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Yellowhead Highway Trans-Canada Highway | ||||
Route information | ||||
Maintained by the Ministry 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 in Skidegate | |||
Mainland segment | ||||
Length | 1,072 km[1] (666 mi) | |||
West end | BC Ferries dock in Prince Rupert | |||
Major intersections | Highway 113 in Terrace Highway 37 south in Terrace Highway 37 north in Kitwanga Highway 118 in Topley Highway 35 in Burns Lake Highway 27 near Vanderhoof Highway 97 in Prince George Highway 5 (YH) near Tête Jaune Cache | |||
East end | Alberta border continues as Highway 16 (TCH) | |||
Location | ||||
Country | Canada | |||
Province | British Columbia | |||
Highway system | ||||
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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 (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 from New Hazelton east to Aleza Lake. In 1948, 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 Haida Gwaii was commissioned in 1983[2] and is connected to the mainland segment via BC Ferries route #11.
A series of murders and disappearances has given the stretch between Prince Rupert and Prince George the name Highway of Tears.