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Highway 16
Yellowhead Highway Trans-Canada Highway
Highway 16 highlighted in red.
Route information
Maintained by theMinistry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Length	1,173 km (729 mi)
Existed	1941–present
Haida Gwaii segment
Length	101 km[1] (63 mi)
North end	Masset
South end	BC Ferries dock inSkidegate
Mainland segment
Length	1,072 km[1] (666 mi)
West end	BC Ferries dock inPrince Rupert
Major intersections	Highway 113 inTerrace Highway 37 south inTerrace Highway 37 north inKitwanga Highway 118 inTopley Highway 35 inBurns Lake Highway 27 nearVanderhoof Highway 97 inPrince George Highway 5 (YH) nearTête Jaune Cache
East end	Highway 16 (TCH) at theAlberta border
Location
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways
←Highway 15 →Highway 17

Highway 16 is a highway inBritish Columbia, Canada. It is an important section of theYellowhead Highway, a part of theTrans-Canada Highway that runs acrossWestern Canada. The highway closely follows the path of the northern B.C. alignment of theCanadian National Railway (CN). The number "16" was first given to the highway in 1941, 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 fromNew Hazelton east toAleza Lake. In 1948, Highway 16's western end was moved from New Hazelton to the coastal city ofPrince Rupert, and in 1953, the highway was re-aligned to end at Prince George. In 1969, further alignment east intoYellowhead Pass was opened to traffic after being constructed up through 1968 and raised to all-weather standards in 1969. Highway 16's alignment onHaida Gwaii was commissioned in 1983^[2] and is connected to the mainland segment viaBC Ferries route #11.

A series of murders and disappearances has given the stretch between Prince Rupert and Prince George the nameHighway of Tears.

The 101 km (63 mi) segment of the 1,347-kilometre-long (837 mi) BC highway begins in the west in the village ofMasset, on the northern coast ofGraham Island. Proceeding south, the highway goes 38 km (24 mi) to the inlet town ofPort Clements. Winding its way along the boundary ofNaikoon Provincial Park, Highway 16 goes south for 27 km (17 mi) before reaching the community ofTlell. 36 km (22 mi) south of Tlell, Highway 16 reachesSkidegate, where its Haida Gwaii section terminates.

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

From Prince Rupert, Highway 16 begins its winding route east through theCoast Mountain Ranges. Following theSkeena River, the highway travels for 151 km (94 mi) to the city ofTerrace.Highway 37 merges onto Highway 16 from north of Highway 16, at theKitwanga junction.^[3] Another 43 km (27 mi) northeast, Highway 16 reaches New Hazelton, where it then veers southeast along theBulkley River. 68 km (42 mi) later, the highway reaches the town ofSmithers, proceeding southeast another 64 km (40 mi) to the village ofHouston.

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

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

In August 1925, this section opened^[4] with the completion of the Burns Lake–Endako link.^[5]

Highway extended west of New Hazelton by about 6 kilometres (4 mi) in 1927–28^[6] and another 5.3 kilometres (3.3 mi) in 1928–29.^[7] By 1931–32, Kitwanga–Hazelton was rated fairly good.^[8] By mid-1943, the condition was rated rough, awaiting tendering of reconstruction contracts.^[9]

By 1931–32, Cedarvale–Kitwanga was rated passable. For Usk–Cedarvale, several segments were under construction.^[8] During 1936–1941, a series of 2-to-6-kilometre (1 to 4 mi) stretches were completed,^[10] which included replacing sections washed out by the 1936 flood.^[11] By 1937, the Usk–Cedarvale gap still remained on the southeast shore.^[12]

By 1940, a 32-kilometre (20 mi) gap remained.^[13] In 1943, progress reactivated.^[14] In May 1944, the gap completed^[15] comprised thePacific–Cedarvale section.^[16]

Highway extended east of Terrace by about 3 kilometres (2 mi) in 1927–28^[6] and another 6.0 kilometres (3.7 mi) in 1928–29.^[7] In September 1929, Terrace–Usk section completed.^[17]

This sectionis inlist format but may read better asprose. You can help byconverting this section, if appropriate.Editing help is available.(March 2024)

• 1927: Aerial reconnaissance to identify possible routes was unsuccessful.
• 1928: Galloway Rapids–Phelan, about 8 kilometres (5 mi) cleared. Phelan station was about 3.6 kilometres (2 mi) south of presentPort Edward.
• 1930: Galloway Rapids bridge built. Over prior few years, a narrow, winding, gravel road had been cut from the Prince Rupert city limits. A road east from the bridge began.
• Early 1930s:Great Depression relief crews extended road eastward.
• 1935: Completed about 4 kilometres (2 mi) eastward to Kloiya Bay. Preliminary decision made to progress a highway eastward rather than via Port Edward and south along the shoreline. Within a few years, a narrow, rough road followed the shores of Taylor and Pudhomme lakes.
• 1938: Option of a route via presentKitimat was rejected.
• 1942: US entry intoWorld War II prompted the building of a highway to move troops in response to a potential Japanese invasion. That year, construction contracts were awarded. Significant parts of the CN right-of-way were appropriated for the highway and the track realigned. A total of 45 bridges would be prefabricated.
• 1943: Working24/7, progress hampered by high employee turnover owing to cold and wet summer weather.^[18] That February, five snowslides buried a construction camp near Kwinitsa, killing two and injuring 11.^[19]
• 1944: "Skeena Highway" officially opened in September. However, the road in many places was a narrow winding trail hugging the railway tracks. With the Japanese invasion threat long passed, the road was not snowplowed that winter.
• 1945: Route no longer possessed military value. The federal government initially maintained control because the province did not want to assume maintenance costs.^[18]
• 1946: Province took over the highway.^[20]
• 1951: Highway was paved. The following winter was the first time snowplowing was used to keep the highway open.
• 1970: Highway rerouted and repaved.
• 1972: January and February brought the heaviest snowfalls and longest road closures.
• 1974: January snowslide about 45 kilometres (28 mi) west of Terrace buried motel/restaurant/gas station complex, killing seven people.
• Late 1960s: Prince Rupert–Tyee reconstruction.
• 1980s: Kasiks, Tyee, and Esker railway overpasses erected.
• 1989: Falling ice at Car Wash Rock, about 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) east ofExchamsiks River Provincial Park, killed a motorist.
• Early 1990s: Hazardous Tyee–Khyex section realigned.^[18]
• 2020s: Despite promises to rectify, the Car Wash Rock site remains hazardous.^[21] About 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) farther east, the Mile 28 project to replace the railway crossing with an overpass has stalled.^[22]

The Highway of Tears is a stretch of Highway 16 betweenPrince George andPrince Rupert.^[23] Since 1970, numerous women have gone missing or have been murdered along the 720 km (450 mi) section of highway.^[24] Aboriginal organizations speculate that number ranges above forty.^[25]

In 2016, the Canadian government launched theNational Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women after communicating with victim families. This was done to find methods of slowing the violence within the Indigenous population.

In September 2020 atotem pole honouring missing and murdered Indigenous women was raised on the highway just outsideTerrace.^[26][27][28]

From west to east, the following intersections are observed along Highway 16.^[29] Distances exclude the 172 km (93 nmi) ferry between Skidegate and Prince Rupert.

Regional District	Location	km[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
North Coast	Masset	0.00	0.00	Hodges Avenue / Towhill Road	Western terminus of theYellowhead Highway
	Skidegate	100.90	62.70	Oceanview Drive (Road 33) (Highway 951:1502) –Daajing Giids	Daajing Giids was formerly known as Queen Charlotte prior to July 13, 2022.[30]
		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 fromKaien Island to the mainland
	​	15.36	9.54	Skeena Drive (Port Edward Road) (Highway 951:1504) –Port Edward	Highway 951:1504 is unsigned
Kitimat–Stikine	Terrace	145.91	90.66	Highway 113 north (Nisga'a Highway) –Nisga'a Nation
		149.31– 150.26	92.78– 93.37	Dudley Little West Bridge andDudley Little Main Bridge crosses theSkeena River
		150.50	93.52	Highway 37 south –Kitimat	West end of Highway 37 concurrency; formerHighway 25
	Kitwanga	241.10	149.81	Highway 37 north (Stewart-Cassiar Highway) –Stewart,Watson Lake	East end of Highway 37 concurrency
	New Hazelton	284.17	176.58	Churchill Street (Highway 62 west) –Hazelton	Highway 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	Highway 118 north –Granisle
	Burns Lake	496.39	308.44	Highway 35 south –Francois Lake
	Fraser Lake	565.47	351.37	Passes through Fraser Lake
	​	616.66	383.17	Highway 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 theUniversity of Northern British Columbia
		720.55	447.73	Highway 97 (Cariboo Highway) –Dawson Creek,Quesnel,Kamloops,Vancouver
		722.03	448.65	Victoria Street / 20th Avenue	Highway 16 turns onto Victoria Street
		723.74	449.71	1st Avenue	FormerHighway 97A; Highway 16 turns onto 1st Avenue
		725.70	450.93	Yellowhead Bridge over theFraser River
		729.86	453.51	Old Cariboo Highway (Highway 941:1156 south) toHighway 97 –Airport,Quesnel	FormerHighway 97A
	​	742.31	461.25	Upper Fraser Road (Highway 941:1577) –Willow River,Giscome,Upper Fraser
	McBride	933.97	580.34	McBride Bridge over theFraser River
	Tête Jaune Cache	995.60	618.64	Highway 5 (YH) south –Valemount,Kamloops	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 (Continental Divide) – 1,131 m (3,711 ft)
				Highway 16 (TCH/YH) east –Jasper,Edmonton	Continuation intoAlberta andJasper National Park
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Tolled

Wikimedia Commons has media related toBritish Columbia Highway 16.

• Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia
• Travel BC Yellowhead Highway information.
• Call for RCMP action on highway of tears

Yellowhead Highway
Previous route Terminus	Highway 16	Next route AB Highway 16
Trans-Canada Highway
Previous route Terminus	Highway 16	Next route AB Highway 16

• British Columbia provincial highways
• Highway of Tears
• Trans-Canada Highway
• Yellowhead Highway
• Northern Interior of British Columbia
• North Coast of British Columbia
• Transport in Prince George, British Columbia

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