British Columbia Highway 97C

Highway 97C
Okanagan Connector Coquihalla Connector
Route information
Length:	224 km (139 mi)
Existed:	1990 – present
Major junctions
East end:	BC 97 north of Peachland
	BC 5A near Aspen Grove BC 5 / BC 8 in Merritt BC 97D near Logan Lake BC 1 near Ashcroft
North end:	BC 1 / BC 97 in Cache Creek
Location
Major cities:	Peachland Merritt Cache Creek
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways ← BC 97B BC 97D →

Highway 97C is an east-west highway, forming part of an important link between the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan Valley south of Kelowna, which is the third largest metropolitan area in the province. It bisects the Coquihalla Highway at Merritt. The expressway and freeway sections of the highway is known as Okanagan Connector or Coquihalla Connector. The section of Highway 97C is a core route of the National Highway System between Highway 5 and Highway 97.

Route description

Highway 97C is a relatively new route, commissioned on October 1, 1990, which is 224 km (139 mi) in total length, and was constructed as the third phase of the Coquihalla Highway Project. Construction was completed in 1990, with the cost totalling to $225 million in 1987 dollars ($373 million inflation adjusted 2009 dollars).^[1]

The route begins near Peachland, at a location on Highway 97 known as Drought Hill. The section of Highway 97C east of Merritt is 4 to 6 lanes expressway with a speed limit of 110 km/h (70 mph) and the section east of Aspen Grove is freeway with a speed limit of 120 km/h (75 mph). Expressway and freeway sections have very few exits along its route. Its highest altitude is the Pennask Summit, 1,728 m (5,669 ft) above sea level. Highway 97C travels on this freeway 82 km (51 mi) northwest to Aspen Grove, where it converges with Highway 5A. This stretch is a four-lane rural arterial highway. Highways 97C and 5A share the 24 km (15 mi) long route between Aspen Grove and the Coquihalla Highway at Meritt, where Highway 5A continues northeast and Highway 8 begins.

Highway 97C was originally intended to have a freeway connection with the Coquihalla Highway approximately 30 km (19 mi) south of Merritt, near Exit 256;^[2] however due to protest by local residents in Merritt on the grounds that it would take tourists away from the area, the project was postponed and the freeway remains incomplete to this day. In July 2007, the shared roadway of Highway 5A and 97C was upgraded to a 2-lane road in each direction, the last segment required to enable 2 lanes in each direction when traveling between Vancouver and Kelowna.

Highways 97C and 8 travel along Nicola Avenue through Merritt and share a 9 km (5.6 mi) concurrency to Lower Nicola, where Highway 8 continues west to Spences Bridge and Highway 97C diverges north. Highway 97C goes north for 42 km (26 mi) to Logan Lake, then northwest for 57 km (35 mi) to Ashcroft on the Canadian National Railway. Highway 97C then travels 6 km (4 mi) west from Ashcroft to where it converges with Highway 1, which takes Highway 97C north for its final 5 km (3 mi) to its end at Highway 97 in Cache Creek.

Major intersections

This table lists the exits on Route 97C from east to west.^[3]

Regional district	Location	km[4]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Central Okanagan	Peachland	0.00	0.00	BC 97 (Okanagan Highway) – Vernon, Kelowna, Penticton, Osoyoos	Drought Hill interchange Eastern terminus
	​	6.14	3.82	Trepanier Road	Partial access (westbound exit, eastbound entrance)
	​	22.68	14.09	Brenda Mine Road
↑ / ↓	​	33.02	20.52	Pennask Summit – el. 1,728 m (5,669 ft)
Thompson-Nicola	​	42.92	26.67	Sunset Main Road
Okanagan-Similkameen	​	54.76	34.03	Elkhart Road
Thompson-Nicola	​	67.40	41.88	Loon Lake Road
	Aspen Grove	82.33	51.16	Freeway ends
				BC 5A south – Princeton	At-grade East end of BC 5A concurrency.
	Merritt	105.87	65.78	BC 5 (Coquihalla Highway) – Kamloops, Hope, Vancouver	Coldwater interchange (BC 5 Exit 286) West end of BC 5A concurrency. East end of BC 8 concurrency.
				Four lane highway ends
		110.02	68.36	To BC 5A north / Voght Street	Former west end of BC 5A concurrency.
	Lower Nicola	114.88	71.38	BC 8 west (Nicola Highway) – Spences Bridge	BC 97C branches north. West end of BC 8 concurrency.
	Logan Lake	156.88	97.48	BC 97D east / Tunkwa Lake Road – Logan Lake, Kamloops	BC 97C branches west.
	Ashcroft	214.14	133.06	Ashcroft Bridge across Thompson River
		214.31	133.17	Cornwall Road
	​	220.30	136.89	BC 1 south (Trans-Canada Highway) – Lytton, Hope, Vancouver	BC 97C branches north South end of BC 1 concurrency.
	Cache Creek	224.48	139.49	BC 1 east / BC 97 south – Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Vernon, Calgary	Northern terminus
Continues as BC 97 north (Cariboo Highway) to BC 99 south – Lillooet, 100 Mile House, Williams Lake, Prince George
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References

External links

• Graph detailing the distance and altitude of the highway between Highway 5A and Highway 97 (via Pennask Summit)