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{{refimprove|date=March 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{short description|Highway in British Columbia}}
{{more citations needed|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox road
{{Infobox road
|province=BC
|province=BC
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|junction={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|97C}} near [[Lower Nicola, British Columbia|Lower Nicola]]
|junction={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|97C}} near [[Lower Nicola, British Columbia|Lower Nicola]]
|direction_b=East
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|5|Hwy|5A|Hwy|97C}} in [[Merritt, British Columbia|Merritt]]
|terminus_b={{jct|state=BC|YH|5|Hwy|5A|Hwy|97C}} in [[Merritt, British Columbia|Merritt]]
|previous_type=Hwy
|previous_type=Hwy
|previous_route=7B
|previous_route=7B
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}}
}}


'''Highway 8''', known as the ''Nicola Highway'', is an alternate route to [[British Columbia Highway 97C|Highway 97C]] between [[British Columbia Highway 1|Highway 1]] and the [[British Columbia Highway 5|Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5)]] in the [[Thompson-Nicola Regional District]]. Highway 8 was first numbered in 1953, and very little about the highway has changed since that year. Highway 8 follows the Nicola River for {{conv|69|km|mi|abbr=on}} between [[Spences Bridge, British Columbia|Spences Bridge]], on Highway 1, to [[Merritt, British Columbia|Merritt]] on Highway 5.
'''Highway 8''', known as the ''Nicola Highway'', is an alternate route to [[British Columbia Highway 97C|Highway&nbsp;97C]] between [[British Columbia Highway 1|Highway&nbsp;1]] and the [[British Columbia Highway 5|Coquihalla Highway (Highway&nbsp;5)]] in the [[Thompson-Nicola Regional District]]. Highway&nbsp;8 was first numbered in 1953, and very little about the highway changed between that year and 2021, when large segments of the highway were [[November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods|washed out by floods]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=November 17, 2021|title=Sections of Highway 8 completely washed away by Nicola River|url=https://www.wltribune.com/news/sections-of-highway-8-completely-washed-away-by-nicola-river/|access-date=November 20, 2021|website=Williams Lake Tribune|language=en-US}}</ref>

Highway&nbsp;8 follows the [[Nicola River]] for {{convert|69|km|mi|abbr=on}} between [[Spences Bridge, British Columbia|Spences Bridge]], on Highway&nbsp;1, to [[Merritt, British Columbia|Merritt]] on Highway&nbsp;5.

==History==
Highway&nbsp;8 is part of the first automobile route built to connect the [[Lower Mainland]] to the [[Alberta]] border.<ref name=timeline>{{cite web|last1=Schlingloff|first1=Jeff|title=Route Historical Timeline|url=http://www.vcn.bc.ca/~avt/Timeline.htm|website=Trail - Road - Rail construction timeline|accessdate=October 2, 2017|date=2006}}</ref> Named the ''Southern Trans-Provincial Highway'', it ran from [[Vancouver]] to [[Crowsnest Pass]] and was later designated as ''Route&nbsp;A;'' the route followed [[Kingsway (Vancouver)|Kingsway]] and [[Old Yale Road|Yale Road]] from Vancouver to [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]], then turned north to [[Spences Bridge]].<ref name=Opposite>{{cite web|title=The Trans-Provincial Highway|url=https://oppositethecity.wordpress.com/2015/11/26/the-trans-provincial-highway/|website=Opposite the City|accessdate=October 2, 2017|date=November 26, 2015}}</ref> The route then turned southeast and passed through [[Merritt, British Columbia|Merritt]] and [[Princeton, British Columbia|Princeton]] along present-day Highway&nbsp;8 and [[British Columbia Highway 5A|Highway&nbsp;5A]] before travelling east along present-day [[Crowsnest Highway]] ([[British Columbia Highway 3|Highway&nbsp;3]]) towards [[Osoyoos]], the [[Kootenays]], and the Alberta border.<ref name=map_1939>{{cite map|author1 = Rand McNally and Company |year = 1939 |title = State Farm Road Atlas: United States, Canada, Mexico | map = Western and Central Canada |scale = |location = Chicago, IL |publisher = State Farm Insurance Companies Travel Bureau |pages = 94-95 |isbn = |edition = |url = https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/workspace/handleMediaPlayer;JSESSIONID=7a582218-e106-4337-bada-63f5bede133f?lunaMediaId=RUMSEY~8~1~258685~5522128|via=[[David Rumsey Historical Map Collection]]}}</ref> In 1941, British Columbia transitioned from lettered to numbered highways, with the Lower Mainland section of Route&nbsp;A becoming [[British Columbia Highway 1|Highway&nbsp;1]] and the remainder becoming Highway&nbsp;3. After the end of World War II, the provincial government began to upgrade its highway system and constructed new sections of its highways. On November 2, 1949, the Hope-Princeton Highway through [[Allison Pass]] and [[Sunday Summit]] was opened,<ref>{{cite web|title=Opening of the Hope-Princeton Highway, November 2, 1949|url=http://search-bcarchives.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/opening-of-hope-princeton-highway-november-2-1949|website=RBCM Archives|publisher=Royal BC Museum|accessdate=October 2, 2017|language=en}}</ref> reducing the driving distance between Hope and Princeton from approximately {{cvt|300|km|round=5}} to {{cvt|135|km|round=5}}.

When the [[Okanagan Connector]] was constructed between Merritt and [[Kelowna]] in the late 1980s, initial proposals had it designated as Highway&nbsp;8; however, communities on the route preferred it designated as an [[auxiliary route]] of [[British Columbia Highway 97|Highway&nbsp;97]] and was designated as Highway&nbsp;97C.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Story of the Highway 97 Alphabet |url=https://www.tranbc.ca/2018/06/29/the-story-of-the-highway-97-alphabet/ |website=TranBC {{!}} Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure |publisher=Government of British Columbia |accessdate=November 24, 2018 |date=August 2018}}</ref>

During the [[November 2021 Pacific Northwest floods|major floods]] in November 2021, large segments of the highway were washed out by the [[Nicola River]].<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Serebrin|first=Jacob|date=November 18, 2021|title=Could take weeks to begin repairing 'unprecedented' damage to B.C.'s road system, experts say|work=[[CBC News]]|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-floods-highways-repairs-1.6253636|access-date=November 18, 2021}}</ref> Further washouts occurred during repairs in mid-2022.<ref name="bcgovreopen">{{cite news |last1=Staff Writer |date=November 9, 2022 |title=Highway 8 reopens to public |url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2022TRAN0114-001688 |access-date=November 12, 2022 |publisher=Government of British Columbia |agency=British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure}}</ref> On September 23, 2022, it was announced that highway had been reconnected for the first time since the washouts, enabling locals to use the highway.<ref name="Doyle1">{{cite news |last1=Potenteau |first1=Doyle |title=Highway 8 in B.C.'s Interior reconnected, 10 months after torrential rains washed out 25 sections |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/9153117/b-c-highway-8-reconnected/ |access-date=13 November 2022 |agency=Global News |publisher=Global News |date=23 September 2022}}</ref> The highway subsequently reopened to the general public on November 9, nearly a year after the washouts.<ref name=bcgovreopen/><ref>{{cite news |last1=Staff Writer |title=Nearly a year after being destroyed by floods, Highway 8 reopens |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/highway-8-reopens-1.6646272 |access-date=November 12, 2022 |agency=CBC News |publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation |date=November 9, 2022}}</ref>


==Major intersections==
==Major intersections==
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|website=British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
|website=British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
|publisher=Cypher Consulting
|publisher=Cypher Consulting
|date=July 2016}}</ref>}}
|date=July 2016
|access-date=March 23, 2017
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311044605/http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/transportation-infrastructure/engineering-standards-and-guidelines/traffic-engineering-and-safety/highway-safety/lki/lki_bc_201607.pdf
|archivedate=March 11, 2017
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>}}
{{BCint
{{BCint
|location=Spences Bridge
|location=Spences Bridge
|km=0.00
|km=0.00
|road={{jct|state=BC|TCH|1|name1=[[Trans-Canada Highway]]|city1=Vancouver|city2=Cache Creek}}
|road={{jct|state=BC|TCH|1|city1=Hope|city2=Vancouver|city3=Cache Creek}}
|notes=BC&nbsp;8 western terminus
|notes=Hwy&nbsp;8 western terminus
}}
}}
{{BCint
{{BCint
|location=Lower Nicola
|location=Lower Nicola
|km=56.69
|road=Aberdeen Road
|notes=
}}
{{BCint
|location=none
|km=60.31
|km=60.31
|type=concur
|type=concur
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|97C|dir1=north|city1=Logan Lake|city2=Ashcroft}}
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|97C|dir1=north|city1=Logan Lake|city2=Ashcroft}}
|notes=West end of BC&nbsp;97C concurrency
|notes=West end of Hwy&nbsp;97C concurrency
}}
}}
{{BCint
{{BCint
|location=Merritt
|location=Merritt
|lspan=3
|lspan=2
|km=65.17
|km=65.17
|road=Voght Street
|road=Voght Street
|notes=Former {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|5A|dir1=north|noshield1=yes}}; former west end of BC 5A concurrency
|notes=Former {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|5A|dir1=north|noshield1=yes}};<br />former west end of Hwy&nbsp;5A concurrency
}}
}}
{{Jctint
{{BCint
|km=69.32
|km=69.32
|mspan=2
|mspan=
|type=concur
|type=concur
|road=[[File:YellowheadShield.jpg|17px|alt=|link=]]{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|5|name1=Coquihalla Highway|Hwy|5A|to2=yes|dir2=north|city1=Kamloops|city2=Vancouver}}
|road={{jct|state=BC|YH|5|name1=Coquihalla Highway|Hwy|5A|to2=yes|dir2=north|city1=Kamloops|city2=Hope|city3=Vancouver}}<hr />{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|5A|Hwy|97C|dir1=south|dir2=east|city1=Princeton|city2=Kelowna}}
|notes=Coldwater interchange (BC 5 exit 286)<br>BC&nbsp;8 eastern terminus
|notes=Coldwater interchange (Hwy&nbsp;5 exit 286); Hwy&nbsp;8 eastern terminus
}}
{{Jctgap
|text=Continues as {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|5A|Hwy|97C|dir1=south|dir2=east|city1=Princeton|city2=Kelowna}}
}}
}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}

==Further reading==
The History of Highway 8.<ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://issuu.com/opmediagroup/docs/bcm_summer-2023/54 |last=Shewchuk |first=Murphy |pp=54–59 |title=BC Magazine: The History of Highway 8 |year=2023 |website=issuu.com}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
* [http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-reports-and-reference/numbered-routes Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20170105151258/http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-reports-and-reference/numbered-routes Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia]
* [https://www.hellobc.com/stories/bc-road-trip-merritt-to-hope-via-highway-5-or-highway-8 Road trip through British Columbia]


{{BCHighways}}
{{BCHighways}}

Latest revision as of 03:32, 3 September 2024

Highway 8 marker
Highway 8
Nicola Highway
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Length69 km[1] (43 mi)
Existed1953–present
Major junctions
West end Highway 1 (TCH) in Spences Bridge
Major intersections Highway 97C near Lower Nicola
East end Highway 5 (YH) / Highway 5A / Highway 97C in Merritt
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Highway system
← Highway 7B→ Highway 9

Highway 8, known as the Nicola Highway, is an alternate route to Highway 97C between Highway 1 and the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District. Highway 8 was first numbered in 1953, and very little about the highway changed between that year and 2021, when large segments of the highway were washed out by floods.[2]

Highway 8 follows the Nicola River for 69 km (43 mi) between Spences Bridge, on Highway 1, to Merritt on Highway 5.

History

[edit]

Highway 8 is part of the first automobile route built to connect the Lower Mainland to the Alberta border.[3] Named the Southern Trans-Provincial Highway, it ran from Vancouver to Crowsnest Pass and was later designated as Route A; the route followed Kingsway and Yale Road from Vancouver to Hope, then turned north to Spences Bridge.[4] The route then turned southeast and passed through Merritt and Princeton along present-day Highway 8 and Highway 5A before travelling east along present-day Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3) towards Osoyoos, the Kootenays, and the Alberta border.[5] In 1941, British Columbia transitioned from lettered to numbered highways, with the Lower Mainland section of Route A becoming Highway 1 and the remainder becoming Highway 3. After the end of World War II, the provincial government began to upgrade its highway system and constructed new sections of its highways. On November 2, 1949, the Hope-Princeton Highway through Allison Pass and Sunday Summit was opened,[6] reducing the driving distance between Hope and Princeton from approximately 300 km (185 mi) to 135 km (85 mi).

When the Okanagan Connector was constructed between Merritt and Kelowna in the late 1980s, initial proposals had it designated as Highway 8; however, communities on the route preferred it designated as an auxiliary route of Highway 97 and was designated as Highway 97C.[7]

During the major floods in November 2021, large segments of the highway were washed out by the Nicola River.[2][8] Further washouts occurred during repairs in mid-2022.[9] On September 23, 2022, it was announced that highway had been reconnected for the first time since the washouts, enabling locals to use the highway.[10] The highway subsequently reopened to the general public on November 9, nearly a year after the washouts.[9][11]

Major intersections

[edit]

For west to east. The entire route is in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District.

Locationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Spences Bridge0.000.00 Highway 1 (TCH) – Hope, Vancouver, Cache CreekHwy 8 western terminus
Lower Nicola60.3137.47 Highway 97C north – Logan Lake, AshcroftWest end of Hwy 97C concurrency
Merritt65.1740.49Voght StreetFormer Highway 5A north;
former west end of Hwy 5A concurrency
69.3243.07 Highway 5 (YH) (Coquihalla Highway) to Highway 5A north – Kamloops, Hope, Vancouver
Highway 5A south / Highway 97C east – Princeton, Kelowna		Coldwater interchange (Hwy 5 exit 286); Hwy 8 eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Further reading

[edit]

The History of Highway 8.[12]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Landmark Kilometre Inventory (PDF). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (Report). Cypher Consulting. July 2016. pp. 202–206. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 11, 2017. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  2. ^ a b "Sections of Highway 8 completely washed away by Nicola River". Williams Lake Tribune. November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
  3. ^ Schlingloff, Jeff (2006). "Route Historical Timeline". Trail - Road - Rail construction timeline. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Trans-Provincial Highway". Opposite the City. November 26, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  5. ^ 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 – via David Rumsey Historical Map Collection.
  6. ^ "Opening of the Hope-Princeton Highway, November 2, 1949". RBCM Archives. Royal BC Museum. Retrieved October 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "The Story of the Highway 97 Alphabet". TranBC | Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Government of British Columbia. August 2018. Retrieved November 24, 2018.
  8. ^ Serebrin, Jacob (November 18, 2021). "Could take weeks to begin repairing 'unprecedented' damage to B.C.'s road system, experts say". CBC News. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  9. ^ a b Staff Writer (November 9, 2022). "Highway 8 reopens to public". Government of British Columbia. British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  10. ^ Potenteau, Doyle (September 23, 2022). "Highway 8 in B.C.'s Interior reconnected, 10 months after torrential rains washed out 25 sections". Global News. Global News. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Staff Writer (November 9, 2022). "Nearly a year after being destroyed by floods, Highway 8 reopens". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. CBC News. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  12. ^ Shewchuk, Murphy (2023). "BC Magazine: The History of Highway 8". issuu.com. pp. 54–59.
[edit]
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