British Columbia Highway 95

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
British Columbia Highway 95
Highway 95 shield
Highway 95
Highway 95 highlighted in red.
Route information
Length329 km[1] (204 mi)
Existed1953–present
Component
highways		(1) Yahk–Kingsgate Highway
(2) Kootenay–Columbia Highway
Major junctions
South end US 95 at Canada–US border at Kingsgate
  Hwy 3 in Yahk
Hwy 95A in Cranbrook
Hwy 3 / Hwy 93 near Fort Steele
Hwy 95A near Wasa
Hwy 93 in Radium Hot Springs
North end Hwy 1 (TCH) in Golden
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways
← Hwy 93→ Hwy 95A

Highway 95 is a north-south highway in the southeastern corner of British Columbia, opened in 1957. The highway connects with U.S. Route 95, from which the highway takes its number, at the Canada–U.S. border at Kingsgate, just north of Eastport, Idaho.[2] The section between the Canada-U.S. border and the Crowsnest Highway is known as the Yahk–Kingsgate Highway while the section between the Crowsnest Highway and Golden is known as the Kootenay–Columbia Highway.[3]

Highway 95 is one of the most overlapped highways in the province, i.e., it shares most of its route with other numbered highways.

Route description[]

Entering Parson, British Columbia on BC-95.

The 329 km (204 mi) long Highway 95 begins at the international border in a small community called Kingsgate. It connects to U.S. Route 95 at the Eastport-Kingsgate Border Crossing. Heading north from there, it follows the Moyie River northeast for 11 km (7 mi) to the town of Yahk, where it merges onto the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3). Highway 95 follows the Crowsnest Highway northeast for 72 km (45 mi) to the city of Cranbrook, where Highway 95A, designated in 1968 and following the original alignment of Highway 95 for 54 km (34 mi) through Kimberley and , begins. From Cranbrook, it is another 7 km (4 mi) east to the Fort Steele junction, where Highway 3 hands Highway 95 off to Highway 93.[2]

From the Fort Steele junction, Highway 95 follows Highway 93 north for 31 km (19 mi) through the community of Wasa, to where Highway 95A's east junction is located. From the Highway 95A junction, Highway 93/95 follows the Kootenay River upstream for 45 km (28 mi), through Skookumchuck to the town of Canal Flats, at the southern end of Columbia Lake. North of Canal Flats, Highway 93/95 travels for 58 km (36 mi) along the Columbia River, through the communities of Fairmont Hot Springs, Windermere and Invermere to the town of Radium Hot Springs, where Highway 93 diverges east. Highway 95 continues to follow the Columbia River north for 105 km (65 mi), through the locations of Edgewater, Brisco, Spillimacheen and Parson, to where it terminates at its junction with the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) at Golden.[2]

History[]

Prior to 1941, British Columbia used lettered routes as opposed to numbers, and the Kootenay–Columbia Highway between Cranbrook and Golden was designated as part of Route U, which continued south to U.S. Route 93 at Roosville along present-day Highway 93.[4] In 1941, British Columbia introduced numbered highways, with Highway 95 begin designated on 11 km (7 mi) Yahk–Kingsgate Highway, the northern extension of U.S. Route 95, while the Kootenay–Columbia Highway between Cranbrook and Golden was designated as Highway 4.[5] In 1953, the Highway 4 was moved to its present location on Vancouver Island, with the Kootenay–Columbia Highway being renumbered to Highway 95. In 1968, Highway 95 was realigned to bypass Kimberley, with the former section becoming Highway 95A.

Major intersections[]

From south to north:[6]

Regional DistrictLocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Central KootenayKingsgate0.000.00 US 95 south – Bonners Ferry, Sandpoint, Coeur d'AleneContinues into Idaho
Canada–United States border at Eastport-Kingsgate Border Crossing
Yahk11.307.02 Hwy 3 west (Crowsnest Highway) – Creston, CastlegarSouth end of Hwy 3 concurrency
East KootenayCranbrook77.24–
89.05		47.99–
55.33		Passes through Cranbrook
83.6251.96 Hwy 95A north – KimberleyCranbrook Interchange
​89.0555.33 Hwy 3 east / Hwy 93 south (Crowsnest Highway) – Fernie, LethbridgeFort Steele Interchange
North end of Hwy 3 concurrency; south end of Hwy 93 concurrency
Fort Steele96.0559.68Fort Steele Bridge across the Kootenay River
97.1960.39Wardner Fort Steele Road ( south) – WardnerHwy 935:1381 is unsigned
​120.7175.01Wasa Bridge across the Kootenay River
120.8475.09 Hwy 95A south – Kimberley
133.2882.82Springbrook Bridge across the Kootenay River
Canal Flats161.80100.54Canal Flats Bridge across the Kootenay River
​183.93114.29Westside Road ( north) – InvermereHwy 935:2143 is unsigned
185.79115.44Fairmont Bridge across the Columbia River
Fairmont Hot Springs187.21116.33Riverview Road, Fairmont Resort Road
Invermere210.29130.67Athalmer RoadAccess to Panorama Mountain
Radium Hot Springs223.45138.85 Hwy 93 north (Banff–Windermere Highway) – Kootenay National Park, Banff, Lake LouiseNorth end of Hwy 93 concurrency
Columbia-ShuswapGolden328.88204.36 Hwy 1 (TCH) – Kamloops, Revelstoke, Banff, Calgary
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Landmark Kilometre Inventory (PDF). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (Report). Cypher Consulting. July 2016. pp. 109–112, 405–410, 414–418. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-11. Retrieved 2017-02-19.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Tourism British Columbia. Super, Natural British Columbia Road Map & Parks Guide (Map) (2010-2011 ed.). Davenport Maps Ltd. §§ J-11, K-11, K-12, L-11, L-12.
  3. ^ "Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia". Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Province of British Columbia. June 8, 2015. Archived from the original on 2017-01-05. Retrieved February 19, 2017.
  4. ^ Rand McNally and Company (1939). "Western and Central Canada" (Map). "State Farm Road Atlas: United States, Canada, Mexico". Chicago, IL: State Farm Insurance Companies Travel Bureau. pp. 94–95.
  5. ^ The H.M. Gousha Company (1951). "Southern Alberta" (Map). Shell Map of Montana. The Shell Oil Company. §§ G-2, G-3, H-3, I-3.
  6. ^ British Columbia Road Atlas (Map) (2007 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. p. 41, 61-62, 74. ISBN 1-55368-018-9.

External links[]

Media related to British Columbia Highway 95 at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from ""