British Columbia Highway 97C
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Highway 97C is an east–west highway, forming part of an important link between the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan Valley south of Kelowna, which is the third largest metropolitan area in the province. It bisects the Coquihalla Highway at Merritt. The expressway and freeway sections of the highway are known as Okanagan Connector or Coquihalla Connector. The section of Highway 97C between Highway 5 and Highway 97 is a core route of the National Highway System.
Route description
Highway 97C begins near Peachland, at a trumpet interchange on Highway 97 known as Drought Hill. The section of Highway 97C east of Merritt is an expressway ranging between 4 and 6 lanes, with a speed limit of Template:Convert. The section east of Aspen Grove is a freeway with a speed limit of Template:Convert. The road was formerly an expressway with a speed limit of Template:Convert. As of more recently, speed limits have been lowered in an effort to combat accidents along the highway. <ref>https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/reports-and-reference/reports-and-studies/planning-strategy-economy/speed-review/rural_hwy_safety_speed_review_post-implementation_update.pdf Template:Bare URL PDF</ref><ref>https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/speed-limit-bc-highways-reduced-1.4893914 Template:Bare URL inline</ref> Freeway sections along the highway have very few exits along its route. Its highest altitude is the Pennask Summit, Template:Convert above sea level. Highway 97C travels on this freeway Template:Convert northwest to Aspen Grove, where it converges with Highway 5A. This stretch is a four-lane rural arterial highway. Highways 97C and 5A share the Template:Convert long route between Aspen Grove and the Coquihalla Highway at Meritt, where Highway 5A continues northeast and Highway 8 begins.
Highways 97C and 8 travel along Nicola Avenue through Merritt and share a Template:Convert concurrency to Lower Nicola, where Highway 8 continues west to Spences Bridge and Highway 97C diverges north. Highway 97C goes north for Template:Convert to Logan Lake, then northwest for Template:Convert to Ashcroft on the Canadian National Railway. Highway 97C then travels Template:Convert west from Ashcroft to where it converges with Highway 1, which takes Highway 97C north for its final Template:Convert to its end at Highway 97 in Cache Creek.
History
Highway 97C was opened to traffic on October 1, 1990, and was constructed as the third phase of the Coquihalla Highway Project.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It cost $225 million to construct (equivalent to $Template:Inflation million in Template:Inflation-year dollars).Template:Inflation-fn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book
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Highway 97C was originally intended to have a freeway connection with the Coquihalla Highway approximately Template:Convert south of Merritt, near exit 256;<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> however due to protest by local residents in Merritt on the grounds that it would take tourists away from the area, the project was postponed and the freeway remains incomplete to this day.
In July 2007, the shared roadway of Highway 5A and 97C was upgraded to a two-lane road in each direction, the last segment required to enable two lanes in each direction when travelling between Vancouver and Kelowna. The upgrade was completed on July 24.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
When it was constructed, initial proposals had it designated as Highway 8; however, communities on the route preferred it designated as an auxiliary route of Highway 97, hence its Highway 97C designation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Clear
Major intersections
This table lists the exits on Route 97C from east to west.<ref>British Columbia Road Atlas (2007 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. pp. 57, 58, 69, 70.</ref> Template:BCinttop Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:Jctbridge Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:Jctplace Template:Jctint Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:Jctplace Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:BCint Template:Jctbtm