British Columbia Highway 16 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Highway 16
Yellowhead Highway Trans-Canada Highway
Highway 16 highlighted in red.
Route information
Length	1,173 km (729 mi)
Existed	1953–present
Haida Gwaii segment
Length	101 km (63 mi)
North end	Masset
South end	BC Ferries dock in Skidegate
Mainland segment
Length	1,072 km (666 mi)
West end	BC Ferries dock in Prince Rupert
Major junctions	Hwy 113 in Terrace Hwy 37 south in Terrace Hwy 37 north in Kitwanga Hwy 118 in Topley Hwy 35 in Burns Lake Hwy 27 near Vanderhoof Hwy 97 in Prince George Hwy 5 near Tête Jaune Cache
East end	Alberta border continues as Hwy 16 (TCH)
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways ← Hwy 15 Hwy 17 →

Highway 16 is a highway in British Columbia, Canada. It is an important section of the Yellowhead Highway, a part of the Trans-Canada Highway that runs across Western Canada. The highway closely follows the path of the northern B.C. alignment of the Canadian National Railway. The number "16" was first given to the highway in 1942, and originally, the route that the highway took was more to the north of today's highway, and it was not as long as it is now. Highway 16 originally ran from New Hazelton east to an obscure location known as Aleza Lake. In 1947, Highway 16's western end was moved from New Hazelton to the coastal city of Prince Rupert, and in 1953, the highway was re-aligned to end at Prince George. In 1969, further alignment east into Yellowhead Pass was opened to traffic after being constructed up through 1968 and raised to all-weather standards in 1969. Highway 16's alignment on the Haida Gwaii was commissioned in 1984, with BC Ferries beginning service along Highway 16 to the Haida Gwaii the following year.

Route description

Haida Gwaii section

The 101 km (63 mi) segment of the 1,347 km (837 mi)-long B.C. Highway begins in the west in the village of Masset, on the northern coast of Graham Island. Proceeding south, the highway goes 38 km (24 mi) to the inlet town of Port Clements. Winding its way along the boundary of Naikoon Provincial Park, Highway 16 goes south for 27 km (17 mi) before reaching the community of Tlell. 36 km (22 mi) south of Tlell, Highway 16 reaches Skidegate, where its Haida Gwaii section terminates.

Mainland section

BC Ferries then takes Highway 16 across the Hecate Strait for 172 km (107 mi) due northeast to its landing at Prince Rupert.

Highway 16 heading west towards Prince Rupert from Terrace

From Prince Rupert, Highway 16 begins its winding route east through the Coast Mountain Ranges. Following the Skeena River, the highway travels for 151 km (94 mi) to the city of Terrace. Highway 37 merges onto Highway 16 from north of Highway 16, at the Kitwanga junction. Another 43 km (27 mi) northeast, Highway 16 reaches New Hazelton, where it then veers southeast along the Bulkley River. 68 km (42 mi) later, the highway reaches the town of Smithers, proceeding southeast another 64 km (40 mi) to the village of Houston.

Along the Skeena River, near Kitwanga

At Houston, Highway 16 begins a parallel course along the upper course of the Bulkley River, proceeding 81 km (50 mi) east to its junction with Highway 35, south of Burns Lake. 128 km (80 mi) east, after passing through the hamlet of Fraser Lake, Highway 16 reaches its junction with Highway 27 in the town of Vanderhoof. 97 km (60 mi) east of Vanderhoof, Highway 16 reaches its B.C. midpoint as it enters the city of Prince George at its junction with Highway 97. Highway 16 leaves Prince George after coursing through the city for 9 km (5.6 mi).

Passing through Mt. Robson Provincial Park.

120 km (75 mi) east of Prince George, Highway 16 reaches the community of Dome Creek, where it converges with the Fraser River and turns southeast. It follows the Fraser River upstream for 82 km (51 mi) to McBride, then continues upstream for another 64 km (40 mi) to its junction with Highway 5 at Tête Jaune Cache. 14 km (8.7 mi) east of Tête Jaune Cache, Highway 16 enters Mount Robson Provincial Park, coursing through the park for 63 km (39 mi) to the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta within Yellowhead Pass.

Major intersections

From west to east, the following intersections are observed along Highway 16. Distances exclude the 172 km (93 nmi) ferry between Skidegate and Prince Rupert.

Regional District	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
North Coast	Masset	0.00	0.00	Hodges Avenue / Towhill Road	Western terminus of the Yellowhead Highway
	Skidegate	100.90	62.70	Oceanview Drive (Road 33) (Hwy 951:1502) – Queen Charlotte	Hwy 951:1502 is unsigned
		101.19	62.88	Skidegate Ferry Terminal
Hecate Strait				BC Ferries from Skidegate to Prince Rupert
North Coast	Prince Rupert	0.00	0.00	Prince Rupert Ferry Terminal
		15.18	9.43	Galloway Rapids Bridge from Kaien Island to the mainland
	​	15.36	9.54	Skeena Drive (Port Edward Road) (Hwy 951:1504) – Port Edward	Hwy 951:1504 is unsigned
Kitimat-Stikine	Terrace	145.91	90.66	Hwy 113 north (Nisga'a Highway) – Nisga'a Nation
		149.31– 150.26	92.78– 93.37	Dudley Little West Bridge and Dudley Little Main Bridge crosses the Skeena River
		150.50	93.52	Hwy 37 south – Kitimat	West end of Hwy 37 concurrency; former Hwy 25
	Kitwanga	241.10	149.81	Hwy 37 north (Stewart-Cassiar Highway) – Stewart, Watson Lake	East end of Hwy 37 concurrency
	New Hazelton	284.17	176.58	Churchill Street (Hwy 62 west) – Hazelton	Hwy 62 is unofficial and unsigned
Bulkley-Nechako	Smithers	349.34– 354.39	217.07– 220.21	Passes through Smithers
	Telkwa	366.39	227.66	Passes through Telkwa
	Houston	414.19	257.37	Passes through Houston
	Topley	445.08	276.56	Hwy 118 north – Granisle
	Burns Lake	496.39	308.44	Hwy 35 south – Francois Lake
	Fraser Lake	565.47	351.37	Passes through Fraser Lake
	​	616.66	383.17	Hwy 27 north – Fort St. James
	Vanderhoof	619.87– 624.72	385.17– 388.18	Passes through Vanderhoof
Fraser-Fort George	Prince George	716.66	445.31	Southridge Avenue	Interchange; no westbound entrance
		717.08	445.57	Tyner Boulevard, Domano Boulevard	Provides access to the University of Northern British Columbia
		720.55	447.73	Hwy 97 – Dawson Creek, Quesnel, Kamloops, Vancouver	Hwy 97 north is the John Hart Highway; Hwy 97 south is the Cariboo Highway
		722.03	448.65	Victoria Street / 20th Avenue
		723.74	449.71	1st Avenue	Former Hwy 97A
		725.70	450.93	Yellowhead Bridge over the Fraser River
		729.86	453.51	Old Cariboo Highway (Hwy 941:1156 south) to Hwy 97 – Airport, Quesnel	Hwy 941:1156 is unsigned; former Hwy 97A
	​	742.31	461.25	Upper Fraser Road (Hwy 941:1577) – Willow River, Giscome, Upper Fraser	Hwy 941:1157 is unsigned
	McBride	933.97	580.34	McBride Bridge over the Fraser River
	Tête Jaune Cache	995.60	618.64	Hwy 5 south (South Yellowhead Highway) – Valemount, Kamloops, Vancouver	Tête Jaune Interchange
	Mount Robson Provincial Park	1,009.70	627.40	West end of Mount Robson Provincial Park
		1,072.37	666.34	Yellowhead Pass – 1,131 m (3,711 ft)
					Hwy 16 (TCH) – Jasper National Park, Jasper, Edmonton	Continues into Alberta
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi