Misplaced Pages

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56-716: 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

112-639: A common alignment for 72 km (45 mi) northeast along the Moyie River , crossing into the Regional District of East Kootenay along the way, to a junction with Highway 95A in the city of Cranbrook . Another 6 km (4 mi) east is the interchange with the Highway ;93 / Highway 95 concurrency, where Highway 95 diverges north and Highway 93 merges onto the Highway ;3 from

168-548: 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

224-518: 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

280-587: 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

336-451: 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

392-541: A relatively short period of thirteen days. The highway built immediately after the slide has now been bypassed by a new four lane alignment to the south, which opened in 1982. With the opening of the Trans-Canada Highway through Rogers Pass in 1962, Highway 1 became the preferred route between the Lower Mainland and Alberta. Efforts were made to promote the southern route as a more scenic alternative to

448-591: A stretch known as the Kootenay Skyway , or Salmo-Creston Skyway . 69 km (43 mi) east of Burnt Flat, Highway 3 reaches the town of Creston in the Kootenay River valley, just past junctions with Highway 21 and Highway 3A. East of Creston, Highway 3 passes through the Purcell Mountains and 38 km (24 mi) later, intersects Highway 95 near Yahk . The two highways share

504-471: 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

560-737: 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

616-504: 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

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672-611: 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

728-535: 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

784-406: 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

840-627: 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

896-681: Is the cutoff to Rossland and Trail , passing Red Mountain Resort en route. East of Nancy Greene Lake, Highway 3 travels for 26 km (16 mi) east, crossing into the Regional District of Central Kootenay , to the City of Castlegar where Highway 3 intersects Highway 22 , crosses the Columbia River , and intersects Highway 3A leading towards Nelson . 28 km (17 mi) east of Castlegar, Highway 3 reaches its eastern junction with Highway 3B. Highway 6 converges with

952-564: 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

1008-773: The Canada–United States border . Highway 3 reaches its junction with Highway 33 at Rock Creek , 52 km (32 mi) east of Osoyoos. The highway follows the Kettle River to Midway before continuing east through Greenwood and intersecting Highway 41 at the locality of Carson , approximately 5 km (3 mi) west of Grand Forks . 21 km (13 mi) east of Grand Forks, Highway 3 meets Highway 395 at Christina Lake . East from Christina Lake, Highway 3 travels for 47 km (29 mi) through Bonanza Pass to its junction with Highway 3B at Nancy Greene Provincial Park , which

1064-678: 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

1120-480: The Fraser Valley Regional District into the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen , the road descends for 40 mi (64 km) along the Similkameen River before beginning another long climb up Sunday Summit (1,284 m (4,213 ft)). Soon after Sunday Summit is the descent into Princeton, where it meets Highway 5A . Beyond Princeton, Highway 3 continues for 67 km (42 mi) to

1176-575: The Trans-Canada Highway ( Highway 1 ) at Hope to Crowsnest Pass at the Alberta border and forms the western portion of the interprovincial Crowsnest Highway that runs from Hope to Medicine Hat, Alberta . The highway is considered a Core Route of the National Highway System . Highway 3 begins in Hope. From Vancouver, the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) enters Hope from

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1232-557: 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

1288-528: 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

1344-634: The Alberta border. In 1932, a more northern route following the mainline of the Canadian Pacific Railway known as the Central Trans-Provincial Highway and designated as Route 'B' was chosen as the future alignment of the Trans-Canada Highway . In 1941, British Columbia transitioned from lettered to numbered highways, with the Lower Mainland section of Route 'A' and all of Route 'B' becoming Highway 1 , while

1400-564: 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,

1456-537: 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: British Columbia Highway 3 British Columbia Highway 3 , officially named the Crowsnest Highway , is an 841-kilometre (523 mi) highway that traverses southern British Columbia , Canada. It runs from

1512-512: The Crowsnest Highway was upgraded to a freeway, including a bypass of the old segment through Hope, which was renamed to Hope-Princeton Way . As a result of the November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods , the Crowsnest Highway was damaged by landslides, while the Trans-Canada Highway and Coquihalla Highway had bridges that were completely washed out. Officials projected that Highway 3 would be

1568-718: The Elk River valley and travels for another 19 km (12 mi) east to Crowsnest Pass (1,382 m (4,534 ft)) on the Continental Divide , and crosses into Alberta. Highway 3 is predated by the Dewdney Trail , a 720 km (445 mi) trail used in the mid-19th century that connected the Lower Mainland to present-day Fort Steele , roughly paralleling the Canada-United States border ; about 80% of

1624-399: 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,

1680-592: The Highway 3 at Salmo , 11 km (7 mi) east of the Highway 3B junction, and the two highways proceed south for 14 km (9 mi) to the Burnt Flat Junction, where Highway 6 diverges south. East of Burnt Flat, Highway 3 heads into the Selkirk Mountains and passes through the Kootenay Pass , at 1,774 m (5,820 ft) it is the highest point on the Crowsnest Highway, on

1736-616: The Kinnaird Bridge in Castlegar, bypassing the final ferry crossing. In the morning hours of January 9, 1965, one of the largest landslides occurred in Canadian history occurred near Hope, killing four people; known as the Hope Slide . As a result, the highway had to be rerouted around and over the base of the slide's debris field. According to the B.C. MOTI, the replacement road was built

North Thompson River - Misplaced Pages Continue

1792-568: The Kootenay Skyway project, the bypassed section of Highway 3 became Highway 3A, while the bypassed section of Highway 3 between Trail and Castlegar became part of Highway 22 . Highway 3A between Trail and Salmo, as well as the new Rossland-Sheep Lake Highway, became Highway 3B . On July 7, 1965, the Richter Pass section between Keremeos and Osoyoos opened (the bypassed section became Highway 3A), along with

1848-628: The Rossland-Sheep Lake Highway was completed, linking to the new Christina Lake -Castlegar section through Bonanza Pass (opened in 1962 with the completion of the Paulson Bridge), replacing a gravel mountain road that had connected Cascade City and Rossland. The Kootenay Skyway from Salmo to Creston through Kootenay Pass opened on August 15, 1964, reducing the distance from 160 km (100 mi) to 80 km (50 mi), bypassing Nelson and Kootenay Lake Ferry . As part of

1904-526: The Town of Osoyoos and a junction with Highway 97 . On the east end of Osoyoos, Highway 3 crosses Osoyoos Lake before entering the Monashee Mountains , ascending Anarchist Mountain through a stretch of switchbacks. Beyond the summit of Anarchist Mountain, in the upland rural community which shares the same name, Highway 3 enters the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and proceeds to hug

1960-523: The Trans-Canada Highway, beginning in the 1970s with a group from southern Alberta spearheading a proposal to rename Highway 3 in both provinces. Their efforts were successful when the route was renamed the Crowsnest Highway in 1977, with new route shields appearing a few years later. As part of the first phase of the Coquihalla Highway which opened in 1986, a 7 km (4 mi) section of

2016-500: 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

2072-559: 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

2128-524: The exit and continues east through Manning Provincial Park for 126 km (78 mi) towards the town of Princeton . Known as the Hope–Princeton Highway , it begins several significant ascents through the Cascade Mountains ; first is the steep climb to the Hope Slide , followed later by the remainder of the climb up to Allison Pass at an elevation of 1,342 m (4,403 ft). After the summit of Allison Pass, where Highway 3 crosses from

2184-482: 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

2240-658: 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

2296-486: 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,

North Thompson River - Misplaced Pages Continue

2352-410: 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

2408-718: The north. Highway 93 and Highway 3 share a common alignment for the next 55 km (34 mi), passing through the Rocky Mountain Trench , crosses the Kootenay River, and enters the Rocky Mountains , where at Elko Highway 93 diverges south. From Elko, Highway 3 follows the Elk River for 32 km (20 mi) to Fernie , then it goes north another 29 km (18 mi) to its junction with Highway 43 at Sparwood . East of Sparwood, Highway 3 leaves

2464-475: 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,

2520-892: The present-day highway follows the historic trail. In the early 20th century, the province began to upgrade its trails to roads, and in 1928, it was the first automobile route that connected to the Alberta border. Designated as the Southern Trans-Provincial Highway , it ran from Vancouver to Crowsnest Pass and later designated as Route 'A'; the route followed Kingsway and Yale Road from Vancouver to Hope , then turning north to Spences Bridge . The route then turned southeast and passed through Merritt and Princeton along present-day Highway 8 and Highway 5A before travelling east through Osoyoos , Grand Forks and Trail . The route included major ferry crossings at Castlegar , Nelson , and Balfour , before continuing through Creston and Cranbrook to

2576-492: 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

2632-515: The remainder of Route 'A' became Highway 3. Post-World War II, the BC government began to upgrade its highway system and on November 2, 1949, the Hope-Princeton Highway through Allison Pass and Sunday Summit was opened, reducing the highway distance from approximately 300 km (185 mi) to 135 km (85 mi). In 1954, a new highway was constructed from Trail to Salmo and

2688-544: 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

2744-564: 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

2800-546: 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

2856-531: The southeast through Hedley to the Village of Keremeos , where it meets Highway 3A , leading towards Penticton and Highway 97 . Prior to the opening of Highway 97C in 1990, this was the primary link between the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan Valley , and still functions as the main alternative route. 46 km (29 mi) southeast of Keremeos, through Richter Pass , and Highway 3 reaches

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2912-419: 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

2968-474: The west as a four-lane freeway; however at Exit 170, Highway 1 exits the freeway and continues north along the Fraser River . The freeway continues east along the Coquihalla River , designated as Highway 3 and Highway 5 , for 7 km (4 mi) to Exit 177. There, the freeway turns north and continues as the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) towards Merritt while Highway 3 takes

3024-571: Was designated as Highway 3A . Highway 3A and Highway 6 shared a common alignment from Salmo to Nelson, meeting with Highway 3. On November 7, 1957, the $ 4 million West Arm Bridge (also known as the Nelson Bridge) was opened across the West Arm of Kootenay Lake in Nelson, replacing ferry service. The 1960s saw the construction of several major realignments and upgrades along the highway. In 1965,

3080-594: 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

3136-399: 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

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