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 ofPrince 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. A series of murders and disappearances has given the stretch between Prince Rupert and Prince George the name Highway of Tears.
Route description
Haida Gwaii section
The segment of the -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 to the inlet town of Port Clements. Winding its way along the boundary of Naikoon Provincial Park, Highway 16 goes south for before reaching the community of Tlell. 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 due northeast to its landing at Prince Rupert. From Prince Rupert, Highway 16 begins its winding route east through the Coast Mountain Ranges. Following the Skeena River, the highway travels for to the city of Terrace. Highway 37 merges onto Highway 16 from north of Highway 16, at the Kitwanga junction. Another northeast, Highway 16 reaches New Hazelton, where it then veers southeast along the Bulkley River. later, the highway reaches the town of Smithers, proceeding southeast another to the village of Houston. At Houston, Highway 16 begins a parallel course along the upper course of the Bulkley River, proceeding east to its junction with Highway 35, south of Burns Lake. east, after passing through the hamlet of Fraser Lake, Highway 16 reaches its junction with Highway 27 in the town of Vanderhoof. 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. 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 to McBride, then continues upstream for another to its junction with Highway 5 at Tête Jaune Cache. east of Tête Jaune Cache, Highway 16 enters Mount Robson Provincial Park, coursing through the park for to the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta within Yellowhead Pass.
The Highway of Tears is a stretch of Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert. Since 1970, numerous women have gone missing or have been murdered along the section of highway. Aboriginal organizations speculate that number ranges above forty. In 2006, RCMP launched Project E-Pana; a special task force that, with the exception of Shelley-Ann Bascue, originally focused on the Highway of Tears disappearances and murders. The unit was originally given nine cases in 2006, expanded its scope away from Highway of Tears victims in 2007, and doubled to eighteen cases in 2007. Due to budget cutbacks in the past few years, E-Pana's officers and budget have been dramatically cut. RCMP claimed that these cuts significantly hindered investigations into the Highway of Tears. Not a single Highway of Tears case has been solved through E-Pana to date.
Major intersections
From west to east, the following intersections are observed along Highway 16. Distances exclude the ferry between Skidegate and Prince Rupert.
