Above Photo: The Great Bear snow shed seen from the north end.
For those who have never driven the Coquihalla Highway, you are missing some fabulous scenery and you should make a point of traveling on the Highway. Winter though can put a damper on the drive as the summit gets heavy snowfall and ice. You just have to keep an eye on the weather reports.
Just recently my wife and I made the trip and I am always blown away by what I see. Although the cloud ceiling was low, you still get treated to some awesome sights. I have added a few pictures of what we saw.
Highway Thru Hell TV Series on the Discovery Channel Canada is filmed on the
Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia.
Also there are Highway cams you can look at to see what the winter weather is like.
Highway 5 cam (Coquihalla) from drivebc.ca.
Weather forecast for Coquihalla, British Columbia.
Below Text Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
South of Kamloops, Highway 5 is known as the Coquihalla Highway (colloquially "the Coq" pronounced "coke"), essentially a 186 km (116 mi)-long freeway, varying between four and six lanes with a posted speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph).
Above Photo: Cold Water river.
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.
Above Photo: Cold Water river.
South of Kamloops, Highway 5 is known as the Coquihalla Highway (colloquially "the Coq" pronounced "coke"), essentially a 186 km (116 mi)-long 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.
Highway 5 begins south at the junction with Highway 3 at uninhabited "Othello", 7 km (4 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.
Above Photo: Mountain of rock rises up to meet the clouds.
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 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.
Highway 5 travels 4 km (2½ 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.
Above Photo: Seen from a rest stop on the Coquihalla Highway.
Highway 5 continues east for 7 km (4 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.
Above Photo: Seen from a rest stop on the Coquihalla Highway.
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.
Above Photo: Seen from a rest stop on the Coquihalla Highway.
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.
Above Photo: This small waterfall was seen right behind the rest stop on the Coquihalla Highway.
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.
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