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British Columbia Highway 97

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 24.67.97.18 (talk) at 20:26, 22 September 2016 (Okanagan Highway: removed "Westbank" and "Lakeview" as these are just districts of West Kelowna). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Highway 97 marker
Highway 97
Okanagan Highway
Cariboo Highway
John Hart Highway
Alaska Highway
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Length2,081 km (1,293 mi)
Existed1953–present
Major junctions
South end US 97 at the Canada–United States border near Osoyoos
Major intersections Highway 3 in Osoyoos
Highway 3A in Kaleden
Highway 97C in Peachland
Highway 33 in Kelowna
Highway 6 in Vernon
Highway 97A in Spallumcheen
Highway 1 (TCH) in Monte Creek
Highway 5 in Kamloops
Highway 1 (TCH) in Cache Creek
Highway 99 near Cache Creek
Highway 24 in 93 Mile House
Highway 20 in Williams Lake
Highway 26 in Quesnel
Highway 16 (TCH) in Prince George
Highway 29 in Chetwynd
Highway 2 in Dawson Creek
Highway 29 in Charlie Lake
Highway 77 near Fort Nelson
North end Hwy 1 at the Yukon border
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional districtsSummerland, Peachland, Lake Country, 100 Mile House, Chetwynd, Taylor
Major citiesPenticton, West Kelowna, Kelowna, Vernon, Kamloops, Williams Lake, Quesnel, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Fort St. John
TownsOsoyoos, Oliver, Cache Creek, Fort Nelson
Highway system
Highway 95A Highway 97A

Highway 97 is the longest continuously numbered route in the Canadian province of British Columbia (and the longest provincial highway in any province), running 2,081 km (1,293 mi) from the Canada–United States border near Osoyoos in the south to the British Columbia/Yukon boundary in the north at Watson Lake, Yukon. The route takes its number from U.S. Route 97, with which it connects at the international border. The highway was initially designated '97' in 1953.

Route description

Okanagan Highway

Okanagan Highway passing through Lake Country, north of Kelowna

The Okanagan Highway is a 189 km (117 mi) section of Highway 97 between the international border and the junction of Highway 97A north of Vernon. It is named for the Okanagan region of British Columbia, through which it largely passes. It begins in the south at the international border crossing north of Oroville, and travels 4 km (2.5 mi) north to its junction with the Crowsnest Highway at Osoyoos. The highway travels north for 47 km (29 mi), passing through the Testalinden Creek Landslide and the communities of Oliver and Okanagan Falls. From Okanagan Falls, Highway 97 runs near the western shore of Skaha Lake before arriving at the locality of Kaleden, where Highway 3A diverges west.

13 km (8.1 mi) north of Kaleden, Highway 97 arrives at the city of Penticton. North of Penticton, Highway 97 follows the western shore of Okanagan Lake for 45 km (28 mi), through the communities of Summerland and Peachland, before reaching its junction with Highway 97C just south of Westbank. From there, Highway 97 passes through West Kelowna and reserve lands belonging to the Westbank First Nation until, 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of the 97C junction, Highway 97 begins to cross Okanagan Lake via the William R. Bennett Bridge. The highway enters the city of Kelowna upon landfall on the east shore of the lake. 6 km (3.7 mi) east into the city centre, the highway reaches its junction with Highway 33. As the Okanagan is a highly popular travel destination and also has the highest population in inland B.C. (about 300,000), this section of highway 97 is by far the busiest. Congestion is frequent - particularly near the William Bennet Bridge, and Southbound towards West Kelowna.

Four kilometres (2½ mi) north of the Highway 33 junction, Highway 97 leaves the urbanized area of Kelowna (the municipal boundary is actually a further 12 km, 7 mi, north). For the next 43 km (27 mi), the route travels well east of Okanagan Lake, passing through the community of Winfield. Prior to 2013, the highway ran alongside the west shore of Wood Lake to Oyama. A new 9 km (5.6 mi) section of four-lane highway was constructed and opened to traffic at that time, which bypasses Oyama entirely to the north. The original section of the highway skirting the western shore of Wood Lake is now known as Pelmewash Parkway. Both Oyama and Winfield lie within the municipality of Lake Country.

Highway 97 then passes along the west shore of Kalamalka Lake before entering the city of Vernon and a junction with Highway 6 just south of the city centre. The highway then travels north for 10 km (6.2 mi) to a junction with Highway 97A near Swan Lake.

Vernon-Kamloops-Cache Creek

This diagram illustrates the wrong-way concurrency between Highways 5 and 97 through Kamloops. Example of road sign

Highway 97 continues northwest from Highway 97A for 81 km (50 mi), past the town of Falkland, before it merges onto the Trans-Canada Highway at Monte Creek, and is known as the Vernon-Monte Creek Highway. The highway follows Highway 1 for 105 km (65 mi) west to Cache Creek. As it travels westward, Highways 1 and 97 parallel the Thompson River, passing through the city of Kamloops, where the route shares a 12 km (7.5 mi) wrong-way concurrency with Highway 5 (signed as 97 North and 5 South and vice versa) and intersects Highway 5A.

Cariboo Highway

The Cariboo Highway section of Highway 97, between Cache Creek and Prince George, is 441 km (274 mi) in length and named for the Cariboo region, through which it travels. Much of its length as far as Quesnel follows approximately the route of the original Cariboo Wagon Road, which was also known as the Queen's Highway. The Cariboo Wagon Road's lower stretches between Yale and Cache Creek were severed in many places by the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. That section, now part of the Trans-Canada, was rebuilt in the 1920s, when the name Cariboo Highway was first applied to the route, a designation which ran from Yale to Prince George, British Columbia (where portions of the route survive as the Old Cariboo Highway). Today the Cariboo Highway designation begins at Cache Creek, veering north for 11 km (6.8 mi) to its junction with Highway 99. North of Highway 99, Highway 97 travels 92 km (57 mi) through Clinton, where the British Columbia Railway begins to roughly parallel Highway 97, as well as through the community of 70 Mile House before reaching a junction at 93 Mile House with Highway 24 (the Interlakes Highway).

Over the 100 km (62 mi) of road north of Highway 24, Highway 97 travels through 100 Mile House and 150 Mile House before reaching the city of Williams Lake and a junction with Highway 20, which runs west across the Chilcotin District to Bella Coola on the Central Coast. Over the next 120 km (75 mi) continuing generally northward, the highway passes through McLeese Lake and Marguerite. En route, Highway 97 follows the east bank of the Fraser River to the city of Quesnel, and a junction with Highway 26. Over the next 115 km (71 mi) north of Quesnel, after passing through the hamlets of Strathnaver, Hixon, Stoner and Red Rock, Highway 97 meets its junction with Highway 16 at Prince George. North of here, the highway veers away from the Fraser River, and the British Columbia Railway veers northwestward from it.

The term Cariboo Highway originally applied to the reconstructed route from Hope through the Fraser Canyon to Cache Creek and Prince George. Constructed in 1924-25, the new gravel toll highway opened in 1926, giving road access to canyon communities cut off since the destruction of parts of the Cariboo Road by construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s. The Cariboo Highway designation for the Fraser Canyon portion of the route was supplanted with the completion and naming of the Trans-Canada Highway c.-1962. Portions of the old highway survive as local streets, some carrying the name Old Cariboo Highway (as in Prince George).

John Hart Highway

The John Hart Highway

This 405 km-long (252 mi) stretch of Highway 97, named for former British Columbia Premier John Hart, begins at Prince George, travelling for 152 km (94 mi) north through the small hamlet of Summit Lake, which is situated at the Continental Divide, as well as through Crooked River Provincial Park, Bear Lake and McLeod Lake, to its intersection with Highway 39. It then journeys northeast another 150 km (93 mi) through the Continental Divide, at which point the time zone changes from Pacific Time to Mountain Time. After emerging from the Pine Pass, the highway generally follows the Pine River northeast to its intersection with Highway 29 at the town of Chetwynd. After a trek of another 97 km (60 mi) east, the Hart Highway terminates at Dawson Creek.

Alaska Highway

This northernmost section of Highway 97 is 965 km (600 mi) long, and travels north through largely unpopulated wilderness, intersecting the communities of Fort St. John and Fort Nelson, the latter being just east of the junction of Highway 77, travelling north to the Northwest Territories. Here, the highway veers generally northwestward into wilderness spotted with tiny localities. As it passes over the Rocky Mountains, the highway parallels the Liard River before terminating just over the BC/Yukon boundary at Watson Lake, where the Alaska Highway is numbered as Yukon Highway 1.

Major intersections

From south to north:[1][2]

Regional DistrictLocationkm[3]miExitDestinationsNotes
Continues as
US 97 south – Oroville, Omak, Wenatchee, Ellensburg
Okanagan-Similkameen0.000.00Canada–United States border
Okanagan Highway segment begins
Osoyoos4.502.80 Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway) – Grand Forks, Castlegar, Princeton, Hope, VancouverFormer south end of Highway 3A concurrency.
Oliver24.5315.24Fairview Road
Okanagan Falls45.6028.339th Avenue
Main Street
BC 97 branches west, then turns north.
Kaleden51.6732.11 Highway 3A west – Keremeos, Princeton, VancouverFormer north end of Highway 3A concurrency.
Penticton59.8437.18 Airport Road – Penticton Regional Airport
60.4137.54Skaha Lake Road
Channel Parkway
BC 97 branches north.
63.3539.36Fairview Road, Green Mountain Road – Apex Mountain Resort
65.1940.51Eckhardt Avenue – Naramata
Vess Drive
BC 97 branches west.
66.0441.04Westminster AvenueBC 97 turns north west of Westminster Ave.
66.8241.52Burnaby Avenue
Summerland75.3846.84Johnson Road
80.0349.73Prairie Valley Road, Solly Road
80.9850.32Rosedale Avenue
Central OkanaganPeachland101.8163.26Princeton Avenue, Beach Avenue
103.9164.57Ponderossa Drive, 13th Street
104.2564.78Clements Crescent
109.0167.74 Highway 97C west (Okanagan Connector) – Merritt, Hope, VancouverDrought Hill interchange
West Kelowna111.1469.06Glenrosa RoadGlenrosa Road interchange
BC 97 turns east
112.6469.99West end of one-way couplets
113.0170.22Elliott Road
113.4170.47Old Okanagan Highway
113.6670.63East end of one-way couplets
Westbank
First Nation
113.8370.73Gosset Road, Gellatly Road
114.5971.20Butt Road
117.3172.89Daimler Drive
West Kelowna118.9773.92Ross Road
119.8174.45Westlake Road, Hudson RoadInterchange proposed[4]
Westbank
First Nation
121.6975.61Boucherie Road, Horizon DriveInterchange proposed[4]
119.8174.45Hudson Road, Westside RoadWestside Road interchange
124.3377.26Campbell RoadCampbell Road interchange
↑ / ↓124.74–
125.81
77.51–
78.17
William R. Bennett Bridge across Okanagan Lake
Kelowna126.3278.49Abbot StreetWest end of Harvey Avenue
126.5678.64West end of HOV lanes[5]
Pandosy Street, Water Street
126.7578.76Ellis Street
127.1178.98Richter Street
127.5379.24Ethel Street
127.9479.50Gordon Drive
128.7780.01Burch Road
129.5880.52Spall Road
130.4081.03Cooper Road
130.8281.29Dilworth DriveEast end of Harvey Avenue
BC 97 turns northeast.
131.5181.72Leckie Road
132.3682.24 Highway 33 east – Big White Ski Resort, Rock Creek
East end of HOV lanes[5]
133.1682.74Enterprise Way, Leathead Road
133.9383.22McCurdy Road
136.3884.74Sexsmith Road, Old Vernon RoadBC 97 turns north.
138.1985.87John Hindle Drive – UBC OkanaganNorthbound exit, southbound entrance
139.0886.42University Way – UBC OkanaganNo northbound exit
140.3187.18 Airport Way – Kelowna International AirportInterchange proposed[6]
146.8591.25Commonwealth Road
Lake Country148.2992.14Beaver Lake Road, Glenmore Road
149.9593.17Pollard Road
149.3392.79Berry Road
152.1794.55Woodsdale Road, Oceola Road
152.6794.86Pelmewash ParkwayWood Lake interchange
Northbound exit, southbound entrance
160.5199.74Pelmewash Parkway, Gatzke RoadGatzke Road interchange
North OkanaganVernon176.27109.53College Way, Clerke Road – Coldstream
178.17110.7116th AvenueSouth end of 32nd Street.
179.34111.44 Highway 6 east – Lumby, Nakusp, NelsonModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
179.34111.4430th Avenue
179.52111.5532nd Avenue
180.05111.8839th Avenue
181.44112.7448th Avenue – Silver Star Mountain ResortNorth end of 32nd Street.
183.02113.7227th StreetSouthbound exit, northbound entrance
Spallumcheen Township188.97117.42 Highway 97A north – Armstrong, Enderby, Salmon Arm, SicamousSwan Lake interchange
BC 97 branches west
Okanagan Highway segment ends • Vernon-Monte Creek Highway segment begins
194.64120.94Westside Road
Columbia-ShuswapFalkland224.31139.38Chase-Falkland Road
Thompson-NicolaMonte Creek269.71167.59399 Highway 1 (TCH) east (Trans-Canada Highway) – Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, Banff, CalgaryHwy 97 interchange
East end of Highway 1 (TCH) concurrency
Vernon-Monte Creek Highway segment ends • BC 97 south exits freeway using Exit 399.
271.74168.85396[i]
397[ii]
Hook RoadHook Road interchange
Kamloops278.29172.92390[i]
391[ii]
Lafarge RoadTumbleweed interchange
281.98175.21386[i]
388[ii]
Kokanee WayKokanee Way interchange
286.65178.12384Kipp Road, Dallas Drive, Barnhartvale RoadNina Place/Kipp Road interchange
Westbound exit and entrance
287.05178.36384Kipp Road, Dallas Drive, Barnhartvale RoadEastbound right-in/right-out
289.84180.10Grand Boulevard
290.70180.63Tanager Road
291.65181.22River Road
292.39181.68Highland Road
293.20182.19Oriole Road
294.03182.70Vicars Road
269.71167.59East end of freeway
375Battle Street – City CentreValleyview interchange
No eastbound exit
295.71183.75374 Highway 5 north (South Yellowhead Highway) – Sun Peaks, Clearwater, Jasper, EdmontonYellowhead interchange
East end of Highway 1 (TCH) / Highway 5 concurrency
299.20185.91370Summit Drive – City CentreSpringhill interchange
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
300.13186.49369Columbia Street – City CentreSagebrush interchange
Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
301.08187.08368 Highway 5A south – MerrittModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecatedSagebrush interchange
301.87187.57367Pacific WayPacific Way interchange
303.55188.62366Copperhead Drive, Lac le Jeune RoadCopperhead interchange
307.78191.25362 Highway 5 south (Coquihalla Highway) – Merritt, Hope, VancouverAfton interchange
West end of Highway 1 (TCH) / Highway 5 concurrency
Highway 1 (TCH) concurrency continues
West end of freeway • BC 1 west / BC 97 north exits freeway using Exit 362.
Savona339.08210.69Savona Access Road
343.29213.31Savona Access Road
343.74213.59Savona Bridge (Kamloops Lake Bridge) across Thompson River
Cache Creek379.77235.98 Highway 1 (TCH) south (Trans-Canada Highway) – Lytton, Spences Bridge, Hope, Vancouver
Highway 97C south – Ashcroft, Logan Lake, Merritt, Kelowna
West end of Highway 1 (TCH) concurrency
BC 97 branches north
Caribou Highway segment begins
390.79242.83 Highway 99 south (Duffy Lake Road) – Lillooet, Whistler, Vancouver
Clinton419.36260.58Kelly Lake Road
Cariboo93 Mile House483.10300.18 Highway 24 east (Interlakes Highway) – Little Fort
100 Mile House491.57305.45Horse Lake Road, Alpine Avenue
492.53306.041st Street
492.92306.29Exter Station Road
Lac La Hache510.53317.23Spring Lake Road
150 Mile House568.44353.21Likely Road
Williams Lake582.63362.03 Highway 20 west (Chilcotin-Bella Coola Highway) – Alexis Creek, Bella Coola
Oliver Street
BC 97 branches north.
583.94362.84Carson Drive
587.14364.83Mackenzie Avenue
Red Bluff695.62432.24Maple Drive
696.41432.73Cedar Avenue, Larch Avenue
Quesnel699.43434.61Northstar RoadNorthstar Road interchange
700.22435.10Quesnel River Bridge across Quesnel River
701.25435.74Carson Avenue, Moffat Approach – NazkoBC 97 branches west.
701.80436.08Front StreetBC 97 branches north.
706.93439.27 Highway 26 east (Barkerville Highway) – Quesnel Airport, Wells, BarkervilleModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
Fraser-Fort George809.32502.89 To Highway 16 (TCH) east – Prince George Airport, McBride, JasperModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecated
Prince George813.95505.77Sintich Road
814.84506.32Boundary RoadProposed BC 16 bypass[7]
817.72508.11Terminal Boulevard
818.70508.72Railway Road
700.22435.10Simon Fraser Bridge across Fraser River
819.72509.35Queensway, Ferry AvenueGrade separated.
821.04510.17 Highway 16 (TCH) (Yellowhead Highway) – Terrace, Prince Rupert, Jasper, Edmonton
Caribou Highway segment ends • John Hart Highway segment begins
821.74510.61Massey Drive, Pine Centre RoadMassey Drive interchange
822.26510.9322nd Avenue
823.00511.3915th Avenue
823.56511.7410th Avenue
824.14512.105th Avenue
824.77512.49John Hart Bridge across Nechako River
825.32512.83North Nechako RoadNorth Nechako Road interchange
827.90514.43Northwood Pulpmill Road
832.00516.98Monterey Road
833.57517.96Austin Road
834.64518.62Handlen Road
835.51519.16Chief Lake Road
977.42607.34 Highway 39 north (Mackenzie Highway) – Mackenzie
↑ / ↓1,015.72631.14Pine Pass – el. 933 m (3,061 ft)
Peace RiverChetwynd1,125.54699.38 Highway 29 north (Don Phillips Way) – W. A. C. Bennett Dam, Hudson's Hope, Fort St. JohnModule:Jct warning: "road" parameter is deprecatedWest end of BC 29 concurrency
1,128.46701.19 Highway 29 south (Don Phillips Way) – Tumbler RidgeEast end of BC 29 concurrency
Dawson Creek1,223.94760.52Dangerous Goods Route, Road 94 – Fort St. John, Pouce CoupeDawson Creek bypass
1,225.37761.41 Highway 2 east to Highway 49 – Spirit River, Pouce Coupe, Grande Prairie, EdmontonBC 97 branches northwest
John Hart Highway segment ends • Alaska Highway segment begins
1,227.73762.88Road 94 – Pouce Coupe, Prince GeorgeDawson Creek bypass
1,278.85794.64Taylor Bridge across Peace River
Taylor1,280.85795.88Pine Avenue
1,287.95800.30 Road 255 – North Peace Regional Airport
Fort St. John1,296.95805.8992A Street, 93rd Street, 85th Avenue
1,297.04805.94100th Street – Cecil Lake, Fairview
1,298.88807.09100th Avenue, Old Fort Road
1,300.87808.32Road 269
1,302.79809.52Road 271
Charlie Lake1,305.00810.89Old Hope Road
1,309.56813.72 Highway 29 south (Don Phillips Way) – W. A. C. Bennett Dam, Hudson's Hope, Chetwynd
Wonowon1,384.94860.56Historical mile post 101
Northern Rockies R.M.Fort Nelson1,678.201,042.7950 Street, Liard Street
1,706.521,060.38 Highway 77 north (Liard Highway) – Fort Liard, Fort Simpson
1,819.571,130.63Summit Pass – 1,267 m (4,157 ft)
1,877.00–
1,959.89
1,166.31–
1,217.82
Passes through Muncho Lake Provincial Park
1,985.481,233.72Liard River Bridge across Liard River
2,045.671,271.12Coal River Bridge across Coal River
Unorganized2,128.11,322.3British Columbia – Yukon border[8]Enters the Yukon, remains as BC 97.
2,129.31,323.1British Columbia – Yukon border[8]Reenters British Columbia
2,132.01,324.8British Columbia – Yukon border[8]Reenters the Yukon
2,140.41,330.0British Columbia – Yukon border[8]Reenters British Columbia
2,142.21,331.1British Columbia – Yukon border[8]Reenters the Yukon
Unorganized
(Stikine Region)
2,144.61,332.6British Columbia – Yukon border[8]Reenters British Columbia
2,159.231,341.68Hyland River Bridge across Hyland River
Lower Post2,179.231,354.11Lower Post Road
2,189.471,360.47British Columbia – Yukon border
Continues as Hwy 1 north (Alaska Highway) – Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Alaska
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  1. ^ a b c Eastbound exit number
  2. ^ a b c Westbound exit number

References

  1. ^ Super, Natural British Columbia Road Map & Parks Guide (Map) (2010-2011 ed). Davenport Maps Ltd. in co-operation with Tourism British Columbia. § A-5, § A-6, § A-7, § A-8, § B-8, § C-8, § D-8, § D-9, § E-9, § E-8, § F-8, § G-8, § H-8, § H-9, § J-9, § K-9, § K-10, and § L-10.
  2. ^ British Columbia Road Atlas (2007 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. pp. 9, 10, 11, 15, 18, 19, 28, 34, 44, 56, 57, 58, 59, 70, and 71.
  3. ^ Nicol, Matthew; Horel, Steve (July 2015). "Landmark Kilometre Inventory" (PDF). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Cypher Consulting. pp. 42–49, 401–461.
  4. ^ a b Moore, Wayne (27 Feb 2016). "More interchanges coming - West Kelowna News". Castamet - Kelowna's Homepage. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  5. ^ a b "HOV Kelowna". British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Kelowna International Airport". Airport Technology. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  7. ^ Chahal, Tony (29 April 2015). "New Bypass In Prince George?". CKPG-TV. Retrieved 1 July 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 4 July 2016.