Highway 24, also known as the Little Fort Highway or the Interlakes Highway, is a 97-kilometre-long (60 mi) east-west connection between the Cariboo Highway, just south of 100 Mile House, and the Southern Yellowhead Highway at Little Fort. It practically provides a "second-chance" route to travellers heading east from Vancouver who missed the route to the northern part of the province or toward Edmonton.

Highway 24 marker
Highway 24
Little Fort Highway
Interlakes Highway
Route information
Maintained by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
Length97 km (60 mi)
Existed1977–present
Major junctions
West end Highway 97 near 93 Mile House
East end Highway 5 (YH) in Little Fort
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Highway system
Highway 23 Highway 26

Although a rural gravel road did exist between 93 Mile House and Little Fort previously, construction under the Highway 24 name on the modern route did not begin until 1974.[1] A dirt highway was open by 1977. Paving and auxiliary feature installation was complete by 1981.

Route description

edit
 
Highway #24 near Little Fort, BC. photo was taken April 2011

Highway 24 straddles the boundary between the Cariboo and Thompson-Nicola Regional Districts. It begins in the west at 93 Mile House, approximately 11 km (6.8 mi) south of 100 Mile House. After 9 km (5.6 mi), it passes through the small community of Lone Butte. After passing several turn-offs to resort lakes including Sheridan Lake, the highway passes through the community of Bridge Lake, 38 km (24 mi) later. The highway then proceeds another 50 km (31 mi) east through the forest and over a large hill before reaching its terminus in Little Fort.

A very scenic drive, the highway follows a historic trail used by the Shuswap people as a trade route and was later developed by the Hudson's Bay Company in the early 19th century to bring furs from northern BC out to Fort Kamloops and the Columbia River.

See also

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ "BC Minister of Highways Report for Fiscal Year 1974/75". July 31, 1975. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  2. ^ Ministry of Transportation Publication
edit