The old BC 97 sure feels like a former major highway as I head north on Kiskatinaw Rd. It's even got a yellow centreline.


Not yet to the bridge, this old-font speed limit sign probably doesn't date to when this was still BC 97 (before 1978)... but I can't be certain. The separate "km/h" banner, whereas all new signs incorporate it directly, implies that the speed limit could have been old enough to predate metric conversion, and then reused here. (I could believe BC 97 had a mainline speed limit of 60 mph, and then this section would have been 40 mph.) Let's pretend it is.


The wooden deck is smooth and wide enough for two vehicles to safely pass. Frequent holes cut in the wooden curb on the south side provide drainage. (Advantage of wood, there.) What's interesting is that the truss, deck, curbs, even guiderail posts are wooden. The only thing that isn't wood is the guiderail itself, for safety reasons. If not for the 20-tonne weight limit, this would be a serviceable highway mainline. I guess the sharp curves and restricted sightlines are part of the issue as well, leading to the straighter modern alignment.


Looking east along the Kiskatinaw River.


And looking west.


Back south across what I've seen called the Kiskatinaw Bridge, but I don't have official confirmation on the name. The reason it looks so different from other bridges in BC is that it was built under different circumstances: during World War 2, and not by BC. In fact, I am driving on a piece of the USA! The US Public Roads Administration built this in 1942-1943 for easier access between the country (then 48 states) and the Alaska Territory, seen as a strategic defense point for North America.


Back south to the end of the road, which turns into a stub and forces traffic into the 220 Rd. range road heading east.

Current BC 97

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