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.

Route
The highway begins at a point on the Alaska Highway 28 km northwest of Fort Nelson and runs 138 km 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 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. 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.

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 in British Columbia to the border with the Northwest Territories, at 137 km. The project was completed in August 2012.

As of 2018, Highway 77 has been fully paved up to the border with the Northwest Territories.

Major intersections
From south to north: