British Columbia Highway 101

The highway begins in the south at the BC Ferries terminal at Langdale, which connects the Sunshine Coast to Vancouver via a ferry route across Howe Sound to Horseshoe Bay. The southern land section of Highway 101 is 80 kilometres (50 mi) long. Immediately after leaving the Langdale Ferry terminal Highway 101 follows the Gibson's Bypass, a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long stretch of 4 lane divided highway that forms the only improved section of Highway 101. The Gibsons Bypass was built in 1995 and was originally intended to entirely bypass the town of Gibsons but the bypass currently abruptly terminates at a T intersection where Highway 101 traffic is forced to turn left onto a 2 lane route though the narrow streets and many signal lights of Gibsons's small commercial area. After leaving Gibsons the highway travels a busy 2 lane route for 20 kilometres (12 mi) though Roberts Creek, until arriving in the Sechelt, the only other major municipality in the area. In Sechelt the highway travels on a 4 lane Main Street before turning onto several other smaller community roads. North of Sechelt traffic on the highway thins out dramatically. For the next 60 kilometres (37 mi) to the Earls Cove Ferry Terminal the highway curves though granite outcrops, past lakes and patches of rainforest mixed with small farms. Towns along the way include Halfmoon Bay and Pender Harbour and many smaller hamlets located on the ocean. Near the ferry terminal a small paved side road branches off to Skookumchuck Narrows. The ferry link across the Jervis Inlet lasts 9.5 nautical miles (17.6 km) between Earls Cove to the south and Saltery Bay to the north.[4]

Ferry Terminal on Highway 101 at Saltery Bay

The 59-kilometre-long (37 mi) northern land section of Highway 101 curves its way along the Malaspina Strait through the hamlets of Stillwater and Lang Bay. It then enters the small city of Powell River forming its main street. It then crosses a narrow bridge over Powell Lake and soon enters the Tla'amin Nation Reservation. From there the highway downgrades to nothing more than a small rural road for the last 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the community of Lund, where the highway ends at a boat ramp and dock for the Savary Island water taxi.