British Columbia Highway 99

Highway 99
Vancouver-Blaine Freeway Fraser Delta Thruway Granville Street Georgia Street Sea to Sky Highway Duffey Lake Road
Route information
Length:	409 km (254 mi)
Existed:	1942 – present
Major junctions
South end:	I‑5 at Canada–United States border in Surrey
	BC 99A in Surrey BC 91 in Delta BC 17 in Delta BC 17A in Delta BC 91 in Richmond BC 7 in Vancouver BC 1A in Vancouver BC 1 in West Vancouver BC 12 in Lillooet
North end:	BC 97 near Cache Creek
Location
Major cities:	Surrey Delta Richmond Vancouver West Vancouver Squamish Whistler Pemberton Lillooet
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways ← BC 97D BC 101 →

Highway 99, also known as the Fraser Delta Thruway south of Vancouver, and the Sea to Sky Highway, the Squamish Highway, or Whistler Highway north of Vancouver, is the major north–south artery running through the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia from the U.S. border, up Howe Sound through the Sea to Sky Country to Lillooet, and connecting to Highway 97 just north of Cache Creek. The number of this highway is derived from the old U.S. Route 99, with which the highway originally connected. The highway currently connects with Interstate 5 at the international border.

This highway received the "99" designation in 1942 after completion of the King George VI Highway (1940) to the U.S. border, and it originally shared an alignment with Highway 1 from Surrey to Vancouver via the Pattullo Bridge and Kingsway. The current freeway alignment of Highway 99 between 8th Avenue in South Surrey and the North Arm of the Fraser River opened in 1962 as Hwy. 99 and was called the Deas (Island) Throughway. Between 1964 and 1973, the freeway alignment of Highway 99 was designated Highway 499. The Oak Street Bridge was built in 1957 to cross the North Arm Fraser River, and the Deas Island Tunnel was built 1957–59 (renamed the George Massey Tunnel in 1967) to cross the Fraser River. Tolls were collected at the crossings but were rescinded by the provincial government around 1963–64.

In 1957, the northern end of Highway 99 was moved from downtown Vancouver, across the Lions Gate Bridge and west to the village of Horseshoe Bay, following Marine Drive through West Vancouver. Highway 99 was re-aligned via Taylor Way, just east of the Park Royal Shopping Centre, to the Upper Levels Highway and extended to Britannia Beach one year later, extending to Squamish in 1959, and to Pemberton in 1966. Finally, in 1992, the just-paved Duffey Lake Road between Pemberton and Lillooet was made part of Highway 99, and the section of Highway 12 between Lillooet and Highway 97 was re-numbered 99. The portion of the highway between Lillooet and Pavilion was part of the route of the Old Cariboo Road.

The total length of Highway 99 from the U.S. border to the Highway 97 junction is 409 kilometres (254 mi). In 2006 the UK's The Guardian newspaper listed the Sea to Sky as the fifth best road trip worldwide.^[1]

Route details

South Surrey to Richmond

Highway 99 in Metro Vancouver, highlighted in red.

In the south, Highway 99 begins at the British Columbia – Washington State border crossing at Douglas, on the Canadian side of Peace Arch Park, as a continuation of Interstate 5. The highway begins with a four-lane freeway configuration. Highway 99 travels through Surrey 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) due northwest from the border, through four interchanges, and then turns west for 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) before reaching the junction with Highway 91, marking the highway's entry into the Corporation of Delta. Four km (2½ mi) west, Highway 99 reaches its junction with Ladner Trunk Road (formerly Highway 10). Eight km (5 mi) north, Highway 99 reaches a junction with Highway 17A. Another 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) northwest, Highway 99 crosses into Richmond through the George Massey Tunnel, also known as the Deas Tunnel or Deas Island Tunnel. From Surrey to Vancouver, the speed limit is 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph).

Through Richmond, Highway 99 travels 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north from the Steveston Highway interchange, at the north mouth of the tunnel, to a junction which connects to the Westminster Highway, Knight Street, and western end of Highway 91. Another 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) northwest, the southern freeway section of Highway 99 ends as the highway crosses the North Arm of the Fraser River, over the Oak Street Bridge, into Vancouver.

Vancouver

Highway 99, looking north (towards Vancouver) from the Steveston Highway overpass, just north of the George Massey Tunnel.

The Lions' Gate Bridge carries Highway 99 between Vancouver and North Vancouver

The 30 kilometres (19 mi) long route through Vancouver's city streets starts off going north on Oak Street to the intersection with West 70th Avenue. Highway 99 then goes west on West 70th Avenue,^[2] and then north along Granville Street for 7 kilometres (4.3 mi). It crosses over False Creek (via the Granville Street Bridge) into the downtown core. Highway 99 north goes through the downtown area by way of Seymour Street (southbound it uses Howe Street) and Georgia Street, through Stanley Park, and over the Lions Gate Bridge into West Vancouver at Marine Drive.

Trans-Canada Highway/Upper Levels Highway

In West Vancouver, Highway 99 goes west on Marine Drive and north on Taylor Way, to Highway 1. Highway 99 shares the Upper Levels Highway with Highway 1 for 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) west, diverging from Highway 1 near the BC Ferries terminal at Horseshoe Bay.

Sea to Sky Highway and Duffey Lake Road

Highway 99 Near Squamish

The "Sea to Sky Highway" is the name given to the section of Highway 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton. From Horseshoe Bay, the highway travels along the coast of Howe Sound for 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) to Lions Bay, north for another 21 kilometres (13 mi), crossing into the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District en route to Britannia Beach, and north for 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) to Squamish, at the head of Howe Sound. From Squamish, it continues north for another 58 kilometres (36 mi) to Whistler, and then to Pemberton 32 kilometres (20 mi) later, where the Sea-to-Sky Highway ends and Duffey Lake Road begins. After going for almost 100 winding kilometres in very steep mountains where sometimes the speed limit is 30 km/h, (99 km) (62 mi) northeast, Highway 99 reaches the junction with Highway 12 at Lillooet, and then goes northeast for another 75 kilometres (47 mi) to its northern terminus at its junction with Highway 97, just north of Cache Creek and just south of Clinton. The speed limit of the Sea-to-Sky Highway range from 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph) to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) with 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph) sections in Lions Bay, Britannia Beach and parts of Squamish.

The Sea to Sky Highway section of Highway 99 has a checkered history. Built on a steep cliff overlooking Howe Sound, it was a two-lane undivided highway with no outside barrier. Many motorists have lost their lives on it due to inclement weather, poor visibility, speeding, passing slower vehicles, or drunk driving.

As part of the 2010 Winter Olympics bid, the British Columbia provincial government has authorized upgrading the highway to accommodate greater traffic loads, widening the highway and adding a concrete divider. Starting in 2002 a large section was upgraded between Squamish and Whistler that had already seen major improvements during the 1980s. The Sea to Sky is a freeway from the interchange with Highway 1 to the at-grade intersection with Lawrence Way. After that, there are sporadic interchanges and at-grade intersections. It is mostly a divided highway all the way to Lions Bay and through Squamish.

On-site protests delayed part of the construction. Protesters claimed that a tunnel under Eagleridge Bluffs was a safer and environmentally friendlier alternative. A court injunction and police were used to remove the protestors, one of whom, Harriet Nahanee, a respected Squamish elder, died soon after in the Surrey Pre-Trial Centre from health complications alleged to be related to her arrest and incarceration.^[3][4]

Exit list

Regional district	Location	km[5]	mi	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Continues as I‑5 south – Bellingham, Everett, Seattle
Metro Vancouver	Surrey	0.00	0.00		Canada – United States border	Southern terminus of BC 99
		0.62	0.39		Peace Park Drive	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				1	Beach Road	At-grade intersection
		1.04	0.65	2	8th Avenue to BC 1 – USA Border, White Rock, Hope	Signed as exits 2A (8th Avenue east) and 2B (8th Avenue west) southbound; southbound exit 2B is via King George Boulevard
		3.41	2.12	4	16th Avenue
		7.27	4.52	8A	152nd Street south	Southbound exit only
		7.27	4.52	8B	32nd Avenue, 152nd Street north	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		9.27	5.76	10	King George Boulevard, BC 99A – Surrey	No access to BC 99 southbound from King George northbound
	Delta	15.37	9.55	16	BC 91 north – North Delta, New Westminster
		20.06	12.46	20	Ladner Trunk Road – South Delta
				23	80th Street, Ladner Trunk Road	Southbound only
				26	BC 17 west (South Fraser Perimeter Road) – Tsawwassen, Victoria, Nanaimo	No direct access from route 99 north to route 17 east; Victoria and Nanaimo are via BC Ferries
		27.48	17.08	28	BC 17A south (to River Road) – Ladner
		28.88	17.95	29	River Road south	Southbound exit only
	Delta–Richmond line	29.55– 30.41	18.36– 18.90	George Massey Tunnel under the South Arm Fraser River
	Richmond	31.24	19.41	32	Steveston Highway
		35.33	21.95	36	Westminster Highway	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		35.85	22.28	37	BC 91 – North Delta, Surrey
		37.78	23.48	38	Shell Road	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
		38.37	23.84	39	Bridgeport Road – Airport	Northbound exit and entrance
		38.49	23.92	North end of freeway
		38.54	23.95	39B	No. 4 Road	Southbound exit only
		39.14	24.32	39A	Sea Island Way – Airport	No northbound exit
	Richmond–Vancouver line	38.91– 40.69	24.18– 25.28	Oak Street Bridge over the North Arm Fraser River
	Vancouver			41	Marine Drive	Signed as 41A (Marine Drive east) and 41B (Marine Drive west) northbound; no exit number southbound; southbound exit is via Oak Street
					4th Avenue, Fir Street south	Interchange; 4th Avenue is southbound exit and northbound entrance; Fir Street is southbound exit only
				Granville Street Bridge over False Creek
					Seymour Street	Northbound exit to Seymour Street and southbound entrance from Howe Street
					Stanley Park Drive, Pipeline Road	South end of BC 1A concurrency
		5.36	3.33		Stanley Park Drive	Closed during peak hours
	Vancouver–West Vancouver line	3.39– 1.86	2.11– 1.16	Lions Gate Bridge over Burrard Inlet
	West Vancouver	1.18	0.73		Capilano Road, Marine Drive east to BC 1	Interchange
		0.00 13.15	0.00 8.17		BC 1 east / Taylor Way – North Vancouver	Interchange; north end of BC 1A concurrency; south end of BC 1 concurrency
				South end of freeway
		11.46	7.12	11	15th Street, Cross Creek Road
		10.59	6.58	10	21st Street, Westhill Drive, Folkestone Way, 22nd Street	22nd Street is southbound exit only; no southbound access to 21st Street, Westhill Drive, Folkestone Way
		8.54	5.31	8	Cypress Bowl Road
		6.95	4.32	7	Wentworth Avenue, Westmount Road
		4.29	2.67	4	Westport Road, Northwood Drive
		2.21	1.37	3	BC 1 west to BC 101 – Horseshoe Bay, Nanaimo, Gibsons	North end of BC 1 concurrency; BC 101, Nanaimo and Gibsons are via BC Ferries
		1.94 0.61	1.21 0.38	2	Eagleridge Drive to Marine Drive	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
		3.81	2.37		Horseshoe Bay Drive to Marine Drive	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; former BC 99; serves Horseshoe Bay
		4.31	2.68		Ansell Place
		5.91	3.67		Lawrence Way	At-grade intersection
	​	7.67– 8.74	4.77– 5.43		Strachan Point Road	Southbound right-in and right-out
	​	9.18	5.70		Ocean Point Drive to Strachan Point Road
	Lions Bay	11.74	7.29		Kelvin Grove Way	Southbound exit and entrance are via Lion Grove Way
		12.39– 12.74	7.70– 7.92		Lions Bay Avenue	Southbound exit is via Isleview Place
		14.31	8.89		Brunswick Road
Squamish-Lillooet	​				Porteau Road	U-turn route
	​				Furry Creek Drive	Southbound exit is via Waterfront Drive
	​			North end of freeway
	Britannia Beach				Copper Drive
	​				Darrell Bay Road, Shannon Falls Road	Darrell Bay Road serves Darrell Bay; Shannon Falls Road serves Shannon Falls Provincial Park
	Squamish				Cleveland Avenue, Loggers Lane – Squamish
					Centennial Way	Right-in and right-out
					Depot Road – Brackendale
					Squamish Valley Road, Alice Lake Road – Squamish Valley, Paradise Valley	Alice Lake Road serves Alice Lake Provincial Park
	​				Retta Lake Road	Serves Retta Lake
	Callaghan Valley				Callaghan Valley Road – Brandywine Valley, Whistler Olympic Park, Callaghan Lake Provincial Park
	Whistler				Village Gate Road – Whistler Village
					Lormier Road – Upper Village
					Nicklaus North Boulevard, Cypress Place	Nicklaus North Boulevard serves Whistler/Green Lake Water Aerodrome
	Pemberton				Pemberton Meadows Road, Vine Road – Pemberton
	Lillooet				Texas Creek (Texas Creek Road)
					Lillooet, Gold Bridge (Seton Lake Road)
					BC 12 (Lytton-Lilloet Highway) – Lytton, Spences Bridge, Hope
	​				BC 97 – Prince George, 100 Mile House, Cache Creek, Kamloops	Northern terminus of BC 99
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

Footnotes

1. "Five Best...Road Trips". The Guardian. London. 1 April 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
2. A left turn from Oak onto 70th is not permitted, but a right turn from 70th onto Oak is permitted.
3. "First Nations elder Harriet Nahanee (1935 - 2007)". Institute for the History of Science. 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-18.
4. Harriet Nahanee Did Not Die in Vain, Rafe Mair, The Tyee, March 5, 2007
5. B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (July 2010). "B.C. Landmark Kilometre Inventory". Retrieved July 31, 2013.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

• Media related to British Columbia Highway 99 at Wikimedia Commons