Exit numbers on the Coquihalla are a continuation of those on Highway 1 west of Hope as it is an extension of the freeway that starts in Horseshoe Bay. A single-vehicle crash has closed the left lane of southbound traffic on the Coquihalla Highway, at the Zopkios brake check, Saturday morning. Do you know any spectacular road?Click here to send us all the info, and we'll publish it! Jamie Davis behind the wheel of one of his heavy rescue tow trucks. Mostly cloudy skies early. 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. Snow showers. Larson Hill N Hwy 5 at Larson Hill, 36 km south of Merritt, looking to the north. 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. Safe travels! [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. In CDL School Now For most of this section it is a 4 lane divided highway with several signalized intersections and a speed limit of 80km/h (50mph). Sometime in March? REMINDER - #BCHwy5 CLOSED in both directions between #HopeBC and #Merritt due to heavy congestion and extreme winter weather. 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). Highway 5, in both directions. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Variable clouds with snow showers. Low -8C. Highway 5follows 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. Chance of snow 60%. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; southlake carroll basketball. 5+ Years, Please select ALL of your current, valid drivers licenses. People often leave after work not realizing that as the sun goes down the temperature drops, and the storm starts. [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. Chance of snow 60%. Cookie Policy | The B.C. Chance of snow 60%. Videos showing interesting road situations. It is so-named because near Hope, it generally follows the Coquihalla River, for about 60 km (37 mi), and uses the Coquihalla Pass. Too much horsepower with too little brains. Go prepared, or go home. GENERAL STATS The heartache in Daviss voice was palpable as he described the accident scene. Terms | It was a mistake to take the toll off the Coquihalla hwy. The ascent is particularly steep after passing northbound through the Great Bear snow shed. Lane Closure. The pass is named after the Coquihalla River, from which the highway also derives its name. 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. Once the roads are passable, Davis or one of his drivers will come back with gas, but be prepared to pay. Here is a website with more information about winter tires and where they are required in BC: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/driving/traveller-information/seasonal/winter-driving/winter-tires-and-chains. C in cold winter weather. 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. But how well do you know this stretch of highway? Youre fatigued and the driving is its most treacherous. Is it true Surrey Lake Summit was formerly called Clapperton Lake Summit? This information obtained from bchighway.com should not be used as a basis for making financial or other commitments. Go prepared, or go home. The Sumas Prairie area of Abbotsford was put on evacuation order Monday evening. Without knowing exactly the location you are referring to exactly, we would guess that is what youve seen. minor construction | last updated Wed Mar 1 at 8:21 AM PST. [13], On September 26, 2008, the provincial government permanently lifted the Coquihalla tolls, effective 1:00 pm that day. Cloudy with snow showers developing for the afternoon. Hello Greg. 5 day. Zopkios Northbound N Hwy 5, northbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit looking to the north. Appreciate the suggestion. Coquihalla Box Canyon South Hwy 5, near Box Canyon Chain-up Area, looking south. [28] Highway 5 continues east for 7 km (4 mi) concurrent with Highways 1 and 97 through Kamloops. Vehicle recovery between Inks Lake Rd and Chuwhels Mountain Rd for 4.0 km (13 to 9 km south of Kamloops). 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Share YOUR roads!We'vemorethan 13.000 roads but we want more! minor incident | last updated Sat Mar 4 at 6:32 AM PST. Thanks for connecting with us here. 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. Highway 97Cbegins near Trepanier, at a location on Highway 97 known as Drought Hill. Hope that this information is helpful. Chance of snow 50%. The severe winter snow and winds threaten even the most experienced and best-equipped drivers. The next issue of Driving.ca's Blind-Spot Monitor will soon be in your inbox. Highway 5, southbound. Zopkios Southbound N Hwy 5, northbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit looking to the south. His "conviction that the route provided important benefits and an essential link to B.C. When can you count on there being no more snow on the Coq? By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Snowfall amount 4 cm near the summit. Until Sat Mar 4. Nighttime driving is the worst for this, and the most dangerous. The small signs in the shape of old steam locomotives, The Coquihalla averages 1,350mm of precipitation of which 1,150mm falls as snow, The annual average peak snowpack (depth of snow on the ground) is 235cm at the summit, Average amount of winter abrasive used yearly: 40,000 m3, Average amount of anti-icing liquid used yearly: 3 million litres, During storm events, in addition to other equipment and snow plows VSA maintenance uses 3. 26 | Day -5 90% SW 30. A big part of the show takes place along the Coquihalla Highway, a 201-mile stretch of road that . High 1C. Earlier, a witness shared photos of another section that appeared to be washed away near the Othello Tunnels. After leaving the concurrency it immediately crosses the South Thompson River and enters a First Nations Reserve, temporarily leaving Kamloops city limits. Unless my logic is incorrect, something is wrong here. The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. Do you guys know the annual snowfall for Thar peak? We have enabled email notificationsyou will now receive an email if you receive a reply to your comment, there is an update to a comment thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. 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. Snow level 1200 metres lowering to 900 metres in the afternoon. Hope that this helps. tom mcloughlin friday the 13th. 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. Tucked away in southern British Columbia, make sure you get your vehicle and yourself well-prepared before driving this road. High avalanche hazard between the start of Highway 5 and Exit 286: Merritt - 97C for 109.3 km (Hope to Merritt). Dont travel at night. It looks like the statistics presented on the page dont go back to 1986, when it originally opened, but you might be able to reach out to ICBC for more information. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This 'travel news' services website is privately owned. Highway 5 re-enters the city at the Rayleigh community, where it passes two busy at-grade, but not signallized intersections; traffic volumes steadily decrease as it gets farther from the core area of Kamloops. 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). This section is mostly an urban freeway with a speed limit of 100km/h (62mph) it passes through 5 interchanges connecting to the core area of Kamloops before the concurrency splits and Highway 5 exits off the road to the north in a complex 5 way interchange. The original statistic should have read 3.3 million annual VKT/km, instead of 3.3 million annual VKT. Highland Valley Road Highway 97C, at Highland Valley Rd, about 61 km north of Merritt and 46 km south of Ashcroft, looking north. Chance of snow 50%. I would like to know, too. Single lane alternating traffic will be in effect. Snow showers. Winter driving is indeed dangerous, but that is more a reflection of the high elevation and mountainous terrain rather than the road itself. The Coquihalla Snowshed Protocol: 10 Steps to Highway Safety. Repairs are being made. The exit numbers on the Coquihalla are a continuation of those on Highway 1 west of Hope. To get a comparison I went to easily available statistics from Alberta, http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType181/production/LinkTrafficVolumeVehicleClassTravelESAL2014.pdf. government says Highway 1 south of Hope should be reopened this. There isnt a Timmies on every corner., When it comes to winter tires, four is always the safest way to go. There is also one concrete stopping wall and one snow shed, Since the winter of 1990/1991, in regards to avalanche closures, Less than one closure per year due to avalanche hazard, specifically .96 per year over 25 years, 13 out of the last 25 years had no closures due to avalanche hazard, Of all the 24 avalanche closures, 11 were under 2 hours, The top 3 reasons for closures on the Coquihalla (in order of time spent) are, Vehicle incidents (such as stalls, vehicle fires, trucks spinning out, etc. Hope that this information is helpful. I do not see a lot of information about bicycles on the highway. The 52-year-old has built up such a reputation that truckers say when his green rig shows up, there is nothing to worry about anymore. The road was constructed in 1941. Services for drivers are provided in the major towns. Winds light and variable. 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 infamous Highway 5, also named the Coquihalla. Chance of snow 30%. Low around -10C. "The heavy rain will begin to transition to snow this afternoon as a cold front crosses the region and snow levels drop," the weather agency said. Low -4C. Traffic volumes thin out at that exit and shortly afterwards Highway 5 narrows to a 2 lane undivided road. Tomorrow. 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/. Chance of snow 60%. Its not like bombing around in Vancouver or Toronto, says Davis. Then partly to mostly cloudy overnight.