilometre-long (116 mi) freeway , varying between four and six lanes with a speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph) for most of its length. The Coquihalla approximately traces through

882-661: The University of Lethbridge as the main thoroughfare through West Lethbridge. Highway 3 again crosses the Oldman River in central Lethbridge and the freeway segment ends at Mayor Magrath Drive , marking the northern terminus of Highway 5 . The highway meets the northern end of Highway 4 at the eastern limit of Lethbridge before continuing east to Coaldale and Taber . Within Taber, Highway 36 runs concurrently with Highway 3 for 3 km (2 mi). The highway reduces to

931-546: The '5' designation was moved to designate Princeton -Merritt-Kamloops Highway (present-day Highway 5A ) to north of Kamloops; by 1960, Highway 5 was extended north to Tête Jaune Cache and subsequently paved. In 1970, Highway 5 between Kamloops and Tête Jaune Cache was designated as the South Yellowhead Highway and signed with the Yellowhead Highway shield, while the section south of Kamloops

980-569: The British Columbia government replaced the standard British Columbia Highway 5 shields with Yellowhead Highway 5 shields south of Kamloops, which at the time drew some concern that the Coquihalla Highway would be officially renamed. Effective July 2, 2014, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure increased the speed limit on the Coquihalla Highway from 110 km/h (68 mph) to 120 km/h (75 mph) after conducting an engineering assessment and province-wide speed review. In June 2016,

1029-616: The Canadian Pacific Railway, first meeting Highway 40 at Coleman , then running 26 km (16 mi) east to the southern terminus of Highway 22 . Highway 6 splits south near Pincher Creek . Approximately 50 km (31 mi) east of Pincher Creek, the highway becomes divided and interchanges with Highway 2 with which it is briefly concurrent, assuming the designation of the Red Coat Trail and CANAMEX Corridor. It proceeds for 5 km (3 mi) into

SECTION 20

#1732773277835

1078-494: The Coquihalla Highway was reopened to non-essential traffic from Hope to Merritt. The highway has since been fully reopened, allowing full traffic from Hope to Kamloops. From south to north , the following intersections are observed along Highway 5: Crowsnest Highway The Crowsnest Highway is an east-west highway in British Columbia and Alberta , Canada . It stretches 1,161 km (721 mi) across

1127-416: The Crowsnest Highway goes southeast for 67 km (42 mi) to Keremeos , where it meets Highway 3A , leading towards Penticton and Highway 97 . Another 46 km (29 mi) southeast, and the Crowsnest Highway reaches Osoyoos and a junction with Highway 97 . Approximately 52 km (32 mi) east of Osoyoos, the Crowsnest Highway reaches its junction with Highway 33 at Rock Creek , then

1176-535: The Crowsnest Highway reaches Fernie , then it goes north another 30 km (19 mi) to its junction with Highway 43 at Sparwood , and another 19 km (12 mi) east, the highway reaches the boundary with Alberta at Crowsnest Pass. The Alberta portion of the Crowsnest Highway is also designated as Highway 3 , running for approximately 323 km (201 mi) from the British Columbia border to Medicine Hat. It begins in Crowsnest Pass paralleling

1225-541: The Crowsnest Highway. The two highways share a common alignment for 72 km (45 mi) northeast to Cranbrook and the junction with Highway 95A . Another 6 km (4 mi) east, Highway 95 diverges north while Highway 93 merges onto the Crowsnest Highway from a shared alignment. Highway 93 and the Crowsnest share a common alignment for the next 53 km (33 mi) southeast to Elko , where Highway 93 diverges south. 31 km (19 mi) northeast of Elko,

1274-399: The Fraser River, after which it immediately meets Highway 16 in a partial interchange, marking its northern terminus. The current Highway 5 is not the first highway in B.C. to have this designation. From 1941 to 1953, the section of present-day Highway 97 , Highway 97A , and Highway 97B , between Kaleden , just south of Penticton , and Salmon Arm , was formerly Highway 5. In 1953,

1323-596: The Second World War, including sections like the Hope-Princeton. This history has been preserved at a heritage marker at Sunshine Valley , which was the largest internment camp in Canada. Crowsnest Highway is designated a core route in Canada's National Highway System , and is designated as Highway 3 for its entire length. The Crowsnest Highway's western terminus is at Hope, where it branches off from

1372-648: The Trans-Canada Highway ( Highway 1 ). The highway goes east for 7 km (4 mi) to its junction with the Coquihalla Highway ( Highway 5 ), where it exits the freeway and continues for 127 km (79 mi) on a segment known as the Hope-Princeton Highway , passing the Hope Slide en route to Allison Pass , Manning Provincial Park , and Sunday Summit; at Princeton, the Crowsnest Highway meets Highway 5A . East of Princeton,

1421-505: The city at the Rayleigh community, where it passes two busy at-grade, but not signalized intersections; traffic volumes steadily decrease as it gets farther from the core area of Kamloops. Heffley Creek indicates the northern boundary of Kamloops; the exit to Sun Peaks resort is at the same turnoff. Traffic volumes thin out at that exit, and shortly afterward Highway 5 narrows to a two-lane undivided road. The Southern Yellowhead highway

1470-641: The community of Blue River , a popular heliskiing location. From there it proceeds 109 km (68 mi) farther north through the heart of the Columbia Mountains . It crosses a low divide between the Thompson River and Fraser River drainages, entering the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George . It soon passes through the community of Valemount, where a traffic signal is located. Next it passes Tête Jaune Cache and crosses

1519-407: The cutoff to Rossland and Trail . It is another 26 km (16 mi) east to Castlegar , where the Crowsnest Highway intersects Highway 22 and Highway 3A, leading towards Nelson . Approximately 26 km (16 mi) east of Castlegar, the Crowsnest Highway reaches its eastern junction with Highway 3B; another 11 km (6.8 mi) to the east it converges with Highway 6 at Salmo and

North Thompson River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1568-482: The first construction contract was issued for a 4.5 km (2.8 mi) section of highway between Nicolum Creek and Peers Creek near Hope; however, work progressed slowly until 1984, when Premier Bill Bennett announced that the project would be fast-tracked so it could be completed to coincide with Expo 86 . To ensure the project was completed on time, more than 10,000 workers were needed, and more than 1,000 pieces of heavy equipment worked non-stop every day during

1617-666: The former toll plaza. The Coquihalla Highway then enters the city of Merritt , which is accessed by two interchanges, both of which also provide access to Highway 5A , Highway 97C , and Highway 8 . The section of highway, between Merritt and Kamloops, is 72 km (45 mi) long. After exiting Merritt, the highway climbs up a long, steep hill toward another high point, the Surrey Lake Summit . It passes through three interchanges along this section. A diamond interchange at Exit 336 provides an important turnoff to Logan Lake on Highway 97D and Lac le Jeune . Shortly after

1666-399: The highway heads east for 70 km (43 mi) to its junction with Highway 41 , just before passing through Grand Forks . Another 26 km (16 mi) east, the Crowsnest Highway meets Highway 395 at the southern end of Christina Lake . The Crowsnest Highway travels for 47 km (29 mi) through Bonanza Pass to its junction with Highway 3B at Nancy Greene Lake , which is

1715-486: The highway, including the destruction of multiple bridges. Initial repair estimates included temporary reopenings consisting of temporary bridges, operational for early 2022, with full repair completed in September 2022. After the washouts, Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopters evacuated stranded motorists on the highway. On December 20, the Coquihalla Highway was reopened to essential traffic, with non-essential traffic being diverted toward Highway 99 . On January 19, 2022,

1764-410: The junction, the highway descends into the city of Kamloops, where it meets Highways 1 and 97 at a trumpet interchange . Highway 5 continues east for 12 km (7.5 mi) concurrently with Highways 1 and 97, through Kamloops. This stretch of road, which carries 97 South and 5 North on the same lanes (and vice versa), is the only wrong-way concurrency in British Columbia. This section

1813-507: The north before rejoining the existing highway. During the 2021 British Columbia floods , the Crowsnest Highway was closed by landslides, as were the other routes connecting the Lower Mainland with the rest of Canada. It was the first of these routes to reopen. During the period when it was the only road route between Metro Vancouver and the rest of Canada, it experienced a high rate of crashes among heavy trucks driving faster than

1862-480: The operation and maintenance of the Coquihalla Highway. In response to strong opposition from the public and numerous businesses in the Interior of British Columbia , the provincial government shelved the move three months later. On September 26, 2008, the provincial government permanently lifted the Coquihalla tolls, effective 1:00 pm that day. Subsequently, the toll station and signs were dismantled. In 2011,

1911-502: The province implemented a variable speed limit corridor around the Coquihalla Summit Park to increase safety during adverse conditions. Signs along the Coquihalla Highway frequently warn drivers to be aware of sudden changes in weather. The highway is particularly dangerous during winter seasons, with extreme snowfall that can exceed more than 10 centimetres (4 in) per hour. While road maintenance strives to keep

1960-592: The roads as clear as possible, it is not unheard of for the highway to shut down, sometimes with travellers forced to stay overnight in their cars. According to ICBC , there were 32 fatal crashes between 2004 and 2013, and an estimated 400–500 accidents occur during the winter seasons. Global News listed the stretch between Merritt and Hope as one of the deadliest highways in BC. DriveBC provides up-to-date reports on Coquihalla Highway conditions, including live webcams in several locations. Owing to its reputation, Highway 5

2009-570: The settlement of Louis Creek before entering the town Barriere . North of Barriere, it encounters a junction with Highway 24 in the village of Little Fort . 30 km (19 mi) north of Little Fort, while continuing to follow the North Thompson and the CN Railway, Highway 5 reaches the resort community of Clearwater , where a roundabout provides access to Wells Gray Provincial Park . Highway 5 proceeds northeast for another 107 km (66 mi), passing Vavenby and Avola en route to

North Thompson River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2058-633: The shortest land connection between Vancouver and Edmonton . Despite the entire route being signed as part of the Yellowhead Highway , the portion of Highway 5 south of Kamloops is also known as the Coquihalla Highway , while the northern portion is known as the Southern Yellowhead Highway . The Coquihalla section was a toll road until 2008. Although the Yellowhead Highway system is considered part of

2107-541: The site of the Hope Slide . In Alberta, the terrain is initially mountainous, before smoothing to foothills and eventually generally flat prairie in the vicinity of Pincher Creek. The highway forms part of the Red Coat Trail and the CANAMEX Corridor from Highway 2 near Fort Macleod to Highway 4 in Lethbridge . Many sections of the highway were built by Japanese labour while they were interned during

2156-491: The southern portions of both provinces, from Hope, British Columbia to Medicine Hat, Alberta , providing the shortest highway connection between the Lower Mainland and southeast Alberta through the Canadian Rockies . Mostly two-lane, the highway was officially designated in 1932, mainly following a mid-19th-century gold rush trail originally traced out by an engineer named Edgar Dewdney . It takes its name from

2205-419: The summer of 1985. The project was divided into three phases, with Phase 1 being the 115 km (71 mi) section between Hope and Merritt, Phase 2 being the 80 km (50 mi) section between Merritt and Kamloops, and Phase 3 being a 108 km (67 mi) branch between Merritt and Peachland , south of Kelowna . To offset the cost of fast-tracking construction, Phase 1 was made a toll highway, with

2254-613: The town of Fort Macleod, after which Highway 2 splits south to Cardston and the United States border. Highway 3 then crosses the Oldman River east of Fort Macleod near Monarch , prior to a partial interchange with Highway 23 . After Coalhurst , the highway reaches Westview Drive W, which provides access to West Lethbridge . It then becomes a freeway named Crowsnest Trail as it reaches Highway 25 which branches north to Picture Butte while University Drive runs south to

2303-668: The two highways share a concurrency for 14 km (9 mi) to Burnt Flat. The Crowsnest Highway continues through the Kootenay Pass on the Salmo-Creston Highway, a stretch known colloquially as the Kootenay Skyway , or Salmo-Creston Skyway . 67 km (42 mi) east of Burnt Flat, the Crowsnest Highway reaches Creston , just past junctions with Highway 21 and Highway 3A. 40 km (25 mi) later, south of Yahk , Highway 95 merges onto

2352-609: Was opened in October 1990 and designated as Highway 97C . The three phases have been credited with transforming Merritt into an important transportation hub between the coast and interior, as well as significant growth in both Kamloops and the Okanagan due to improved accessibility. In 2003, Premier Gordon Campbell announced the Liberal government would turn over toll revenue to a private operator, along with responsibility for

2401-462: Was still signed with the standard British Columbia highway shield. In the 1960s, the Merritt Board of Trade began lobbying the B.C. government for a new highway route to Hope, including a vehicle caravan that was staged eight times starting in 1963, over the abandoned Kettle Valley Railway grade, in order draw attention to the potential of this route. Surveying commenced in 1973, and in 1979

#834165