British Columbia Highway 5

Highway 5
Southern Yellowhead Highway Coquihalla Highway
Route information
Length:	543.33 km[1] (337.61 mi) Coquihalla Highway: 185.55 km (115.30 mi)
Existed:	1941 – present
Major junctions
South end:	BC 1 near Hope
	BC 3 near Hope BC 5A / BC 8 / BC 97C in Merritt BC 1 / BC 97 in Kamloops BC 5A in Kamloops BC 24 in Little Fort
North end:	BC 16 near Tête Jaune Cache
Location
Districts:	Hope, Barriere, Clearwater
Major cities:	Merritt, Kamloops
Villages:	Valemount
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways ← BC 4 BC 5A →

Highway 5 is a 524 km (326 mi) north-south route in southern British Columbia, Canada. Highway 5 connects the southern Trans-Canada route (Highway 1) with the northern Yellowhead route (Highway 16), providing the shortest land connection between Vancouver and Edmonton. A portion of Highway 5 south of Kamloops is also known as the Coquihalla Highway; the northern portion is known as the Southern Yellowhead Highway. The Coquihalla section was a toll road until 2008.

A plaque commemorating the opening of the Coquihalla Highway in Hope, British Columbia.

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 and Highway 97A, between Kaleden, just north of Osoyoos, and Salmon Arm, was formerly Highway 5. In 1953, the '5' designation was moved to designate Highway 5A, south of Kamloops, to north of Kamloops. In 1986, Highway 5 was re-routed between Hope and Merritt. The re-routed section of highway between Merritt and Kamloops was completed in 1987. The total cost for the highway between Hope and Merritt was approximately $848 million.^[2]

South of Kamloops, Highway 5 is known as the Coquihalla Highway (colloquially "the Coq"; pronounced "coke"), 186 km (116 mi) of freeway, varying between four and six lanes with a posted speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph). The Coquihalla approximately traces through 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.

In 2003, Premier Gordon Campbell announced the Liberal government would turn over toll revenue to a private operator, along with responsibility for operation, and maintenance of "the Coq". 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.^[2][3] Subsequently, the toll station and signs were dismantled.^[4]

Effective July 2, 2014, Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure increased the speed limit of Coquihalla Highway from 110 km/h (68 mph) to 120 km/h (75 mph) after conducting engineering assessment and province-wide speed review.^[5]

Although the Yellowhead Highway system is considered part of the Trans-Canada Highway network, the Highway 5 segment is not marked as such. Highway 5 is, however, designated as a core route of Canada's National Highway System.

Route details

Great Bear snow shed, approaching from the north

Yellowhead Highway 5, southbound

Highway 5 begins south at the junction with Highway 3 at uninhabited "Othello", 7 km (4.3 mi) east of Hope (named after 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. The speed limit on the Coquihalla Highway south of Merritt is 120 km/h (75 mph). 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 is 13 km (8.1 mi) north of the snow shed, passing through another interchange and the 1,244 m (4,081 ft) Coquihalla Pass. Highway 5 was the only highway in British Columbia to have tolls; a typical passenger vehicle toll was C$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 the former toll plaza, the Coquihalla enters the city of Merritt. There it joins Highway 5A and Highway 97C.

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

Highway 5 travels 4 km (2.5 mi) through the eastern area of Merritt before reaching its northern junction with Highway 5A. From there, the Coquihalla has three more interchanges and one mountain pass – the Surrey Lake Summit – in the 72 km (45 mi) between Merritt and its end at a junction with Highways 1 and 97. 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.

After separating from Highways 1 and 97, Highway 5 proceeds north for approximately 19 km (12 mi), temporarily leaving Kamloops city limits as a four-lane highway, before re-entering the city at the Rayleigh community, then continuing north. It becomes a two-lane highway at Heffley Creek and the exit to Sun Peaks resorts, both of which indicate the final northern boundary of Kamloops.

Highway 5 follows the North Thompson River north from Heffley Creek for approximately 54 km (34 mi), along a parallel course with a branch of the Canadian National Railway, passing through Barriere, to a junction with Highway 24 at Little Fort. 30 km (19 mi) north of Little Fort, while continuing to follow the North Thompson and the CN Railway, Highway 5 then reaches the community of Clearwater. It proceeds northeast for another 107 km (66 mi), passing Vavenby and Avola en route, to the community of Blue River; then 109 km (68 mi) further north through the Columbia Mountains, it crosses into the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George, passing by the community of Valemount to its northern terminus at Tête Jaune Cache, where it meets Highway 16.

Exit list

From south to north, the following intersections are observed along Highway 5:^[6][7]

Regional district	Location	km[1]	mi	Exit[8]	Destinations	Notes
Freeway and exit numbers continues along BC 1 west (Trans-Canada Highway) – Vancouver
Fraser Valley	Hope	0.00	0.00	170	BC 1 east (Water Avenue) – Cache Creek, Kamloops, Prince George	Hope Interchange No westbound exit West end of BC 3 concurrency Southern terminus
		0.99	0.62	171	To BC 1 east (3rd Avenue)	Westbound exit only
		3.08	1.91	173	Old Hope-Princeton Way	Thacker Creek Interchange No westbound entrance
	​	6.67	4.14	177	BC 3 east (Crowsnest Highway) – Princeton, Penticton, Osoyoos	Othello Interchange East end of BC 3 concurrency
				South end of Coquihalla Highway
	​	7.39	4.59	Nicolum Bridge across Nicolum River
	​	12.78	7.94	Peers Creek Bridge across Coquihalla River
	​	13.00	8.08	183	Othello Road	Peers Creek Interchange
	​	21.75	13.51	Jessica Bridge across Coquihalla River
	​	22.02	13.68	192	Sowaqua Creek Road	Jessica Interchange
	​	25.32	15.73	Carolin Bridge across Coquihalla River
	​	25.77	16.01	195	Carolin Mines Road	Carolin Interchange
	​	27.54	17.11	Ladner Creek Bridge
	​	29.68	18.44	200	Shylock Road (U-turn route only)	Shylock Interchange Southbound exit and northbound entrance.
	​	31.19	19.38	202	Portia, Old Coquihalla Road	Portia Interchange No southbound exit.
	​	42.21	26.23	Great Bear Snowshed
	​	45.53	28.29	217	Zopkios rest area	Zopkios Interchange
	​	48.93	30.40	Coquihalla Pass – 1,244 m (4,081 ft)
	​	51.35	31.91	221	Falls Lake Road	Falls Lake Interchange
↑ / ↓	​	52.22	32.45	Dry Gulch Bridge
Thompson-Nicola	​	58.11	36.11	228	Coquihalla Lakes Road – Britton Creek Rest Area	Coquihalla Lakes Interchange
	​	61.09	37.96	231	Mine Creek Road (U-turn route only)	Mine Creek Interchange Southbound exit and northbound entrance.
	​	61.2	38.0	238	Juliet Creek Road – Coldwater River Provincial Park	Juliet Interchange
	​	79.69	49.52	250	Larson Hill	Larson Hill Interchange
	​	86.46	53.72	256	Coldwater Road	Kingsvale Interchange
	​	106.32	66.06	276	Comstock Road	Comstock Road Interchange
	Merritt	115.99	72.07	286	BC 5A south / BC 8 west (Nicola Avenue) / BC 97C – Princeton, Kelowna, Spences Bridge, Logan Lake	Coldwater Interchange
		118.52	73.64	Nicola River Bridge across Nicola River
		119.96	74.54	290	BC 5A north / Voght Street – Quilchena, Kamloops	Nicola Interchange
	​	145.31	90.29	315	Helmer Road	Helmer Road Interchange
	​	152.60	94.82	Surrey Lake Summit – 1,444 m (4,738 ft)
	​	167.11	103.84	336	BC 97D south / Lac Le Jeune Road – Logan Lake	Walloper Interchange
	​	185.48	115.25	355	Inks Lake Road	Inks Lake Road Interchange
	Kamloops	192.22	119.44	362	BC 1 west – Cache Creek, Lytton, Hope, Vancouver BC 97 north – Williams Lake, Quesnel, Prince George To BC 99 south – Lillooet, Pemberton, Whistler	Afton Interchang West end of BC 1 / BC 97 concurrency
				North end of Coquihalla Highway
		196.45	122.07	366	Copperhead Drive, Lac le Jeune Road	Copperhead Interchange
		198.13	123.11	367	Pacific Way	Pacific Way Interchange
		198.92	123.60	368	BC 5A south / Hillside Way – Merritt	Aberdeen Interchange
		200.22	124.41	369	Columbia Street – Kamloops City Centre	Sagebrush Interchange Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
		200.80	124.77	370	Summit Drive – Kamloops City Centre	Springhill Interchange Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
		204.29	126.94	374	BC 1 east – Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, Banff, Calgary BC 97 south – Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton	Yellowhead Interchange East end of BC 1 / BC 97 concurrency
				South end of Southern Yellowhead Highway • BC 5 north exits freeway using Exit 374.
	↑ / ↓	204.74	127.22	Yellowhead Bridge over South Thompson River
	Kamloops I.R.	206.09	128.06		Shuswap Road	Signalized, at-grade intersection
		208.16	129.34		Mount Paul Way	Signalized, at-grade intersection
		210.04	130.51		Halston Avenue, Paul Lake Road – Kamloops Airport	Signalized, at-grade intersection
	Kamloops	220.16	136.80		Puett Ranch Road
		228.74	142.13		Old Highway 5, Tod Mountain Road – Sun Peaks
	Barriere	267.64	166.30		Barriere Town Road, Lilley Road
		270.06	167.81	Barriere North Thompson Bridge across North Thompson River
	Little Fort	297.88	185.09		BC 24 west (Interlakes Highway) – 93 Mile House, 100 Mile House
	​	324.78	201.81	Clearwater River Bridge across Clearwater River
	Clearwater	327.04	203.21		Old North Thompson Highway Road, Clearwater Village Road
		328.08	203.86		Clearwater Valley Road, Park Drive – Wells Gray Provincial Park	Roundabout
	Avola	395.43	245.71	Avola North Thompson Bridge across North Thompson River
	​	423.68	263.26	Six Mile Bridge across North Thompson River
	Blue River	434.43	269.94		Angus Horne Street, Shell Road
	​	474.40	294.78	Lempriere Bridge across North Thompson River
	​	477.34	296.61	Moombeam Bridge across North Thompson River
	​	478.91	297.58	Gosnell Bridge across North Thompson River
Fraser-Fort George	Valemount	523.94	325.56		5th Avenue, Pine Road
	Tête Jaune Cache	543.13	337.49	Tête Jaune Bridge across Fraser River
		543.33	337.61		BC 16 west (Yellowhead Highway) – McBride, Prince George, Prince Rupert	Tête Jaune Interchange Northern terminus
Continues as BC 16 east (Yellowhead Highway) – Mount Robson Provincial Park, Jasper, Edmonton
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Name

Kw'ikw'iya:la (Coquihalla) in the Halq'emeylem language of the Stó:lō, is a place name meaning "stingy container". It refers specifically to a fishing rock near the mouth of what is now known as the Coquihalla River. This rock is a good platform for spearing salmon. According to Stó:lō oral history, the skw'exweq (water babies, underwater people) who inhabit a pool close by the rock, would swim out and pull the salmon off the spears, allowing only certain fisherman to catch the salmon.^[9]

The route is also often referred to simply as "The Coq" (pronounced "coke").

Popular culture

• BC5 is the main highway serviced in Discovery Channel show, Highway Thru Hell.
• The song "Hurtin' Albertan" by country singer Corb Lund makes reference to the Coquihalla in the lyric "...there's good weather up on the Coke."

Gallery

• 

  Highway 5 passing through Thompson Plateau

• 

  The toll booth once marked the halfway point of the formerly tolled Hope-to-Merritt portion of the highway.

• 

  Passing Nicola Valley southbound.

• 

  Downtown Valemount as seen from the west side of Highway 5.

References

Route map: Bing / Google

1. Nicol, Matthew; Horel, Steve (July 2015). "Landmark Kilometre Inventory" (PDF). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Cypher Consulting. pp. 74–75, 136–166.
2. Tolls taken off Coquihalla
3. Premier Announces End of Tolls
4. Coquihalla Tollbooths Demolished
5. Actions to improve safety on B.C.'s rural highways
6. Super, Natural British Columbia Road Map & Parks Guide (Map) (2010-2011 ed). Davenport Maps Ltd. in co-operation with Tourism British Columbia. § H-10, § J-9, § J-10, § K-9, and § L-9.
7. British Columbia Road Atlas (2007 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. pp. 37, 46, 47, 57, 58, and 69.
8. "Highway Exits & Landmarks - Coquihalla Highway 5 Starts (Yellowhead Route)". British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
9. B.C. Ministry of Transportation Archived August 25, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. - Coquihalla Rates and Information