where is the smasher on the coquihalla

Winds E at 10 to 15 km/h. The website is for information purposes only and we assume no liability for decisions made as a result of the information provided here. Next it passes Tte Jaune Cache and crosses the Fraser River, after which it immediately meets Highway16 in a partial interchange; making its northern terminus. Avalanche chutes scar the mountainsides and are a visible reminder of the steep terrain that surrounds the highway. ), Collisions (when a vehicle crashes into something) and the subsequent investigation and clean up, BC day long weekend (29,114 on August 1, 2014), Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT): 10,569, 3.3 million Annual VKT/km (VKT/km represents the annual vehicle kilometres travelled, divided by the length of the roadway), Busiest traffic month: August (based on 2012 stats), The Coquihalla has twice or more the volume of traffic compared to any other highway that crosses a mountain path in BC (based on 2012 stats). 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. Coquihalla Conditions for Hwy 5 Coquihalla highway & Hwy 97C Okanagan connector for today. Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. The section of highway between Merritt and Kamloops is 72km (45mi) long. Highway 97C travels on this freeway 82 km (51 mi) northwest to Aspen Grove, where it converges with Highway 5A. [7], On May 16, 1986, Phase 1 was officially opened and Highway 5 was re-routed between Hope and Merritt; its construction required 31 bridges and underpasses and over 3.7million tonnes (4,100,000 short tons) of gravel. [20] While road maintenance strives to keep the roads as clear as possible, it is not unheard of for the highway to shut down, sometimes with travellers forced to stay overnight in their cars. Low -4C. We hope that this is helpful. It may take several hours of travel time and a hundred dollars in burnt fuel to obtain a jerrycan of rescue. 's infamous 'Highway Thru Hell'. Go prepared, or go home. 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[16][17], Effective July 2, 2014, the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure increased the speed limit of Coquihalla Highway from 110km/h (68mph) to 120km/h (75mph) after conducting an engineering assessment and province-wide speed review. Snow accumulations less than 2cm. Why We're Keeping Commercial Trucks out of the Left Lane on the Winds SE at 10 to 15 km/h. The highway has since been fully reopened, allowing full traffic from Hope to Kamloops. Think AWD makes you invincible in the show? 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. The key phrase being: know before you go. Hello Randall thanks for connecting with us here. Weather Coquihalla . Periods of rain except periods of snow near the summit. 2.2m members in the Roadcam community. 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. High 1C. It's a 12-mile hill for those of you watching from the United States and might end up in British Columbia going down one of the more notorious hills, made famous by the TV series, "Highway thru Hell." So we're going to do today, we're going to give you a bit of information on the descent down the hill from the Coquihalla summit. He spoke of an incident that claimed the life of a Good Samaritan trying to help others involved in a crash on a dark snowy night. I was hoping you could either confirm or deny this. Chance of snow 60%. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. Title: Elevation and Grade Profile on Highway 5 - Coquihalla Pass Author: BC Ministry of Transporation Subject: Snow accumulations less than 2cm. High 3C. Al Quiring and his team of heavy-tow operators have been rescuing trapped drivers and their vehicles from the treacherous Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia for years. British Columbia is grappling with the aftermath of intense rainfall and floods, which washed away parts of major highways and forced people to evacuate from affected locations in the southern part of the province. Chance of snow 60%. Sadly, she was struck and killed by another motorist. Stay tuned. | next update Mon Mar 6. Too much horsepower with too little brains. It was a mistake to take the toll off the Coquihalla hwy. won't privatize Coquihalla Highway", "Alberta highway shouldn't claim Coquihalla", "Actions to improve safety on B.C. 1,244m or 4,081ft) is a highway summit along the Coquihalla Highway in British Columbia, Canada. 5+ Years, Please select ALL of your current, valid drivers licenses. The toll booth once marked the halfway point of the formerly tolled Hope-to-Merritt portion of the highway. Snow showers. Smasher Time | TruckersReport.com Trucking Forum | #1 CDL Truck Driver From 6:00 PM to 3:00 AM PST on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Highway5 follows the North Thompson River north from Kamloops and Heffley Creek for approximately 54km (34mi), along a parallel course with the Canadian National Railway's main line. 35km (22mi) north of Othello, after passing through five interchanges, Highway 5 reaches the landmark Great Bear snow shed. Low -4C. Mostly cloudy. Youve got to be a survivalist, he says. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 km/h. Compact snow. Chance of snow 60%. [28] Chance of snow 40%. With the road closed for hours due to a snowstorm, Davis has had other motorists bang on his trucks door begging for fuel. The data and electronic links provided in this web site are for informational purposes only and bchighway.com disclaims all responsibility for the accuracy of site content or linked information. Crews will have cleared the road, and youll be fresh., Davis goes on to say that the weather on the Coq, and in fact all mountain roads, can change in 20 minutes or less, and all the best forecasts can be wrong you just dont know.. Winds SW at 10 to 15 km/h. This stretch of road, which carries 97 South and 5 North on the same lanes (and vice versa), is the only other wrong-way concurrency in British Columbia, along with 99 North and 12 South, near the town of Lillooet. Highway 5 was the only highway in British Columbia to have tolls; a typical passenger vehicle toll was C$10. Check out these related links: Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "ae97b9131b164e536984c2e38dcabe60" );document.getElementById("b69d9e56eb").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Sowhats the grade for north of the snow shed? Established in 1986 and clocking in at a respectable 159 hectares, Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park is a truly magical place. where is the smasher on the coquihalla. Please select the number of verifiable months youve been driving professionally using your Class A CDL within the last 3 years. Winds light and variable. It is located just south of the former toll booth plaza on the Coquihalla Highway, about 50km (31mi) north of Hope, and 65km (40mi) south of Merritt and is the divide between the Coquihalla River and the Coldwater River. Share YOUR roads!We'vemorethan 13.000 roads but we want more! Theres no help around the corner, so you must rely upon your own smarts to survive. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 km/h. How long will it take to drive the Coq at an easy sight seeing pace? This is one of the most amazing stretches of roads in North America. Chance of snow 40%. Hope that this helps. According to Sto;lo oral history, the skw'exweq (water babies or naiads, underwater people) who inhabit a pool close by the rock, would swim out and pull the salmon off the spears, allowing only certain fisherman to catch the salmon. A highway camera in the area shows the dark-coloured. Partly cloudy in the morning followed by periods of snow showers later in the day. (Submitted by Jeremiah Steberl) B.C.'s Coquihalla Highway could be . we might be able to provide more specific information). So how does one ensure survival in such an epic struggle? At ridgetop (1660m) our average is 1850cm of snowfall, and this year we only received 1269cm. It is located just south of the former toll booth plaza on the Coquihalla Highway, about 50 km (31 mi) north of Hope, and 65 km (40 mi) south of Merritt and is the divide between the Coquihalla River and the Coldwater River . Highway 5. What are the round cement bunker like structures along the highway?? Low -4C. 1 Year Safe travels. Driving the Smasher on the Coquihalla highway mid winter 2011 Variably cloudy with snow showers. Tough on what seemed like all cars except mine. Videos showing interesting road situations. The Smasher. Coquihalla Road Reports | REMINDER - #BCHwy5 CLOSED in The Coquihalla approximately traces through the Cascade Mountains the route of the former Kettle Valley Railway, which existed between 1912 and 1958. Both passenger and commercial vehicles rely on it as a primary connection between the Lower Mainland and the Interior. 2023 Driving, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Safe travels. Zopkios Southbound N Hwy 5, northbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit looking to the south. 's Interior helped to convince reluctant Cabinet members of the necessity of the third route to the Interior". A single-vehicle crash has closed the left lane of southbound traffic on the Coquihalla Highway, at the Zopkios brake check, Saturday morning. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings. A particularly important intersection is the signal lights at Halston Drive, which is one of only two access points to the north half of Kamloops. Families headed for ski trips, folks on business, and of course the inept holiday traveller so well-satirized by Clark Griswold in National Lampoons Vacation series. Forecast issued: 3:45 PM PST Monday 6 February 2023. Hope that this information is helpful. Signs along the Coquihalla Highway frequently warn drivers to be aware of sudden changes in weather. Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the evening. Variably cloudy with snow showers. There were 32 fatal crashes between 2004 and 2013 (according to ICBC). REDUCED SPEEDS IN EFFECT. C in cold winter weather. Low -8C. Low -7C. Elkhart West Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 25 km east of Hwy 5A/97C Junction, looking west. Zopkios Southbound S Hwy 5, southbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit, looking southwest. After leaving the concurrency it immediately crosses the South Thompson River and enters a First Nations Reserve, temporarily leaving Kamloops city limits. As Davis puts it, Its you, your vehicle, and a very lonesome feeling. While such words may be apropos for a hurtin song, they carry a far more serious meaning when delivered by Davis. Comments may take up to an hour for moderation before appearing on the site. Avalanche control works planned Saturday morning followed by any required cleanup works. The toll for a typical passenger vehicle on the highway was C$10. Chance of snow 60%. The original statistic should have read 3.3 million annual VKT/km, instead of 3.3 million annual VKT. Coquihalla Great Bear Snowshed S Hwy 5, Great Bear Snowshed looking to the south. minor incident | last updated Tue Feb 28 at 12:59 PM PST. Last updated Tue Feb 28 at 12:59 PM PST. 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). Crews continue to clear snow in anticipation of an opening early afternoon Saturday. Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport. Low -9C. Coquihalla Lakes N Hwy 5, 61km south of Merritt, looking to the north. minor construction | last updated Fri Mar 3 at 8:05 PM PST. Highway 1, 3, 7 and 5 in Coquihalla suffered extensive damage . The Discovery Channel did a series called Highway Through Hell about this stretch of road. [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. What are the bunker looking things on the side of the highway? Coquihalla Highway: How Was This Highway Made And Was It Closed Last Coquihalla conditions today The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. Chance of snow 60%. Unfortunately, we dont have this information. Coquihalla Hwy. reopened but drivers told 'no stopping' due to 5 day. Brenda Mine West Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 22 km west of 97/97C Junction, looking west. | next update Sat Mar 4 at 1:00 PM PST. It crosses a low divide between the Thompson River and Fraser River drainages entering the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George. So when we said 1150 mm falls as snow, then thats the water equivalent of the snow. The Coquihalla is one of the most popular highway mountain passes in BC. Now they just drop bombs from the helicopters in the exact location of the avalanche hazard. I give my express consent authorizing TruckersReport and its. Starting Wed Mar 8 at 9:00 AM PST until Fri Mar 10 at 5:00 PM PST. Highway 5, in both directions. Regardless, Highway 5 is designated as a core route of Canada's National Highway System. Chance of snow 50%. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The Coquihalla was closed north of Hope on Sunday due to the July Creek wildfire, which jumped the highway and merged with the Brook Creek blaze on the other side. On the one hand, you have the Othello Tunnels, which is what the park is most known for; on the other hand, you have the park's epic geology, rushing water and beautiful flora. The grade on the Snow Shed Hill between the Great Bear Snow Shed and Zopkios Brake Check is 8%. Built to enhance regional tourism and to lighten traffic on the busy trucking routes, the 303 km, 4-lane highway has 3 segments. Britton Creek N Hwy 5, by Britton Creek Rest Area northbound turnoff, looking north. 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. On November 14, 2021, a major storm in southern British Columbia damaged sections of the Coquihalla Highway and other routes in the area. [6], In the 1960s, the Merritt Board of Trade began lobbying the B.C. The Coquihalla Highway - Phase 1, Hope to Merritt - was completed in time for Expo 86 in 1986. Snow level 1200 metres lowering to 900 metres in the afternoon. minor road condition | last updated Sat Mar 4 at 6:31 AM PST. The ascent to the Coquihalla Summit is very steep, especially from the south. Once the roads are passable, Davis or one of his drivers will come back with gas, but be prepared to pay. Why Are Workers Doing the Safety Dance on the Sea-to-Sky? Hope that this information is helpful. Zopkios - Hwy 5, southbound at Zopkios Rest Area, near the Coquihalla Summit, looking northeast. Snow accumulations less than 2cm. Snow accumulations less than 2cm. Coquihalla Highway is one of the worst roads in winters Coquihalla Highway is an extreme freeway located in British Columbia, Canada's westernmost province. Daviss trucks never leave the yard without stopping in the nearby town of Hope to fill up on gas, and there are always food and survival provisions on-board. #Coquihalla 2:20pm March 3 30km (19mi) north of Little Fort, while continuing to follow the North Thompson and the CN Railway, Highway 5 reaches the resort community of Clearwater where a roundabout provides access to Wells Gray Provincial Park. It is so-named because near Hope, it generally follows the Coquihalla River, for about 60km (37mi), and uses the Coquihalla Pass. I am puzzled by the statistic Annual vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT): 3.3 million which appears in the page about the Coquihalla. Go prepared, or go home. Highland Valley Road Highway 97C, at Highland Valley Rd, about 61 km north of Merritt and 46 km south of Ashcroft, looking north. ADVERTISEMENT 3 Years Highways 97C and 5A share the 28 km (17 mi) long route between Aspen Grove and Lower Nicola, where Highway 5A diverges immediately east and Highway 8 begins. But how well do you know this stretch of highway? Safe travels. 2-3cm of snow expected. Single lane alternating traffic will be in effect. To get a comparison I went to easily available statistics from Alberta, http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType181/production/LinkTrafficVolumeVehicleClassTravelESAL2014.pdf. Highway 5, southbound. Pennask Summit Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), about 74 km west of Kelowna, looking east. Highway rescuer Jamie Davis recounts tales from one of Canada's fiercest winter roads. Without your consent employers will not be able to contact with job offers, would you like to opt-in now? 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. But being its a high mountain road, you have to be prepared and drive to the conditions. Thanks for your comment. The weather today in Coquihalla Thursday, 02 March 2023 . [4], Coquihalla Summit Recreation Area is a provincial recreation area centred around Coquihalla Summit. Sections of BC's Coquihalla Highway completely washed away by rain Pennask Summit Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector). Heffley Creek indicates the northern boundary of Kamloops, the exit to Sun Peaks resort is at the same turn off. They chose to confront the Coq without a full tank, not realizing that idling a car for warmth hour after hour depletes an already dangerously low fuel tank. It is the highest point on the highway between the cities of Hope and Merritt. Interstate 5 traffic camera - Coquihalla Hwy through Hell - I5CAM.com Highway 5 continues east for 12km (7.5mi) concurrently with Highways1 and 97, through Kamloops. Services for drivers are provided in the major towns. Coquihalla - Trans Mountain - Homepage Rule of thumb conversion from water equivalent to snowfall is about 10:1, so that would have been approximately 1150 cm of snow, but we were talking precipitation, not snow depth. Signs along the Coquihalla Highway frequently warn drivers to be aware of sudden changes in weather. Hi there this information is availabel via the DataBC DriveBC catalogue here:https://catalogue.data.gov.bc.ca/dataset/historical-drivebc-events Highway rescuer Jamie Davis, featured in the Discovery Channels Highway Thru Hell reality show, has seen it all on B.C.s infamous Highway 5. The Coquihalla Highway, which appears to have snapped in two, is one of B.C.'s most important highways since it connects the city of Vancouver to the province Interior. If theres anyone qualified to deliver a life-saving rant to those tackling Canadas winter highways, its got to be Davis. Chance of snow 50%. thecanadaweather.com Canada British Columbia Coquihalla. Partly cloudy early, then some snow showers later in the day. Snow showers. dangerousroads.org is not responsible for the information contained in these pages. Low around -10C. I will be driving that route every other month during the non-snow tire months. Southbound travelers please use Britton creek rest Area exit 228. Edit your picks to remove vehicles if you want to add different ones. It soon passes through the community of Valemount where a traffic signal is located. Davis strongly discourages driving at night. Construction of this part of the Coquihalla Highway was spearheaded by Tom Waterland as MLA for Yale-Lillooet. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); This 'travel news' services website is privately owned. CDL Grad, No Experience government privatizing toll highway", "B.C. Check Weather and Road Conditions at the Great Bear Snowshed Highway Cam Road Condition Reports for the Coquihalla Hwy5 and Highway 97C Occasional snow showers. 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. I have not been able to find information on Surrey Lake Summit on the website. [7] Surveying commenced in 1973 and in 1979 the first construction contract was issued for 4.5km (2.8mi) section of highway between Nicolum Creek and Peers Creek near Hope; however, work progressed slowly until 1984 when Premier Bill Bennett announced that the project would be fast-tracked so it could be completed to coincide with Expo 86. Although the Yellowhead Highway system is considered part of the Trans-Canada Highway network, Highway 5 is not represented with a Trans-Canada marker. Coquihalla Summit (el. In British Columbia, motorists will find such information at www.shiftintowinter.ca. High near 0C. The location of the former toll booth is 13km (8mi) north of the snow shed, passing through another interchange and the Pothole Lake West Hwy 97C (Okanagan Connector), near Pothole Lake about 7 km east of Aspen Grove, looking west. High 3C. Larson Hill S Hwy 5 at Larson Hill, 36 km south of Merritt, looking to the south. Watch for traffic control personnel. He sees it all the time, people milling around their cars at the side of the road exposing themselves to traffic unable to see them until its too late. 4 Years Considerable clouds early. What are the concrete bunkers visible along the #5 highway between Hope and Merritt? Variably cloudy with snow showers. Snowfall amount 5 cm near the summit. Drivers could avoid becoming stranded and helpless if they were more conscientious about filling their gas tanks at each opportunity and carrying cable chains. Please try again, 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. 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. Many of the catastrophic mistakes he bears witness to involve typical cars and SUVs rather than big rigs. This information is collected by ICBC heres their contact information: https://www.icbc.com/about-icbc/contact-us/Pages/default.aspx. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Winds light and variable. A diamond interchange at Exit 336 provides an important turn off to Logan Lake on Highway 97D and Lac le Jeune. Does an agency record statistics for the number of highway road closures per year? There was an error, please provide a valid email address. Over heating vehicles is a common occurrence. Plus the elevation means that it's frequently covered with snow and ice. Winds S at 10 to 15 km/h. We have the information but it is in a graph format and this platform wont support graphics in the comments. It proceeds northeast for another 107 km (67 mi), passing Vavenby en route, to the community of Blue River, and then 109 km (68 mi) further north through the Columbia Mountains, passing by the community of Valemount to its northern terminus at Tte Jaune Cache, where it meets Highway 16. Coquihalla Highway - Hope to Merritt, BC - 7 Day Forecast - Weather It also provides highway travellers opportunities for viewing granite peaks, wildlife and historic features such as the Kettle Valley Railway and old Coquihalla Highway, both of which were earlier routes through the area.[5][3]. The latest music videos, short movies, tv shows, funny and extreme videos. The Coquihalla highway in BC, Canada is frequently traveled by Canadians and Americans. From 1941 to 1953, the section of present-day Highway 97, Highway 97A, and Highway 97B, between Kaleden, just south of Penticton, and Salmon Arm, was formerly Highway 5. Coquihalla Great Bear Snowshed N Hwy 5, Great Bear Snowshed looking to the north. The road is named after Coquihalla River. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Winds light and variable. 7 day. Part of the Highway 5, the road is193 km (119 miles) long, running north-south from Kamloops to Hope via Merritt. [Canada] [OC] Descending The Smasher - Coquihalla Highway - Highway [21] Global News listed the stretch between Merritt and Hope as one of the deadliest highways in BC. Lane closures and short duration traffic stoppages will be in effect periodically. Chance of snow 60%. Periods of rain except periods of snow near the summit. Her deadly weapons of choice include sheets of ice, blinding snowstorms, and avalanches. [1] It is the highest point on the highway between the cities of Hope and Merritt. The Coquihalla Valley has long been a major transportation route from the coast to the interior. The Coquihalla Snowshed Protocol: 10 Steps to Highway Safety. In the line The Coquihalla averages 1,350mm of precipitation of which 1,150mm falls as snow, below the graph, you might want to change the units of measure. Also the total trips in addition to the average per day these are impressive numbers showing the importance of the Coquihalla to travellers in BC. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 km/h. Touring the world with friends one mile and pub at a time; southlake carroll basketball. Hi Sarah, The Coquihalla approximately traces through the Cascade Mountainsthe route of the former Kettle Valley Railway, which existed between 1912 and 1958. 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 . To use information contained on this site is to do so at your own risk. Chance of snow 50%. [3] Now free to drive, at the Coquihalla Lakes junction, the highway crosses from the Fraser Valley Regional District into the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.