Integrating BC Transportation Travel News Services and Products. They chose to confront the Coq without a full tank, not realizing that idling a car for warmth hour after hour depletes an already dangerously low fuel tank. There are many tools engineered into the design of the Coquihalla Highway to reduce the likelihood of avalanches affecting the route, which is why the Coquihalla sees less frequent closures for avalanche hazard and avalanche control than many other mountain passes in the province. Variably cloudy with snow showers. Occasional snow showers. Its an interesting stretch of highway that comes with its unique challenges but our district staff and maintenance contractors will continue to monitor the Coquihalla and keep you moving as efficiently and as safely as possible. [15], In 2011, 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. Coquihalla Summit S Hwy 5, about 7 km north of Zopkios Brake Check, looking the south. There is an installation of concrete blocks along the highway placed there to block avalanche flow. as rain batters province, leading to mudslides and flood warnings", "Relentless rain causing flooding, road closures and evacuations across B.C. As we joked about the stupidity that plays out on Canadian roads day after day, our conversation took on a mournful note as Davis talked about the tragedies that also occur and how they could often be avoided. Safe travels. Highway 97C. Stay tuned. The section of highway between Merritt and Kamloops is 72km (45mi) long. Also the total trips in addition to the average per day these are impressive numbers showing the importance of the Coquihalla to travellers in BC. Members are encouraged to submit articles about driving the Coquihalla. Why pay for it again? government privatizing toll highway", "B.C. There are remnants of a few structures which might be visible along this stretch: Avalanche bunkers where avalanche techs might have set up and used older military style explosives to trigger avalanches in the area; avalanche benches which are installed to stop the flow of snow onto the highway; or there is also the remnants of an old telecommunications gondola, which carried service workers up to the peak of Dog Mountain back in the day. Do you have information to supply? Starting Thu Mar 9 at 9:00 AM PST until Thu Mar 9 at 4:00 PM PST. Any information would be very helpful. 4 Years Ran it opening day may long weekend in 86 no signs for brake check at top of smasher it was quite the ride coming over the top at 100 km apparently motor ways put 6 in the runaway lanes that week so I was told. Highway Thru Hell | Episode 4 Wreck Analysis Upload, share, download and embed your videos. Low -7C. This website is where the B.C. Chance of snow 60%. [2] After 10 years in office, Waterland retired from the Cabinet in 1986 a few months after seeing this part of the project through to its completion. What are the bunker looking things on the side of the highway? What you see are likely the old avalanche howitzer guns and bases that are roadside within avalanche paths. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 km/h. The Coq starts near sea level at Hope and then gains over a kilometre in elevation in less than 50km distance. Highway 97Cbegins near Trepanier, at a location on Highway 97 known as Drought Hill. [27] Snow accumulations less than 2cm. Brace yourself winter is here. Variable clouds with snow showers. According to Sto;lo oral history, the skw'exweq (water babies or naiads, 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. The length of the Coquihalla, per construction phase: vs. the old Highway 3 Route from Kelowna area you save approximately 70km of travel or/and an 1h30mins, vs the old Fraser Canyon Route (Trans Canada) from Kamloops via the TCH you save approximately 70km and 1h 10mins, Phase 1 opened in May 1986 (Hope to Merritt), Phase 2 was completed on Sept 4, 1987 (Merritt toKamloops), Phase 3 was completed on Oct 1, 1990 (The Coquihalla Connector from Merritt toWest Kelowna), Named the Coquihalla because it generally follows the Coquihalla River and uses the Coquihalla Pass. For highway rescuer Jamie Davis, those words of wisdom come from 10 years of pulling wrecks from gullies along the snowbound Highway Thru Hell, otherwise known as B.C.'s . 3 Years On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, the Coquihalla Highway was reopened to non- essential traffic from Hope to Merritt. 61km (38mi) and five interchanges north of the former toll plaza. 13 km (8 mi) north of the snow shed, after passing through another interchange and the 1244 m (4,147 ft) Coquihalla Pass, Highway 5 reaches the former toll booth; it was the only highway in British Columbia to have tolls. It was a toll road until 2008. This information obtained from bchighway.com should not be used as a basis for making financial or other commitments. We used to use the guns for avalanche control in the area, but the ministry now use helicopters to detonate explosives and trigger controlled avalanches. 5+ Years, Please select ALL of your current, valid drivers licenses. The recreation area was established on September 4, 1987, with the goal of protecting the transition zone between the wetter coast and drier southern interior regions of the province. It was a mistake to take the toll off the Coquihalla hwy. Until Sun Mar 5 at 3:00 AM PST. The Coquihalla is one of the most popular highway mountain passes in BC. I was wondering if you had the information on the percent grade climbing up Surrey Lake Summit. Unauthorized distribution, transmission or republication strictly prohibited. Please try again, 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. Zopkios Southbound N Hwy 5, southbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit, looking northeast. Snow showers. Hes the constant that can be relied upon when self-reliance runs out. Chance of snow 30%. The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south, and is particularly steep north of the Great Bear snow shed. Compact snow. Heffley Creek indicates the northern boundary of Kamloops, the exit to Sun Peaks resort is at the same turn off. The Trans-Canada Highway is your best bet for longest continuous stretch of road across Canada. Although the Yellowhead Highway system is considered part of the Trans-Canada Highway network, Highway 5 is not represented with a Trans-Canada marker. I think that publishing the annual VKT would be more meaningful to the general public. But thats not the entire story because there are signs on the highway directing bicyclists, so clearly it can be used. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. I know you said 235cm snowpack but I doesnt specify how much snow actually falls annually. So when we said 1150 mm falls as snow, then thats the water equivalent of the snow. Low -4C. 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(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This 'travel news' services website is privately owned. Before tackling a merciless winter highway, be sure youre carrying some basic necessities, such as thermoses of hot fluids, food, warm clothes, blanket, flashlight, and proper winter footwear. Highway 5, in both directions. Some decrease in clouds late. WIDE LOADS OVER 4.5 METERS USE BOTH SOUTHBOUND LANES AT BOTTLE TOP BRIDGE. So dangerous and dramatic is the highway, Discovery Channel chose it as the basis of their gripping and exceptionally popular reality series Highway Thru Hell, which features the rescue work and heavy towing services of Jamie Davis and his 40 or so dedicated employees. Its a fine highway. Youve got to be a survivalist, he says. Southern Yellowhead Highway 5, southbound. Highway 5 was the only highway in British Columbia to have tolls; a typical passenger vehicle toll was C$10. Trucks have been known to avoid the route, but most motorists don't have any hesitation about driving the route in spring-summer-fall conditions. Chance of snow 60%. The Coquihalla Highway starts south of the junction with Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) situated at the uninhabited region of Othello. The next issue of Driving.ca's Blind-Spot Monitor will soon be in your inbox. Periods of rain except periods of snow near the summit. Copyright 2023, Province of British Columbia. It's one of the worst roads in all of North America in winters. Jan 30, 2013 Surrey, BC 0 This is The Smasher on BC's Coquihalla Highway. Elkhart East Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 25 km east of Hwy 5A/97C Junction, looking east. ICBC tracks these statistics here: https://www.icbc.com/about-icbc/newsroom/Pages/Statistics.aspx. What are the round cement bunker like structures along the highway?? Highway 5 begins south at the junction with Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) at uninhabited Othello, 7km (4mi) east of Hope (named after a nearby siding on the Kettle Valley Railway, which used many Shakespearean names). It may be an avalanche that closes the road or a multi-vehicle pileup, or simply waist-deep snow that paralyzes everything on wheels. The road was constructed in 1941. We apologize, but this video has failed to load. We cant say for sure however, we can venture a guess that this term was coined by commercial truck operators who experienced one or more vehicle incidents at the summit/tunnel location. Pennask Summit Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector). GENERAL STATS Low -4C. Its infamy is borne on the backs of all those who failed to make it over her 1,244-metre mountain pass, which connects the coastal rainforest of B.C.s Lower Mainland with the desert climate of its interior. It is typically open all year round, with the occasional closure in winters due to dangerous weather conditions. Download Millions Of Videos Online. The numbers are in general much higher than the corresponding 3.3 million KM quoted for the Coquihalla. Chance of snow 40%. Sometime in March? Brenda Mine East Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 22 km west of 97/97C Junction, looking east. Winds light and variable. Starting Wed Mar 8 at 9:00 AM PST until Fri Mar 10 at 5:00 PM PST. Many lives have been lost or irreversibly altered on the Coq, and thats a difficult reality faced by Davis and his crew. Safe travels! It is located just south of the former toll booth plaza on the Coquihalla Highway, about 50 km (31 mi) north of Hope, and 65 km (40 mi) south of Merritt and is the divide between the Coquihalla River and the Coldwater River. 's Interior helped to convince reluctant Cabinet members of the necessity of the third route to the Interior". Hello Anne and thank you for your message. His "conviction that the route provided important benefits and an essential link to B.C. The Coquihalla Snowshed Protocol: 10 Steps to Highway Safety. [7][8] To ensure the project was completed on time, more than 10,000 people were needed to fill all of the jobs and more than 1,000 pieces of heavy equipment worked non-stop every day during the summer of 1985 to get it done. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Winds SW at 10 to 15 km/h. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. Winds light and variable. [6], In the 1960s, the Merritt Board of Trade began lobbying the B.C. Walloper Hwy 5, about 30 km south of Kamloops, looking to the south. (Submitted by Jeremiah Steberl) B.C.'s Coquihalla Highway could be . The weather today in Coquihalla Thursday, 02 March 2023 . Snow showers before midnight. Hope, at the eastern end of the Fraser Valley. Without knowing exactly the location you are referring to exactly, we would guess that one of these is what youve seen. Youve probably driven it a few times, whether as a commuter or a BC traveller, or TONS of times as a commercial driver. Davis is from a hauling family, learning the ropes at an early age from his parents before establishing his first towing firm with his brother in the 1980s. Britton Creek S Hwy 5, by Britton Creek Rest Area northbound turnoff, looking south. Chance of snow 60%. government says Highway 1 south of Hope should be reopened this. People often leave after work not realizing that as the sun goes down the temperature drops, and the storm starts. The Coquihalla conditions has three more interchanges and one mountain pass, the Clapperton Creek Summit, in its remaining 72 km (45 mi) between Merritt and its end at a junction with Highways 1 and 97 within the Afton area of Kamloops. Here is a link with more information on BC highways and cycling restrictions: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/cycling/cycling-regulations-restrictions-rules. The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. Low -9C. Chance of snow 50%. North of Barriere it encounters a junction with Highway 24 in the village of Little Fort. Snow accumulations less than 2cm. Snow accumulations less than 2cm. 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. Brenda Mine West Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 22 km west of 97/97C Junction, looking west. Information Obtained from Wikipedia and Drive BC. Pothole Lake West Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), near Pothole Lake about 7 km east of Aspen Grove, looking west. [8] The project was divided into three phases, with Phase 1 being the 115km (71mi) section between Hope and Merritt, Phase 2 being the 80km (50mi) section between Merritt and Kamloops, and Phase 3 being a 108km (67mi) branch between Merritt and Peachland, south of Kelowna. While many other service providers come and go, Davis remains. High 2C. Snow deposit removal between Brenda Mine Rd and Pennask Summit for 10.1 km (Pennask Summit). Drivers could avoid becoming stranded and helpless if they were more conscientious about filling their gas tanks at each opportunity and carrying cable chains. In 1876 the Hope-Nicola Trail was built. Becoming partly cloudy later. 5 min read. Larson Hill S Hwy 5 at Larson Hill, 36 km south of Merritt, looking to the south. Both passenger and commercial vehicles rely on it as a primary connection between the Lower Mainland and the Interior. Highway 5, southbound. minor construction | last updated Fri Mar 3 at 8:05 PM PST. The Coquihalla was closed north of Hope on Sunday due to the July Creek wildfire, which jumped the highway and merged with the Brook Creek blaze on the other side. In the line The Coquihalla averages 1,350mm of precipitation of which 1,150mm falls as snow, below the graph, you might want to change the units of measure. Highway 5 continues east for 7 km (4 mi) concurrent with Highways 1 and 97 through Kamloops. The Coquihalla Highway - Phase 1, Hope to Merritt - was completed in time for Expo 86 in 1986. Chance of snow 50%. Hwy 5 - Coquihalla Pass 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 0 1020 30405060 708090 100 Kilometers Elevation (meters) 1.5% 5.4% 8.5% 1.2% 4.7% Hope Merritt. If you have specific routes which you are interested in, you may want to identify those as well. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For most of this section it is a 4 lane divided highway with several signalized intersections and a speed limit of 80km/h (50mph). Sunshine and clouds mixed. Davis went onto emphasize the importance of staying put, and not stepping onto the highway without proper reflective gear and safety equipment. Occasional snow showers. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. Stay tuned. Established in 1986 and clocking in at a respectable 159 hectares, Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park is a truly magical place. In its whole length there is only one traffic signal, which is in the town of Valemount. The pass is named Kw'ikw'iya:la in the Halq'emeylem language used by the Stl, which means "stingy container" and refers specifically to a fishing rock near the mouth of what is now known as the Coquihalla River. ADVERTISEMENT 3 day. There isnt a Timmies on every corner., When it comes to winter tires, four is always the safest way to go. The highway has since been fully reopened, allowing full traffic from Hope to Kamloops. 6-11 Months Next update time Mon Mar 6. Chance of snow 60%. It also provides highway travellers opportunities for viewing granite peaks, wildlife and historic features such as the Kettle Valley Railway and old Coquihalla Highway, both of which were earlier routes through the area.[5][3]. Davis has seen them: the oblivious fools who wear shorts and sandals to drive the Coq in the winter in their low-slung performance machines shod in useless all-season tires. 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The highway, varying between four and six lanes, is pretty good, some sections have frost heaves and uneven pavement but it's 2 lanes each way so slower traffic like trucks are not an issue. Regardless, Highway 5 is designated as a core route of Canada's National Highway System. https://www.tranbc.ca/2013/01/09/highway-thru-hell-the-complete-tranbc-interview-series/, why is a portion of the highway called the smasher?. [7][10] The total cost for the highway between Hope and Merritt was approximately $848 million. 26 | Day -5 90% SW 30. Careful preparation for your trip will ensure that if, and when, things do go wrong, you are prepared for the situation. 3. A rescue is currently underway using helicopters to airlift people stuck between two landslides on Highway 7 near Agassiz. Low -9C. But how well do you know this stretch of highway? Discover our featured content. Larson Hill N Hwy 5 at Larson Hill, 36 km south of Merritt, looking to the north. I would appreciate your clarification of this statistic. 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. Please select the number of verifiable months youve been driving professionally using your Class A CDL within the last 3 years. Variably cloudy with snow showers. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. Number of closures for the last 10 years would be sufficient. I was hoping you could either confirm or deny this. I note that you give average daily traffic at 10,569 which works out to 3.9 million trips per year. Highway 5 is a 543km (337mi) northsouth route in southern British Columbia, Canada. Canadian Covid -19 Emergency border measures have ended. Coquihalla Summit (el. You are still completely responsible for your decisions, your actions, and your safety. I will be driving that route every other month during the non-snow tire months. It is so-named because near Hope, it generally follows the Coquihalla River, for about 60 km (37 mi), and uses the Coquihalla Pass. He possesses astonishing insight into the world of transportation and heavy rescue. With the road closed for hours due to a snowstorm, Davis has had other motorists bang on his trucks door begging for fuel. Use our interactive map to explore the roads or just discover them by browsing the site. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 km/h. Pennask Summit Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 74 km west of Kelowna, looking east. Traffic volumes thin out at that exit and shortly afterwards Highway 5 narrows to a 2 lane undivided road. The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. minor incident | last updated Tue Feb 28 at 12:59 PM PST. Partly cloudy. 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