British Columbia Highway 16

Highway 16
Highway 16 highlighted in red.
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Length1,173 km (729 mi)
Existed1941–present
Haida Gwaii segment
Length101 km (63 mi)
North endMasset
South end BC Ferries dock in Skidegate
Mainland segment
Length1,072 km (666 mi)
West end BC Ferries dock in Prince Rupert
Major intersections
East end Highway 16 (TCH) at the Alberta border
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Highway system
Highway 15 Highway 17

Highway 16 is a highway in British Columbia, Canada. It is British Columbia's important section of the Yellowhead Highway, a part of the Trans-Canada Highway that runs across Western Canada, from British Columbia's Graham Island east to Winnipeg, Manitoba, via Edmonton, Alberta, and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The highway closely follows the path of the northern B.C. alignment of the Canadian National Railway (CN). The number "16" was first given to the highway in 1941, 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 Aleza Lake. In 1948, Highway 16's western end was moved from New Hazelton to the coastal city of Prince 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 Haida Gwaii was commissioned in 1983 and is connected to the mainland segment via BC Ferries route No. 11.

A series of murders and disappearances has given the stretch between Prince Rupert and Prince George the name "Highway of Tears".