Cariboo Connector

Soaring economies in the oil and gas, forestry, mining and tourism industries have increased the need for a safe, reliable and efficient four-lane resource and trade highway that connects Northern B.C. with the Interior, through the heart of the province.

To meet this demand, the Ministry of Transportation is starting the first $200-million, five-year phase of a new Cariboo Connector strategy to widen the 460-km portion of Highway 97 from Cache Creek to Prince George. The improved Highway 97 will increase safety and decrease traveling times while providing northern communities with a first-class trade corridor that will support increased commercial traffic that is meeting the needs of a rapidly expanding economy.

To complete the Cariboo Connector, a strategy has been identified to widen the most urgent portions of Highway 97 first. These portions are typically in urban areas and around industrial and commercial centres where high traffic volumes cause increased congestion.

While passenger vehicle traffic has grown along Highway 97 by about three per cent between 2000 and 2003, heavy truck traffic has grown by as much as 28 per cent and is expected to continue to grow. Traffic volumes currently range from 20,000 vehicles per day in major centres to 3,700 vehicles per day in the rural areas.

The Cariboo Connector will be four-laned over a number of years. The first phase of improvements will begin over a five-year period, with subsequent phases introduced in the future. In rural areas, four-laning will be done where passing lanes are required. Eventually, the remaining portions will also be four-laned.

In total, this construction is anticipated to cost $2 billion over an, as of yet, undetermined number of years.

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Program Overview Presentation (PDF 1.41 MB)

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