| Country: | CAN | ||
| Type: | Hwy | ||
| Liard Highway | |||
| Alternate Name: | British Columbia Highway 77 Northwest Territories Highway 7 | ||
| Length Km: | 393 | ||
| Established: | 1984 | ||
| Direction A: | South | ||
| Direction B: | North | ||
| Section1: | British Columbia Highway 77 | ||
| Terminus A1: | near Fort Nelson, BC | ||
| Terminus B1: | BC-NWT border | ||
| Length Km1: | 138 | ||
| Length Ref1: | [1] | ||
| Section2: | Northwest Territories Highway 7 | ||
| Length Km2: | 255 | ||
| Terminus A2: | BC-NWT border | ||
| Terminus B2: | near Fort Simpson, NT | ||
| System1: |
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| System2: |
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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.
The highway begins at a point on the Alaska Highway 28km (17miles) northwest of Fort Nelson and runs 138km (86miles) northeast through expanses of the Canadian Boreal Forest to the border of British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. Beyond the border, it continues for 254km (158miles) 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.
The highway was built between 1975 and 1982 and was officially opened to traffic in June 1984.[2] [3] The section in British Columbia was built under contracts with the Ministry of Transportation and Highways at a cost of $26 million (equivalent to $ million in 2021). The section through the Northwest Territories section was built by the federal government at a cost of $55 million (equivalent to $ million in 2021). British Columbia assigned the number 77 to its portion of the route in 1984.[4]
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 83km (52miles) in British Columbia to the border with the Northwest Territories, at 137km (85miles).[5] The project was completed in August 2012.
As of 2018, Highway 77 has been fully paved up to the border with the Northwest Territories.
From south to north: