I will be traveling north on I-5 to Vanvouver from seattle. Is there any better route to enter Vancouver going north. I am told the I-5 entry is very slow.
2002 DutchStar 350 Cummins/Spartan Chassis, 2012 Ford Explorer
You could cross on HWY 539 just above Lynden WA, but it would be a far longer route back west to Vancouver after you crossed. I-5, even though slow at times is much faster than trying to go around.
WA 539 is good alternative.
You can cross at WA 543 which is the truck route.
There is also electronic signs giving crossing times.
Avoid Fridays and Saturdays going north.
The US/Canada border has got much better and handling the traffic, particularly going north. You can monitor wait times on electronic reader boards starting just south of Bellingham. Friday afternoon is probably the worst for delays. If the delays are showing more than about 45 minutes, you might save time by going from Bellingham to Sumas on SR542 and SR9 and crossing over into Abbotsford, where it's a short hop north to join the westbound Canada Highway 1 into Vancouver.
Going all the way on Route 99 (which is the Canadian link to I-5) can be a problem at the Massey Tunnel under the Fraser river, particularly in the afternoon. It gets reduced to one lane northbound to allow three lanes southbound. I've been stuck in the northbound traffic when we covered just 4 KM in almost 2 hours.
There is a way round it that doesn't get messed up in the northbound direction and it's considerably quicker in that afternoon rush hour.
A few miles after you pass the White Rock exit, look for the signs for highway 91. It goes north along the boundary between Delta and New Westminster and crosses the Fraser on a suspension bridge. After the bridge, it heads west and reconnects with 99 just south of the Airport Way exit.
When we go to get folks from the YVR airport in the afternoons, we always go this route. At other times of day, Route 99 is not a big deal.
Frank Damp, DW - Eileen
Anacortes, WA
'02 Georgetown 325, F53, V-10, bought used in 2010 at 13,000 miles.
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Snomas wrote: I will be traveling north on I-5 to Vanvouver from seattle. Is there any better route to enter Vancouver going north. I am told the I-5 entry is very slow.
When we come home we have to travel out to Horseshoe Bay and driving through Vancouver with a trailer and the congested traffic with pedestrains is not fun. We usually cut off the I-5 at the Bellis Fair Mall and drive through Linden to use the Aldergrove Border Crossing. It may be a touch longer than going right up to Peace Arch or the Pacific Crossing but it is worth it for us.
H & P
2005 Arctic Fox 27F, 2012 F350 PSD Supercab 4X4
frankdamp wrote: The US/Canada border has got much better and handling the traffic, particularly going north. You can monitor wait times on electronic reader boards starting just south of Bellingham. Friday afternoon is probably the worst for delays. If the delays are showing more than about 45 minutes, you might save time by going from Bellingham to Sumas on SR542 and SR9 and crossing over into Abbotsford, where it's a short hop north to join the westbound Canada Highway 1 into Vancouver.
Going all the way on Route 99 (which is the Canadian link to I-5) can be a problem at the Massey Tunnel under the Fraser river, particularly in the afternoon. It gets reduced to one lane northbound to allow three lanes southbound. I've been stuck in the northbound traffic when we covered just 4 KM in almost 2 hours.
There is a way round it that doesn't get messed up in the northbound direction and it's considerably quicker in that afternoon rush hour.
A few miles after you pass the White Rock exit, look for the signs for highway 91. It goes north along the boundary between Delta and New Westminster and crosses the Fraser on a suspension bridge. After the bridge, it heads west and reconnects with 99 just south of the Airport Way exit.
When we go to get folks from the YVR airport in the afternoons, we always go this route. At other times of day, Route 99 is not a big deal.
All good info, but Lynden/Algrove crossing is a much closer alternative than Sumas/Abbottsford. Sumas is much further east than Algergrove, so you will be back tracking a lot more.
I would really try to make any of them before lunch, or just relax and go with the (lack of) flow.
And do not confuse the Lynden/Aldergrove crossing with "The truck Crossing" term; that term is was used for a 2nd crossing a mile or so east of the PEace Arch/ I-5 crossing, and is now called the Pacific Crossing.
I actually usually use the Pacific Crossing heading north.
If you have time, and mobility is not a big issue, I love table 100 out on the deck of the Boathouse Restaraunt in Horseshoe Bay. Plank cooked Salmon, seating right next to the sailboats, with beautiful mountains all around. One of my favorite restaruant seats on the four continents I've travelled. Horseshoe Bay is small town, so a big 5th wheel may be a bit of an issue)
Is it easy to get from the border at Aldergrove onto Trans-Canada Highway 1? On my BC map, it doesn't look as close as at Abbotsford. As I remember, it's a route with a lot of traffic lights and not very fast, but it's several years since I used that one.
frankdamp wrote: Is it easy to get from the border at Aldergrove onto Trans-Canada Highway 1? On my BC map, it doesn't look as close as at Abbotsford. As I remember, it's a route with a lot of traffic lights and not very fast, but it's several years since I used that one.
It's just a straight go to the Trans-Canada for about 10 to 15 minutes. There are a few lights (4?). We have gone through the Sumas/Abbotsford crossing but you have to do a bit more back-road driving in the US to get to it. Aldergrove is just straight up from Bellis-Fair, then straight through to the Trans-Canada.
It's not as close to the Hwy as Abbottsford, but I've never found it to be a big deal. I seem to use it more often when convoying with other rigs returning home from Whistler or the Sunshine Coast.
On the way north, for some reason, The Pacific Crossing has been fine.
The return from Sumas/Abbottsford to I-5 is indeed a beautiful drive thru the county, filled with views of Mt Baker, horse farms, and Bald Eagles with flowing, hardly used two lane highway. If the journey is as important to you as the destination, then that is definitely the most scenic way thru Whatcom Co. (except for exiting 1-5 onto Chuckanut Dr, which is really only pleasant in a van or smaller; super tight shelf-road with cliffs on one side and guard rail on the other but awesome views of the San Juan Islands.)
If the OP is not necessarily talking about border crossings, I reiterate the above: 99 is the way to go into the city.
What are you driving? Not to diverge too much, but Blanchard Lookout is about 20 min off freeway just south of Bellingham up a dirt road. If you really want to, you can unhook at the Shell station and drive the TV up here for lunch. We park on the shoulder just shy of the top parking lot. you'll know it when you see it.
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