I'm bored and have nothing better to think about. :)

I think we should have a new main north-south highway (call it the Trans-BC Highway and assign it the number 2) that would start at Douglas at Dallas in Victoria, take over from the #1 through Douglas past Beacon Hill Park, take over from Hwy 17 over Blanshard and Pat Bay Highway, the Swartz Bay-Tsawwassen ferry, Hwy 17 from the ferry terminal to its intersection with Hwy. 99 at Ladner, then it would take over from 99 through Richmond, Vancouver, the Lions Gate Bridge, through West Vancouver and up the Sea-to-Sky to Pemberton then the Duffey Lake road past Lillooet, to its junction with Hwy 97, from where it would take over from the 97 through the Cariboo, Hart and Alaska Highways, all the way up to BC's border with Yukon.

The idea of it would be to connect BC's capital, largest city and most famed ski village with BC's north with one highway. What's more, Prince George (the largest city in the north that it would run through) and the northernmost points of the Alaska highway line up better north-south with Vancouver and Victoria than they do with Kelowna through the 97.

I'd also reroute the #1 to go over the Coquihalla Hwy, so that the freeway from Vancouver to Kamloops does not change numbers so many times, from 1 to 3, then 5 and back to 1 again. I'd also reroute the #1 to go towards Tofino through Port Alberni from Nanaimo on the Island, instead of south to Victoria, so that it runs consistently east-west as with the mainland and the TCH becomes a true Pacific-Atlantic highway, and let the 19 run the entire length of the island.

there is one highway for BC the 97

Do most of BC's highways have names as well - i.e. "Sea To Sky Highway"?

there is one highway for BC the 97

That's a pretty lame number to pick for what is supposed to be a prominent and important route. If it was 99, at least it would be more memorable and be the largest two-digit number.

Besides, it should connect the two main cities that are Vancouver and Victoria. How often do people travel from Prince George to Kelowna anyways? I figure there's more traffic going towards Vancouver instead.

Do most of BC's highways have names as well - i.e. "Sea To Sky Highway"?

Yes, some.

To my knowledge, they are:

Hwy 3 = Crowsnest Hwy
Hwy 16 = ?? Hart Hwy ?? (will confirm)
Hwy 5 = Coquihalla Hwy

Then in some of the towns, the highways are given local names. Like in Kelowna, Hwy 97 is called Harvey Avenue.

Yes, some.
Hwy 16 = ?? Hart Hwy ?? (will confirm)


16 is the Northern Yellowhead between PR and Jasper.

The Hart is the segment of 97 between PG and Dawson Creek.

16 is the Northern Yellowhead between PR and Jasper.

The Hart is the segment of 97 between PG and Dawson Creek.

You're right.

I was thinking of the Yellowhead Hwy, which to my knowledge goes further east.

Updated list

Hwy 3 = Crowsnest Hwy
Hwy 5 = Coquihalla Hwy
Hwy 16 = Yellowhead Hwy
Hwy 97 = Hart Hwy (north of PG)
Hwy 97? = Alaska Hwy (north of Dawson Creek)
Hwy 99 = Sea to Sky (north of Vancouver)

Highway 20 Chilcotin Highway
Highway 97 Okanagan Highway, Osoyoos to Vernon
Highway 97 Cariboo Highway, Cache Creek to Prince George
Highway 15 Pacific Highway, named the same as the Pacific Highway in the States (old US 99)
Highway 1A Fraser Highway
Highway 1A, 19 Island Highway
Highway 7 Haig Highway, Agassiz to Hope
Highway 7 Lougheed Hwy, Agassiz to Vancouver

Many of the other highways have names, after the places they link. Most were built before they were numbered.

Highway 3 Hope-Princeton Highway
Highway 5A Merritt-Princeton Highway
Highway 6 Nelson-Nelway Highway
Highway 3 Salmo-Creston Highway (named and numbered at same time)
Highway 3B Trail-Fruitvale Highway

Highway 20 Chilcotin Highway
Highway 97 Okanagan Highway, Osoyoos to Vernon
Highway 97 Cariboo Highway, Cache Creek to Prince George
Highway 15 Pacific Highway, named the same as the Pacific Highway in the States (old US 99)
Highway 1A Fraser Highway
Highway 1A, 19 Island Highway
Highway 7 Haig Highway, Agassiz to Hope
Highway 7 Lougheed Hwy, Agassiz to Vancouver

Many of the other highways have names, after the places they link. Most were built before they were numbered.

Highway 3 Hope-Princeton Highway
Highway 5A Merritt-Princeton Highway
Highway 6 Nelson-Nelway Highway
Highway 3 Salmo-Creston Highway (named and numbered at same time)
Highway 3B Trail-Fruitvale Highway

As a BC boy, I don't agree with your Haig Hwy. That highway is known as 'Ruby-Haig', since I've become privileged to use it.

And Lougheed Hwy to my knowledge is only called that, from Vancouver to about Coquitlam. If you could share your reference with us, it would be appreciated.

Hwy 3 (Hope-Princeton Hwy) is a terminology that is common, and is the westernmost part of the route known as the Crowsnest hwy.

Never heard of the remainder of your names, in the second part. I live in that "neck of the woods" and the only 'highway' named is the pass road of Salmo-Creston.

...Nelway, it took me a while to learn where that was. For your information, its the border of Hwy 6. There's no town there. Its the name of the border post, like Patten, etc.

...

And your two names for Hwy 97 just don't twig with me (and I've driven them a lot). There used to be the Cariboo Trail (like the Dewdney Trail), but its alignment is different than the current highway.

As a BC boy, I don't agree with your Haig Hwy. That highway is known as 'Ruby-Haig', since I've become privileged to use it.

We always left off the Ruby (Ruby Creek), though I would actually prefer to call it the Ruby Creek Highway or Seabird Island Highway. When the Coq was being built, and the Trans-Canada closed for upgrading, the highway was referred to as simply the Haig Highway. I think I saw a plaque with Ruby-Haig, but no-one I spoke to called it that. In Mission and Pitt Meadows, many signs refer to the highway as the Lougheed. Road reports on the radio always referred to the section west of Agassiz as the Lougheed.

I am surprised you have never heard of the Chilcotin Highway. You can do the research. Locals still call it that, especially older people. The older sections which are by-passed have the name Old Chilcotin Highway, even if the highway signs don't mention the name. Same goes for the Cariboo Highway. In Prince George you will see the sign "Old Cariboo Highway.

Do you know that the Cariboo and Hart Highways and Pouce Coupe highways actually were double labelled as Highway 2/97. #2 was a continuation of the #2 in Alberta which followed a circuitous route north of Edmonton to Grande Prairie. Only the Alberta border to Dawson Creek portion of the highway remains numbered as #2.

Trail-Fruitvale? My uncle lived in Kimberley and bought a truck in Fruitvale and the sales logo reads Trail-Fruitvale Highway (70s truck). It stuck in my mind because if rhymes. The Nelson-Nelway Highway was from a BC map with a Nelson inscription (and there IS a Nelway, north of the US border). Highway 6 is a very illogical designation anyway. Before the Salmo-Creston highway (always called that when it was built, rather than Highway 3) it made more sense. The Washington highway south of the border was 6 (no longer is), and BC simply matched its numbering system to the American one, the same as with the US 90s series and 22 and 22A (both of which Washington has also renumbered). (You'll need an old map (pre-1962) to see that this was the case). But Highway 6 makes little sense now as a continuous route. Ditto for Highway 97. Both of those could be renumbered. I will continue calling my section of Highway 97 the Cariboo Highway, and people here know what I am talking about, as that is what it was called before any numbering system (and no not the Cariboo Goldrush Trail).

Nelson-Nelway - Check the provincial road map from about the 1986 era. Nelson is shown and the Highway 6 portion reads Nelson-Nelway Highway. Yes, it is a border post.

Names fall in and out of use anyway. The Coquihalla has been designated South Yellowhead highway now, but I won't call it that, I'll call it the Coquihalla, whether the sign says it or not. West of Prince George, few people call Highway 16 the Yellowhead, and when I moved to a town west of Prince and called it the Yellowhead, some people didn't know what I was talking about. They simply called it Highway 16. Crowsnest is more recent than the numbering of highway 3. I think Crowsnest just referred to the highway near the pass originally. The signs show the bird now, so it has caught on, but I think that dates from the 1970's. Hope-Princeton Highway is an old name and sticks, dating from when the highway opened in 1949. Merritt-Princeton wasn't as well known, but is was named that. Check some geological survey maps, and I think a plaque in Princeton calls it that as well.

Nelson-Nelway ...about the 1986 era.

No wonder I didn't know. I was out of the country at that time.

What side of Hurontario Hwy do you live in? In 2003 I lived just to the west of Hwy 10.

Just to the east off of Clarence St.

Hurontario is no longer Highway 10 as you probably know, but people still call it that.

Hurontario is no longer Highway 10 as you probably know, but people still call it that.

No, I didn't know that.

In fact, the maps I perused in 2003 made reference to Hwy 10, which extends northwards a long way... and then it took me some time to learn that Hurontario was the name for it at its southern end.

Highway 5 (Dundas) also no longer holds its former provincial number. The previous government decommissioned those, downloading them to cities or regions. Highway 10 now starts in Caledon, I think.

Back on topic though, BC highway renumbering. I would change 97C from Peachland to Merritt to highway 8, 97C through the Highland Valley and Mammit Lake area to something else, perhaps 5D, 97D between highway 5 and 97 C to 5B, and highway 6 between Nakusp and the 3A junction to 23. Highway 6 between Nelson and Nelway, I'll let you choose since you live around there. Do you live in Nelson?

Why is the Waneta Bridge not being replaced and only rebuilt? Could no agreement with Washington be made to build new customs facilites on highway 22A rather than highway 22, south of Rossland? See the report at the BC Ministry of Transportation report site: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/reports_and_studies/BC-US_Joint_Hwy_Corridor_Study.pdf

Back on topic though, BC highway renumbering. I would change 97C from Peachland to Merritt to highway 8, 97C through the Highland Valley and Mammit Lake area to something else, perhaps 5D, 97D between highway 5 and 97 C to 5B, and highway 6 between Nakusp and the 3A junction to 23.

You've got to wonder what's so esteemed about the 97 series by the BC Transportation Ministry as to assign a variant of that number to so many branch highways.

Also, the real highway 101 should have been the Island Highway. It could have carried on from the US-101 through the Coho Ferry at the Belleville Ferry Terminal in Victoria, turned north on Douglas, and taken over the Hwy 1 and 19 routes from there, up the Inside Passage ferry from Port Hardy to Prince Rupert, and then up the Alaska Marine Highway ferry system back as US-101 again.

Why is the Waneta Bridge not being replaced and only rebuilt? Could no agreement with Washington be made to build new customs facilites on highway 22A rather than highway 22, south of Rossland? See the report at the BC Ministry of Transportation report site: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/publications/reports_and_studies/BC-US_Joint_Hwy_Corridor_Study.pdf

I know of the report. I think its a conceptual study, that is indicative of a future wish of a main highway through BC. The reality is that imho the geography is not favourable to a highway through the Kootenays.

So the Waneta bridge rebuild is in tune with not so much a low - but a very low - volume of traffic. You may not be aware, but the border station to the south has rather limited hours (9-6, something silly like that), the least in the area. And the highway to the south of the border is pretty provincial. That is, the emphasis of our neighbours to the south on this road, seems to be non-existent. Compare that to the fact, that over the last two years, the Washington Government put a real effort into upgrading the highway to the south of Nelway.

Back on topic though, BC highway renumbering. I would change 97C from Peachland to Merritt to highway 8

I remember when it was officially named. The government pulled a surprise, because the general consensus was, that it was going to be called something along the lines of Hwy 5.

...97C through the Highland Valley and Mammit Lake area to something else, perhaps 5D, 97D between highway 5 and 97 C to 5B
it will take a brave government to do that (perhaps when Generation Y and its successor gets its act together).

, and highway 6 between Nakusp and the 3A junction to 23. Highway 6 between Nelson and Nelway, I'll let you choose since you live around there.
I thought it was already called Hwy 6 from Vernon to Nakusp to Nelson to Nelway.

Why is the Waneta Bridge not being replaced and only rebuilt?
I was just down there the other day. Now its a one-lane bridge and pretty long (and rather old). I think the de-emphasis on renewal has to do with the fact that the adjacent Patten is being thereby emphasized as the prime border crossing. The highway on the US side of Waneta is pretty poor too, especially after the US Govt/ WA DOT spent a lot of money upgrading the road south of Nelway.

It occurs to me, there are these couplings of major and minor border crossings in other places of the BC Interior. Witness Grand Forks (major) and Midway (minor); Osoyoos (major) and Nighthawk (minor); and Yahk (major; from the point of view of truck corridor) and Creston (minor).

What's so sacred about the 97 series of highways anyways? As another user pointed out, a major artery like the Okanagan Connector should have a more distinguished number than 97C.

Even the 91 in the Lower Mainland, which is really a side branch of 99 and hugs much more closely than 97's branch routes do, gets a distinct number.

when coming into vancouver - as an non-vancouver dweller - we would call the lougheed the #7 as in "we took the #7 to get into Vancouver"

Highway 7 should have been an extension of Hwy 3.

Vancouver to Medicine Hat sounds better than Hope to Medicine Hat for the Crowsnest.

where is Highway Zero?

^^ You tell me!

i know where mile zero is

Who's the joker that altered the title of this thread?

:)

I think your idea to renumber the highways and freeways of the province are pretty much in order. The only thing that I think should be considered is the numbers of neighboring states and provinces. It makes sense to use the same numbers for easiness, neighborliness and for the sake of "trade". I remember when I lived in the Vancouver area that many main arteries changed names and even their numbers for addresses. What was logical on the other hand was the situation I saw when I used to do a lot of traveling between Vancouver and Burnaby, is that Burnaby used as much of the Vancouver street names that continued over into their city as well as continued the numbering system that originated somewhere in Vancouver's city center. For example 1st Avenue at Boundary Road was [if I can remember correctly..it's been years] 3600 1st Ave East.....and on the Burnaby side the address continued with 3700 ....This type of logic can be used when numbering freeways and highways. After all, Freeway 99 "Vancouver - Blaine Fwy....got its number years ago before I-5 when Vancouverites used to travel on Highway 99 to Seattle and beyond...[this highway still uses the 99 thru Oregon and California's Central Valley]. But when I -5 was built.....the freeway portion named above should have been given Fwy 5 rather than 99 and allowed King George Hwy, Kingsway etc keep its original number 99 which connected with Washington 99 and not given its new status 99 Alt. The idea of having highways is to connect people with other places. Having interstates encompassed America more than any other project the country has undergone and will probably undergo. Canada had a similar idea with the introduction of the TCH.....though it stopped. Having had continued with their own Interprovince Freeway system would have encompassed trade between the provinces and states even more. When I lived there....I remember we used to travel thru the northern states to go to places in central Canada as their system was and is superior.

I have since left Canada and the USA where I lived for many years and now live in Europe. Here in Europe "we" use a Euro system not only for currency but for several other things including immigration, driver licenses [slowly being introduced throughout the continent] medical plans etc. On the issue of highway numbering....if "ALL" the cultures of Europe which are in threat of a hell of a lot more to lose when it comes to their own individual culture and language etc. as we have several languages, history and cultures in very limited space [compare Europe with the size of Can-US] and yet we work together on almost every issue possible. Freeways and Highways are numbered using a common European numbering system....therefore Highway E-75 or E-95 etc which are found originating in Athens on its eastern leg will be found in countries north and west of Greece. It uses a system similar to the one found in the US....the old highway numbers and their shields are almost all gone and forgotten and one knows that if they want to travel between Greece and Italy...and beyond one must use the E65. There is no reason why Canada and the United States "children of a common mother" cannot use a similar system. :)

i know where mile zero is

There are several "Mile Zero's". Which one are you referring to ?

^^ Didn't know that there are more than one "Mile Zero". Where are they?

Do most of BC's highways have names as well - i.e. "Sea To Sky Highway"?

Probably,

On Vancouver Island, we have:
- the Island Highway
- the Inland Island Highway
- The TCH (Trans-Canada Highway)
- The Pat Bay Highway (which goes nowhere near Pat Bay)
- The West Coast Highway (part of it is also known as The Sookahalla)
- The Alberni Highway

On Vancouver Island, we have:
- the Inland Island Highway

never heard of that one. where is it?


- The West Coast Highway (part of it is also known as The Sookahalla)


I suppose that one goes to Sooke ?

^^ Didn't know that there are more than one "Mile Zero". Where are they?

welllll... depends on what hwy we're talking about.

for example the Alaska Hwy, mile 0 is taken as Dawson Creek, although I seem to remember that Ft St John also takes claim to that title.

now that the Alaska Hwy is Hwy 97, and it connects to the american road of the same number in WA, is mile zero then Osoyoos, the first canadian city, or?

with the transcanada highway, victoria claims it begins in beacon hill park, while some wags say you shouldn't allow for water crossings, and hence the west end starts at horseshoe bay.

and so on.

...and others would say if the number ends the highway ends, and so the TCH ends at the MB-ON border!

Probably,

On Vancouver Island, we have:
- the Island Highway
- the Inland Island Highway
- The TCH (Trans-Canada Highway)
- The Pat Bay Highway (which goes nowhere near Pat Bay)
- The West Coast Highway (part of it is also known as The Sookahalla)
- The Alberni Highway

There's also the crow's nest highway (hwy 3), though it's usually not referred to that... [that's in the interior though]

http://www.theroadscholar.net/images/Mile%20Zero.jpg

never heard of that one. where is it?



I suppose that one goes to Sooke ?

The Inland Island Highway is a freeway that runs from Parksville up to Campbell River. Max speed on it is 110 km/h.

The Inland Island Highway is a freeway that runs from Parksville up to Campbell River. Max speed on it is 110 km/h.

How come its called "Inland" when it runs up the eastern coast of the island ?

I know it's been a while since anyone's been in this thread...

How come its called "Inland" when it runs up the eastern coast of the island ?

The original Island Highway ran along the east coast of the Island numbered #19 from Nanaimo to Kelsey Bay, basically as the main street for every town in between. This was eventually extended to Port Hardy.

When the provincial government decided to build a higher-speed alternative from Nanaimo to Campbell River, it was built inland of most of the centres of population and congestion; hence the name "Inland Island Highway." This routing was given the #19, and the original road is now #19A.

The official Mile 0 on the TransCanada is in Victoria, with an unofficial alternate at the government dock in Tofino.

I've never heard of Fort St. John claiming Mile 0 for the Alaska Highway; nor Osoyoos being Mile 0 for Highway 97.

Back on topic: give the Terrace - Kitimat road back #25. There really isn't any continuity between that segment and the rest of Highway #37 (aka the Stewart-Cassiar Highway).