It is a beast. Honestly, there isn’t a more polarizing stretch of asphalt in Western Canada than the British Columbia Coquihalla Highway. Locals just call it "The Coq." If you’ve ever driven it during a mid-January whiteout, you know exactly why it earned its own reality TV show. It’s a massive, high-altitude artery that connects the Lower Mainland to the Interior, specifically Hope to Merritt and then on to Kamloops. But it isn't just a road. It’s a test of nerves.
You start at sea level. Then, you climb.
The elevation gain is brutal on engines. One minute you’re looking at lush green trees near Hope, and twenty minutes later, you’re hitting the Great Bear Snowshed at 1,244 metres, surrounded by a wall of white. It’s fast. The speed limit is 120 km/h, though most people treat that as a suggestion, flying down the steep descents while transport trucks smell like burning brake pads.
The Engineering Feat That Almost Didn't Happen
People forget how controversial this project was in the 1980s. Premier Bill Bennett pushed for it to be finished in time for Expo 86. It was a mad dash. They moved 90 million tonnes of earth. They built 13 interchanges. They did it in only 20 months, which, considering the terrain, is basically a miracle.
Initially, it was a toll road. You’d pull up to those booths near Merritt and hand over your $10. By 2008, the provincial government finally scrapped the tolls, much to the relief of every commuter in the province. But the cost of maintenance never really stopped. Because the Coquihalla is built through a mountain pass, the environment is constantly trying to reclaim it.
Why the British Columbia Coquihalla Highway Breaks Records
Weather here is weird. It’s unpredictable. Because the highway crosses multiple mountain ranges, you get "micro-climates." You might have clear skies at the toll booth site and a literal ice storm five kilometers north.
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The 2021 atmospheric river proved just how vulnerable this route is. If you live in BC, you remember the photos. Entire sections of the four-lane highway were simply gone, washed away by mudslides and raging rivers. The Coldwater River surged so hard it bypassed bridges and ate the embankment. It was a logistical nightmare. The fact that the Ministry of Transportation got it reopened to commercial traffic in under a month is something engineers will be talking about for decades.
Survival Tips for the Coq
If you’re planning to drive the British Columbia Coquihalla Highway, don't be "that guy" in the summer tires. Seriously.
From October 1 to April 30, winter tires are legally required. And no, your "all-seasons" with a little M+S rating are barely enough; you want the mountain snowflake symbol. The Coquihalla doesn't care about your SUV's AWD system if you're sliding on a sheet of black ice near the Larson Hill summit.
- Check DriveBC. Every single time. Before you leave Hope, look at the webcams. If the summit looks like a blurred grey mess, grab a coffee and wait.
- Fuel up. There is a long stretch between Hope and Merritt with no gas stations. If you get stuck in a closure—which happens often due to accidents—you’ll want enough fuel to keep the heater running.
- The "Smashed Bread" Rule. Pack a bag of snacks and water. I’ve been stuck on that highway for six hours because a semi-truck jackknifed across all lanes.
- Respect the trucks. These guys are hauling heavy loads on 8% grades. Give them space. If you see their lights flashing, something is wrong ahead.
The Reality of the "Highway Thru Hell"
The show Highway Thru Hell isn't an exaggeration. Jamie Davis and the other heavy recovery operators are the only reason the Coq stays functional. When a 50,000-pound rig slides off a 50-foot embankment in the middle of a blizzard, it takes specialized rotators and a lot of guts to pull it back up.
The grade is the real killer. Coming down from the Coquihalla Summit toward Hope, you’re dropping hundreds of metres in a very short distance. There are runaway lanes filled with deep gravel for a reason. If your brakes fail, you steer into the gravel and hope for the best.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Route
A lot of tourists think the British Columbia Coquihalla Highway is the "scenic route." Honestly? It's efficient, but if you want scenery, you take Highway 1 through the Fraser Canyon. The Coq is a high-speed corridor. It’s built for moving goods and people fast.
Because of that speed, the accidents are high-energy. You’re dealing with wind gusts that can push a small car into the next lane. You’re dealing with "black ice" that looks like wet pavement but offers zero traction.
Real Talk on Drive Times
On a perfect summer day, you can do Hope to Kamloops in about two hours. It’s a beautiful, sweeping drive with massive vistas of the Cascades. But "perfect days" are rare. In the winter, you should double that estimate.
The Larson Hill area is notorious. It’s a high plateau where the wind whips across the road, creating "fingers" of snow that catch your tires. Many drivers get overconfident because the road is so wide. They think it’s like a city freeway. It isn't. It’s a mountain pass that happens to have four lanes.
Moving Forward with Your Trip
Before you put your car in gear and head up the hill, take 10 minutes to prepare.
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First, download the DriveBC app or keep the website open on your phone (have a passenger check it). Look specifically at the "Coquihalla Summit" and "Zopkios" cameras. If you see salt trucks and snowplows active, slow down.
Second, check your washer fluid. The road salt and slush on the Coq will coat your windshield in a white film within minutes. You’ll go through a whole jug of fluid in one trip during the shoulder season.
Third, understand the flow. Stay in the right lane unless you are actively passing. The left lane is for people who are comfortable doing 120 km/h in suboptimal conditions—mostly locals who know every curve. If you're nervous, stay right, keep your lights on, and don't panic-brake.
The British Columbia Coquihalla Highway is a marvel of human grit and a reminder of how powerful the Pacific Northwest environment is. Respect the mountain, and it’ll get you to the Okanagan in one piece.