SOSS, if the Yellowhead north and the #1 east were built to the same standard all the way to their respective major cities (Edmonton and Calgary) it'd be the same travel time. It would reduce travel time from Vancouver to Edmonton by 2.5 hours. I'd argue the Yellowhead would be easier to build up because it is comparatively flat and open all the way from Kamloops to Valemount.

Kev, that's unfortunate. I think it would be neat to be able to drive the old #1 all the way from Horseshoe Bay to the AB border.

My last post was a bit confusing. Yes, the Yellowhead makes sense to upgrade (after Hwy 1 IMO). The old Hwy 23 as a Hwy 1 alternative does not make sense.

Yes, I would like to see Hwy 1, 3, 5/16, 97 all upgraded to full freeway standard. But in the reality we live in with limited resources focus the upgrading on Hwy 1 (for best access to rest of Canada) and Hwy 97 (for best access to resource rich northern BC). Continue to do minor upgrades to rest where appropriate especially for safety improvements.

Yes, unfortunately we do have to prioritise. It's a shame that it's taking so long to finish highway 1.

I wasn't proposing highway 23 as an alternate. It was the old routing of highway 1. If the route is still passible, I'd like to drive it for the sake of driving it.

Yeah, that would be neat to drive.

WRT Hwy 1 upgrading, I do think that many of the hardest parts (which of course are the most expensive) are already done. Sure the final phase (or is it now two phases) of Kicking Horse Canyon will be a billion bucks, but look at the rest. Many bridges have been replaced and upgraded to freeway standards. Outside of KHC, I suspect the next most expensive per km of road would be the snow sheds of Rogers Pass. Also that nasty turn just near the summit.

See conversation on this thread several months ago.

Hwy 23 is a winding road to Mica Dam despite much being rebuilt when Columbia River flooded the Big Bend Highay (old highway along Columbia River). Too bad it wasn't punched through to Highway 5, which had been studied around 1990.

Splash, do you have a link to the study?

From: https://news.gov.bc.ca/stories/opini...y-improvements

See also the page for the Trans-Canada upgrades: http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/highwayprojects/bchwy1/

Sorry, no. That is just from memory.

Edmonton to Interlakes district just east of Lone Butte on Saturday via 16/5/24

No major construction projects on the go, passing lane addition just south if Blue River complete.

Traffic non-existent. You usually saw convoy after convoy of atco trailers, heavy machinery and chinese steel headed for the patch. Barely saw anything like that this trip.

Very busy up up here in the Cariboo though. Gal at the Interlakes store said it's the busiest May long she's ever seen. The European travellers have arrived early

Unfortunately the Iron Horse pub remains closed :(

It would be an interesting drive to take Hwy 23 to Hwy 5, I'm wondering if the route would be widely used? Provided the existing Hwy 23 doesn’t require significant upgrades, maybe tourist traffic could use it as a Edmonton/Northern Alberta – Okanagan/West Kootenay connector?

Interesting - Yes for me but there's nothing there really other than the dam and the lake.

Widely used - Very unlikely. For anybody currently using 5 to Kamloops and 97 to the Okanagan would continue using that - a lot less time and there's services. Northern Alberta to West Kootenays - just can't see that much demand.

And there would be no commercial traffic.

You might have a slightly better case if you tried to justify building a road from Valemount to Donald but not much.

What I would see as more probable would be a rail line from the CP at Beavermouth to the CN at Valemount with CP getting trackage rights on CN to Prince Rupert but still that's a low probability in the near future. You could also build a connection from the BNSF at Eureka, Montana to the CP near Jaffray, BC and give BNSF haulage rights from there to Prince Rupert as well.

Even then, I wonder if there would be the demand. Currently the CN option is to go through Edmonton and use the Yellowhead Pass.

On the same line of thinking as extending Hwy 23 to Hwy 5, I’ve wondered if there would be the appetite or demand to extend Hwy 9 from Harrison Hot Springs to Hwy 99 near Pemberton?

Unsure if mentioned: the Alaska Highway is getting straightened out and widened at Taylor Hill just south of Ft St John. Won't be nearly as fun anymore ha ha...

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2013/0...ylor-hill.html

Seems like the Turtle Valley alignment of Hwy 1 is officially dead:

RFQ 7007 Highway 1 Squilax Four-Laning and Interchange

The purpose of this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is to short-list three (3) Qualified Respondents for full proposal submissions in response to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Highway 1 Squilax to Little River Road Four-Laning Project. The Province's intent is to establish a consulting services contract with the successful proponent.


This section of Highway 1 is located between Chase and Sorrento, in the vicinity of the Squilax Bridge, approximately LKI 2077 km 36.6-41.6.

The Project involves four-laning approximately 5 km of Highway 1, introduction of a grade separate facility (interchange) to replace the existing Squilax-Anglemont Protected-T intersection, realignment of side roads, upgrading the two Little River Road intersections, and the introduction of frontage roads to facilitate access management.

This is good news, always nice to hear an interchange will be used, will this connect to the other 4 lane projects to the west finished / u/c?

No, its right in the middle of current 4-lanes section. So with this new segment, any possibility of new alignment are gone beside maybe a bypass around Chase and Sorrento.

Here is a map for the area:

Green line - completed; Blue line - under construction; Red line - this segment
Green point - grade separation/interchange; Red point - major at-grade intersection

Minor access roads are omitted.

http://i60.tinypic.com/23w71x5.jpg

Cool, thank you for that graphic.

I dont understand why they build a mix of interchanges and at grade intersections. I am happy that they are building interchanges at all, but really this entire section from Monte Creek to Salmon Arm should have been a single project at full freeway standards.

Didn't realize anyone on here was even familiar with the "Turtle Valley" alignment. :) Part of BC MoTI's studies of a new "straight-line" corridor for Hwy 1, from roughly east of Pritchard to roughly west of Salmon Arm IIRC. From back in ~ the 1990's.

Would have shaved off considerable driving time on a new freeway-standard highway. Also would have preferred same myself.

Problem is that the existing corridor relies upon tourist and other rubber-tire traffic as part of its economic base. A Turtle Valley corridor would likely have resulted in diminished activity thereto. IOW, both economic and political problems.

Already knew Turtle Valley was off the table with previous 4-laning sections west of Salmon Arm as well as the now hugely expensive Hoffman's Bluff section east of Pritchard (and away from proposed Turtle Valley corridor).

In any event, the Turtle Valley corridor is desolated but will always remain as future potential alternate corridor - perhaps 50+ years from now.

Another big road trip coming up.. Edmonton to Smithers via 16 for my best friends' 40th, then back to PG and south on 97 for a stop in Barkerville. From there another quick hop down to Bridge Lake via 97 & 24, then down to Nelson via 23 & 6. Few days in Paradise down there then up to Vernon via 6/33, then back up to the cabin at Bridge lake via 97/5, then home to Edmonton

Gee.. Do us think We'll run into any construction :p