Everything about British Columbia Highway 97 totally explained
Highway 97 is the longest continuously-numbered route in the
Canadian province of
British Columbia, running 2,081 km (1,283 mi) from the Canada/
U.S. border at
Osoyoos in the south to the British Columbia/
Yukon border in the north at
Watson Lake, Yukon. The route takes its number from
U.S. Route 97, which it connects with at the international border. The highway was initially designated '97' in
1953.
Okanagan Highway
The Okanagan Highway is a 269 km (167 mi) long section of Highway 97 between the international border and
Monte Creek on the
Trans-Canada Highway. 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 (2½ mi) north to its junction with the
Crowsnest Highway at Osoyoos. A branch of highway designated as
3A starts here, sharing a common alignment with Highway 97 north of Osoyoos. The highway travels north for 47 km (29 mi), passing through the community of
Oliver, before arriving at the locality of
Kaleden, where Highway 3A diverges west.
13 km (8 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
Westside, Westbank, Lakeview, and reserve lands belonging to the
Westbank First Nation
until, 15 km (9 mi) northeast of the 97C junction, Highway 97 begins to cross Okanagan Lake via the
Okanagan Lake Bridge (a 1 km, about ½ mi, long causeway and bridge), soon to be replaced with a newer structure (the
William R. Bennett Bridge). The highway enters the city of
Kelowna upon landfall on the east shore of the lake. 6 km (4 mi) east into the city centre, the highway reaches its junction with
Highway 33.
Four kilometres (2½ mi) north of the Highway 33 junction, Highway 97 leaves the urbanised 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, then alongside the west shore of
Wood Lake to
Oyama. Both of these communities 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. The highway then travels north for 10 km (6 mi) to a junction with
Highway 97A at Swan Lake, at which point it veers northwest. 81 km (17 mi) further, Highway 97 merges onto the Trans-Canada Highway at Monte Creek, following
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 there are junctions with Highways
5 and
5A.
Cariboo Highway
The Cariboo Highway section of Highway 97, between Cache Creek and
Prince George, is 441 km (274 mi) in length and is 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. The highway begins at Cache Creek, veering north for 11 km (7 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 parallel Highway 97, as well as through the communities of
Chasm and
70 Mile House before reaching a junction with
Highway 24 at
93 Mile House.
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. 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 Fraser River veers off east from the highway, 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. The new highway - gravel - opened in 1922, giving road access t 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 TransCanada Highway. Portions of the old highway survive as local streets, some carrying the name
Old Cariboo Highway (as in Prince George).
John Hart Highway
This 405 km (252 mi) long 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, 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 intersects 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 long (600 mi), 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 border at
Watson Lake, where the Alaska Highway is numbered as
Yukon Highway 1.
Further Information
Get more info on 'British Columbia Highway 97'.
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