British Columbia Highway 19

Infobox road
province=BC
type=Hwy
route=19
maint=


length_km=
length_round=
length_ref=
established=
direction_a=
starting_terminus=
junction=
direction_b=
ending_terminus=
previous_type=Hwy
previous_route=18
next_type=Hwy
next_route=19A

Highway 19, known locally as the "Island Highway", is the main north-south thoroughfare on Vancouver Island north of Nanaimo. A highwayhas existed on the Island since about 1912. Originally, gravel and rough, the highway was an essential link together with the E and N Railway. The paved highway first opened in 1953, replacing a stretch of Highway 1 between Nanaimo and Campbell River, finally being extended to the northern tip of the island in the late 1970s. The total length of the highway is 406 km (252 mi).

Route details

Highway 19's northern end is at an intersection with Market Street in the small community of Port Hardy. The highway then proceeds in a southwest arc through the town centre, then goes southeast through a junction with the B.C. Ferry terminal at Bear Cove, and a junction with Port McNeill. The highway then winds its way past Nimpkish Lake, then through a 163 km (101 mi) long stretch of dense forest terrain, through the community of Woss and a junction with Sayward, finally entering the city of Campbell River at a junction with Highways 28 and 19A, just past the river that the city is named for.

The entire stretch of Highway 19 north of Campbell River is an undivided two-lane configuration. Once at the junction with Highways 28 and 19A, Highway 19 separates into an expressway configuration, built between 1996 and 2001. In Campbell River, the expressway shares its northbound lanes with Tamarac Street, and its southbound lanes with Willow Street. The entire stretch of Highway 19 between Campbell River and the city of Parksville is a divided four-lane freeway or expressway (alternates), with a nominal speed limit of 110 km/h (68 mph), and is referred to as the "Inland Island Highway".

South from Campbell River, Highway 19 is divided primarily by a concrete wall, and goes through a series of six at-grade intersections, five of them possessing exit numbers. 52 km (32 mi) south of Campbell River, Highway 19 reaches its first interchange, with a four-lane arterial highway that goes west to the village of Cumberland and east to the communities of Courtenay and Comox. Past the Courtenay Interchange, Highway 19 is divided by a grass median. 16 km (10 mi) later, Highway 19 reaches another interchange, this time with a two-lane road that goes a short distance east to the B.C. Ferry terminal at Buckley Bay. There are two more at-grade intersections on Highway 19 in the 41 km (25 mi) between the Buckley Bay Interchange and the interchange with Highway 4, which goes east into Qualicum Beach. 9 km (6 mi) later, Highway 19 goes through another interchange, this time with Highway 4A, which goes east into Parksville. The next interchange, at Craig's Crossing, is another 5 km south (3 mi).

Past the Craig's Crossing Interchange, Highway 19 resumes its 1953 alignment, which today is a 4-lane, divided arterial highway with a concrete median barrier mostly constructed during the 1970s. The highway passes southeast through the communities of Nanoose Bay and Lantzville before finally entering the north part of Nanaimo. Highway 19 then veers south onto a new 20 km (12 mi) long four-lane expressway known as the "Nanaimo Parkway", which has five at-grade intersections along its length. Highway 19's Nanaimo Parkway portion ends at an interchange with the Trans Canada and Cedar Road. At the interchange with Cedar Road, Highway 19 proceeds to share an alignment with the Trans-Canada Highway south for 2 km (1¼ mi) before turning eastward at another interchange (Duke Point Highway). Highway 19 then crosses over the Nanaimo River 2 km (1¼ mi) later, passes through an interchange at Maughan Rd and then goes northward for 5 km (3 mi), finally terminating at the B.C. Ferry terminal at Duke Point.

List of exits

The following is a list of exits along the expressway and freeway portions of Highway 19.

() - Exit not officially numbered

External links

* [http://modena.intergate.ca/personal/pl8s/BC19/Hwy_19S_A.htm BC Highways - Highway 19]