Highway 5 begins in the south at its junction with Highway 3 at an uninhabited location known as Othello, 7 km (4 mi) east of Hope (named after a nearby siding on the Kettle Valley Railway, which used many Shakespearean names). Coquihalla Road Reports (And Area) | kamloops to merrit is absolutely Daviss trucks never leave the yard without stopping in the nearby town of Hope to fill up on gas, and there are always food and survival provisions on-board. 26 | Day -5 90% SW 30. 5+ Years, Please select ALL of your current, valid drivers licenses. 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. Check Weather and Road Conditions at the Great Bear Snowshed Highway Cam Road Condition Reports for the Coquihalla Hwy5 and Highway 97C In CDL School Now I was wondering if you had the information on the percent grade climbing up Surrey Lake Summit. The Southern Yellowhead highway is the northern section of Highway 5, this section is 314km (195mi) long. Drivers could avoid becoming stranded and helpless if they were more conscientious about filling their gas tanks at each opportunity and carrying cable chains. 5 day. Canadian Covid -19 Emergency border measures have ended. Copyright 2023, Province of British Columbia. Snow showers. 3-7cm of snow expected. Brenda Mine East Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 22 km west of 97/97C Junction, looking east. Safe travels. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure shares with you what we do and why we do it. Smart drivers have lots of gas, carry winter clothing, a candle (for warmth) and sleeping bag in the car ' just in case' (chances are that you will never need those extras). And what is the % gradient? Road closed. While many other service providers come and go, Davis remains. [4], Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area is a provincial recreation area centred around Coquihalla Summit. Can you tell me the amount of fatalities on this pass since it opened? Sign up to receive Driving.ca's Blind-Spot Monitor newsletter on Wednesdays and Saturdays. #Coquihalla 2:20pm March 3 From 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM PST on Friday and Saturday. His "conviction that the route provided important benefits and an essential link to B.C. Now they just drop bombs from the helicopters in the exact location of the avalanche hazard. 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. Please select the number of verifiable months youve been driving professionally using your Class A CDL within the last 3 years. In British Columbia, motorists will find such information at www.shiftintowinter.ca. Youve probably driven it a few times, whether as a commuter or a BC traveller, or TONS of times as a commercial driver. Nov. 15, 2021. The numbers are in general much higher than the corresponding 3.3 million KM quoted for the Coquihalla. Unless my logic is incorrect, something is wrong here. Coquihalla Great Bear Snowshed N Hwy 5, Great Bear Snowshed looking to the north. [7] In order to offset the cost of fast-tracking construction, Phase 1 was made a toll highway, with a toll plaza constructed at the summit of Coquihalla Pass; was designed to accommodate 13 toll booths for 14 lanes of traffic. It may take several hours of travel time and a hundred dollars in burnt fuel to obtain a jerrycan of rescue. Expect a fee of $200 or more to relieve the empty feeling. 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 . major incident | last updated Fri Mar 3 at 4:53 PM PST. Depending on what you want to see (all closures in BC? How long will it take to drive the Coq at an easy sight seeing pace? Winds SSW at 10 to 15 km/h. Unfortunately, we dont have this information. Chance of snow 60%. This could include surveying, flagging and staking the right-of-way, mobilization of crews and equipment, preparing the right-of-way, clearing and grading, delivery and staging . 's Interior helped to convince reluctant Cabinet members of the necessity of the third route to the Interior". [3], Following nine days of snowfall in February 2014, a Class 4 avalanche occurred across the Coquihalla Highway, 33 kilometres (21mi) north of Hope on February 20, 2014. It was a mistake to take the toll off the Coquihalla hwy. High 1C. Zopkios Northbound N Hwy 5, northbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit looking to the north. [11] Phase 2 between Merritt and Kamloops opened in September 1987, re-routing Highway 5, while Phase 3 was opened in October 1990 and designated as Highway 97C. 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]. We recommend that you check DriveBC before you travel, specifically the webcams, to get an idea of snow levels along the route. Chance of snow 60%. 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. Low -4C. Surviving B.C.'s infamous 'Highway Thru Hell' | Driving Videos showing interesting road situations. From there it proceeds 109km (68mi) further north through the heart of the Columbia Mountains. 2-3cm of snow expected. 35 km (22 mi) north of Othello, after passing through five interchanges, Highway 5 reaches the Great Bear snow shed, which is a landmark on the route. Hi Sarah, VKT/km represents the annual VKT divided by the length of the roadway, and provides a good relative indicator of the average intensity of usage over the length of each highway. The road, (colloquially "the Coq"), climbs up the Coquihalla Pass, a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.249m (4,097ft) above the sea level and tops out by Surrey Lake Summit, at 1.444m (4,738ft) asl. On Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) will reopen to regular vehicle traffic between Hope and Merritt. In spring, summer or fall, it's a breeze, but in winter there are at least 400-500 accidents and plenty of fatalities. 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. 2023 NHL trade-deadline winners and losers: Showtime on Broadway Sunshine and clouds mixed. Although it is scenic and modern built, it poses many travel hazards. Variably cloudy with snow showers. We have sent you an email instead. Our local avalanche staff has let us know that while we dont have a weather station there, we do have the following info to share: 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. Coquihalla Summit S Hwy 5, about 7 km north of Zopkios Brake Check, looking the south. Winter tires or chains are required on most routes in British Columbia from October 1 to April 30. minor incident | last updated Sat Mar 4 at 6:32 AM PST. Coquihalla Highway could reopen for commercial use by end of - CBC (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This 'travel news' services website is privately owned. In addition to getting a 2023 first-round pick and solid prospect in Reid Schaefer in the Mattias Ekholm trade . High 1C. Some of the old railroad grade is now part of the Trans-Canada Trail network, including the Othello Tunnels of the Coquihalla River section, which are accessible via exits from the Coquihalla Highway. High -2C. A long steep 8%. Low around -10C. 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. To quote Highway from Hell's Jamie Davis, I cant criticize the Coquihalla. People often leave after work not realizing that as the sun goes down the temperature drops, and the storm starts. The government website you provide states that the entire Coquihalla highway (i.e., Hope to Kamloops) is restricted. That's a LOT of white stuff coming down. Snow accumulations less than 2cm. Signs along the Coquihalla Highway frequently warn drivers to be aware of sudden changes in weather. Terms | Highway Thru Hell | Episode 4 Wreck Analysis Upload, share, download and embed your videos. government privatizing toll highway", "B.C. Compact snow. The main factor is youre driving over a mountain. Once the roads are passable, Davis or one of his drivers will come back with gas, but be prepared to pay. Downtown Valemount as seen from the west side of Highway 5. The speed limit is 100km/h (62mph) for the most part except in towns, where it can drop to as low as 50km/h (31mph). If Hell was cold I'd agree with them. Snow showers. Thanks for your comment. There is an installation of concrete blocks along the highway placed there to block avalanche flow. The area retains some remnants of the Kettle Valley Railway which travelled this route from early 1900s until 1961. Zopkios Southbound N Hwy 5, northbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit looking to the south. [25][26] The heavy amount of rain eventually caused several large washouts at multiple points along the highway, including the destruction of multiple bridges. High 2C. A few snow showers developing later in the day. Why pay for it again? With the road closed for hours due to a snowstorm, Davis has had other motorists bang on his trucks door begging for fuel. Winds light and variable. Brenda Mine West Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 22 km west of 97/97C Junction, looking west. We encountered an issue signing you up. Heffley Creek indicates the northern boundary of Kamloops, the exit to Sun Peaks resort is at the same turn off. Elkhart East Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 25 km east of Hwy 5A/97C Junction, looking east. Elkhart West Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 25 km east of Hwy 5A/97C Junction, looking west. Its one of the worst roads in all of North America in winters. Specific highway corridor? I Need CDL Training Highway 5, southbound. In 1953, 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 Tte Jaune Cache and subsequently paved. minor construction | last updated Tue Feb 28 at 12:40 PM PST. If the total distance travelled is 3.3 million km, this works out to less than 1 km per trip. Becoming partly cloudy later. There was an error, please provide a valid email address. [22] DriveBC keeps up to date with reports on Coquihalla Highway conditions, including live webcams in several locations. Hope that this information is helpful. Parts of the Coquihalla Highway were washed away in heavy rains near the Caroline Mine area close to Hope, B.C. Snowfall amount 5 cm near the summit. And make no bones about it, being stuck on the Coq or any other remote highway when the mercury dips to minus 27 degrees Celcius is nothing short of a battle for survival. Zopkios Southbound S Hwy 5, southbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit, looking southwest. Last updated Tue Feb 28 at 12:59 PM PST. Partly cloudy. minor road condition | last updated Sat Mar 4 at 6:31 AM PST. Thanks for your questions. Highway 5. After leaving the concurrency it immediately crosses the South Thompson River and enters a First Nations Reserve, temporarily leaving Kamloops city limits. Did you find this content interesting? 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. Coquihalla Highway - Hope to Merritt, BC - 7 Day Forecast - Weather Coquihalla Box Canyon South Hwy 5, near Box Canyon Chain-up Area, looking south. It is so-named because near Hope, it generally follows the Coquihalla River, for about 60 km (37 mi), and uses the Coquihalla Pass. | next update Mon Mar 6. The travel time between Hope to Kamloops is approximately 2 hours. Horrific in the winter! The Coquihalla highway. On November 14, 2021, a major storm in southern British Columbia damaged sections of the Coquihalla Highway and other routes in the area. But thats not the entire story because there are signs on the highway directing bicyclists, so clearly it can be used. Variable clouds with snow showers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. It encompasses 5,750 hectares (14,200 acres) of forested mountain slopes stretching from Portia Peak in the southwest to Coquihalla Lakes in the northeast. Britton Creek S Hwy 5, by Britton Creek Rest Area northbound turnoff, looking south. The Trans-Canada Highway is your best bet for longest continuous stretch of road across Canada. We are looking into this for you. How Well Do You Know the Coquihalla? | TranBC Signup for our newsletter to get notified about our next ride. Hourly weather forecast . Winds SW at 10 to 15 km/h. Wait until morning. Edit your picks to remove vehicles if you want to add different ones. Snow showers. Go prepared, or go home. 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 CreekClearwater section) to create more passing opportunities. 1,150mm is a measly 1 meter and 15 cm . This will be a much more convenient route for people who need to travel between the Lower Mainland and the Interior, and is another significant milestone in the province's recovery from the devastating storms. Hope that this helps. [Canada] [OC] Descending The Smasher - Coquihalla Highway - Highway social media users statistics 2019 A series of protected areas were established along the route in 1986. 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 . | next update Sat Mar 4 at 1:00 PM PST. 19962023 bchighway.com - All Rights Reserved. [23], Owing to its reputation, Highway 5 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.[24]. [9] The opening celebrations featured a ceremony in Hope followed by 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. [6], In the 1960s, the Merritt Board of Trade began lobbying the B.C. Route map: .mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:#f9f9f9;display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}, British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, "Coquihalla Highway tolls dropped, says B.C. Vehicle recovery between Inks Lake Rd and Chuwhels Mountain Rd for 4.0 km (13 to 9 km south of Kamloops). Do you know any spectacular road?Click here to send us all the info, and we'll publish it! Heres a blog we wrote about our avalanche program and with a video of an controlled avalanche completed using a helicopter: http://tranbc.ca/2016/03/24/what-its-like-to-watch-an-avalanche-from-a-helicopter/. It should be cm, not mm. Zopkios - Hwy 5, southbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit, looking northeast. Snow accumulations less than 2cm. [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. Stunning scenery and an engineering marvel. City folk drive out of Vancouver and forget that they have to go through a mountain pass, halfway up they are at the point of no return and arent equipped. And thats when things go wrong.