Highway 16 is a highway in British Columbia, Canada. It is an important section of the Yellowhead Highway, a part of the Trans-Canada Highway that runs across Western Canada. The highway closely follows the path of the northern B.C. alignment of the Canadian National Railway (CN). The number "16" was first given to the highway in 1941, and originally, the route that the highway took was more to the north of today's highway, and it was not as long as it is now. Highway 16 originally ran from New Hazelton east to Aleza Lake. In 1948, Highway 16's western end was moved from New Hazelton to the coastal city of Prince Rupert, and in 1953, the highway was re-aligned to end at Prince George. In 1969, further alignment east into Yellowhead Pass was opened to traffic after being constructed up through 1968 and raised to all-weather standards in 1969. Highway 16's alignment on Haida Gwaii was commissioned in 1983[2] and is connected to the mainland segment via BC Ferries route #11.
A series of murders and disappearances has given the stretch between Prince Rupert and Prince George the name Highway of Tears.
Route description
Haida Gwaii section
The 101 km (63 mi) segment of the 1,347-kilometre-long (837 mi) BC highway begins in the west in the village of Masset, on the northern coast of Graham Island. Proceeding south, the highway goes 38 km (24 mi) to the inlet town of Port Clements. Winding its way along the boundary of Naikoon Provincial Park, Highway 16 goes south for 27 km (17 mi) before reaching the community of Tlell. 36 km (22 mi) south of Tlell, Highway 16 reaches Skidegate, where its Haida Gwaii section terminates.
Mainland section
BC Ferries then takes Highway 16 across the Hecate Strait for 172 km (107 mi) due northeast to its landing at Prince Rupert.
Highway 16 heading west towards Prince Rupert from Terrace
From Prince Rupert, Highway 16 begins its winding route east through the Coast Mountain Ranges. Following the Skeena River, the highway travels for 151 km (94 mi) to the city of Terrace. Highway 37 merges onto Highway 16 from north of Highway 16, at the Kitwanga junction.[3] Another 43 km (27 mi) northeast, Highway 16 reaches New Hazelton, where it then veers southeast along the Bulkley River. 68 km (42 mi) later, the highway reaches the town of Smithers, proceeding southeast another 64 km (40 mi) to the village of Houston.
Along the Skeena River, near Kitwanga
At Houston, Highway 16 begins a parallel course along the upper course of the Bulkley River, proceeding 81 km (50 mi) east to its junction with Highway 35, south of Burns Lake. 128 km (80 mi) east, after passing through the hamlet of Fraser Lake, Highway 16 reaches its junction with Highway 27 in the town of Vanderhoof. 97 km (60 mi) east of Vanderhoof, Highway 16 reaches its B.C. midpoint as it enters the city of Prince George at its junction with Highway 97. Highway 16 leaves Prince George after coursing through the city for 9 km (5.6 mi).
Passing through Mt. Robson Provincial Park.
120 km (75 mi) east of Prince George, Highway 16 reaches the community of Dome Creek, where it converges with the Fraser River and turns southeast. It follows the Fraser River upstream for 82 km (51 mi) to McBride, then continues upstream for another 64 km (40 mi) to its junction with Highway 5 at Tête Jaune Cache. 14 km (8.7 mi) east of Tête Jaune Cache, Highway 16 enters Mount Robson Provincial Park, coursing through the park for 63 km (39 mi) to the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta within Yellowhead Pass.
Construction and upgrading
Prince George–New Hazelton
In August 1925, this section opened[4] with the completion of the Burns Lake–Endako link.[5]
New Hazelton–Kitwanga
Highway extended west of New Hazelton by about 6 kilometres (4 mi) in 1927–28[6] and another 5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi) in 1928–29.[7] By 1931–32, Kitwanga–Hazelton was rated fairly good.[8] By mid-1943, the condition was rated rough, awaiting tendering of reconstruction contracts.[9]
Kitwanga–Usk
By 1931–32, Cedarvale–Kitwanga was rated passable. For Usk–Cedarvale, several segments were under construction.[8] During 1936–1941, a series of 2-to-6-kilometre (1 to 4 mi) stretches were completed,[10] which included replacing sections washed out by the 1936 flood.[11] By 1937, the Usk–Cedarvale gap still remained on the southeast shore.[12]
By 1940, a 32-kilometre (20 mi) gap remained.[13] In 1943, progress reactivated.[14] In May 1944, the gap completed[15] comprised the Pacific–Cedarvale section.[16]
Usk–Terrace
Highway extended east of Terrace by about 3 kilometres (2 mi) in 1927–28[6] and another 6.0 kilometres (3.7 mi) in 1928–29.[7] In September 1929, Terrace–Usk section completed.[17]
1927: Aerial reconnaissance to identify possible routes was unsuccessful.
1928: Galloway Rapids–Phelan, about 8 kilometres (5 mi) cleared. Phelan station was about 3.6 kilometres (2 mi) south of present Port Edward.
1930: Galloway Rapids bridge built. Over prior few years, a narrow, winding, gravel road had been cut from the Prince Rupert city limits. A road east from the bridge began.
Early 1930s: Great Depression relief crews extended road eastward.
1935: Completed about 4 kilometres (2 mi) eastward to Kloiya Bay. Preliminary decision made to progress a highway eastward rather than via Port Edward and south along the shoreline. Within a few years, a narrow, rough road followed the shores of Taylor and Pudhomme lakes.
1938: Option of a route via present Kitimat was rejected.
1942: US entry into World War II prompted the building of a highway to move troops in response to a potential Japanese invasion. That year, construction contracts were awarded. Significant parts of the CN right-of-way were appropriated for the highway and the track realigned. A total of 45 bridges would be prefabricated.
1943: Working 24/7, progress hampered by high employee turnover owing to cold and wet summer weather.[18] That February, five snowslides buried a construction camp near Kwinitsa, killing two and injuring 11.[19]
1944: "Skeena Highway" officially opened in September. However, the road in many places was a narrow winding trail hugging the railway tracks. With the Japanese invasion threat long passed, the road was not snowplowed that winter.
1945: Route no longer possessed military value. The federal government initially maintained control because the province did not want to assume maintenance costs.[18]
Early 1990s: Hazardous Tyee–Khyex section realigned.[18]
2020s: Despite promises to rectify, the Car Wash Rock site remains hazardous.[21] About 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) farther east, the Mile 28 project to replace the railway crossing with an overpass has stalled.[22]
The Highway of Tears is a stretch of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert.[23] Since 1970, numerous women have gone missing or have been murdered along the 720 km (450 mi) section of highway.[24] Aboriginal organizations speculate that number ranges above forty.[25]
In September 2020 a totem pole honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women was raised on the highway just outside Terrace.[26][27][28]
Major intersections
From west to east, the following intersections are observed along Highway 16.[29] Distances exclude the 172 km (93 nmi) ferry between Skidegate and Prince Rupert.
^ abcLandmark Kilometre Inventory(PDF). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (Report). Cypher Consulting. January 5, 2017. pp. 224–271. Archived from the original(PDF) on March 11, 2017.
^British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways (January 4, 1983). General Circular G1/83. Victoria: Ministry of Transportation and Highways. pp. 0, 3.
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