Liard Highway

The Liard Highway (designated Highway 77 in British Columbia and Highway 7 in the Northwest Territories) is a 378 km two-lane highway in Canada that is the only direct road link between British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Passing through sparsely-populated areas of boreal forest, it serves as the sole land access route for the communities of Fort Liard and Nahanni Butte.

Liard Highway
British Columbia Highway 77 Northwest Territories Highway 7
Route information
Length	393 km (244 mi)
Existed	1984–present
British Columbia Highway 77
Length	138 km[1] (86 mi)
South end	Highway 97 near Fort Nelson, BC
North end	BC-NWT border
Northwest Territories Highway 7
Length	255 km[2] (158 mi)
South end	BC-NWT border
North end	Highway 1 near Fort Simpson, NT
Location
Country	Canada
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways
Northwest Territories highways
← Highway 62 → Highway 91 ← Highway 6 → Highway 8

Liard Highway in winter

Route

The highway begins at a point on the Alaska Highway 28 km (17 mi) northwest of Fort Nelson and runs 138 km (86 mi) northeast through expanses of the Canadian Boreal Forest to the border of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Beyond the border, it continues for 254 km (158 mi) as a very rough packed dirt and gravel road designated as Highway 7. It terminates at a junction with Territorial Highway 1 south of Fort Simpson.

History

The highway was built between 1975 and 1982 and was officially opened to traffic in June 1984.^[3][4] The section in British Columbia was built under contracts with the Ministry of Transportation and Highways at a cost of $26 million (equivalent to $67.4 million in 2021). The section through the Northwest Territories section was built by the federal government at a cost of $55 million (equivalent to $142.58 million in 2021). British Columbia assigned the number 77 to its portion of the route in 1984.^[5]

In 2012, Peter's Bros. Construction Ltd. was awarded a contract valued at $8,911,212.00 to pave (level course and overlay) over the existing sealcoat from the end of the existing pavement at 83 km (52 mi) in British Columbia to the border with the Northwest Territories, at 137 km (85 mi).^[6] The project was completed in August 2012.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2018, Highway 77 has been fully paved up to the border with the Northwest Territories.^{[citation needed]}

Major intersections

Province / Territory	Regional district / Region	Location	km[1][2]	mi	Destinations	Notes
British Columbia	Northern Rockies	​	0	0.0	Highway 97 (Alaska Highway) – Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Whitehorse	Highway 77 southern terminus
			42	26	Crosses the Fort Nelson River
British Columbia – Northwest Territories border			138 0	86 0.0	Highway 77 northern terminus • Highway 7 southern terminus
Northwest Territories	Dehcho	Fort Liard	38	24	Access road
		​	131	81	Nahanni Butte access road
		Checkpoint	255	158	Highway 1 (Mackenzie Highway) – Fort Simpson, Fort Providence, Hay River	Highway 7 northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Route transition