Trans-Canada Highway

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For the Boards of Canada record, see Trans Canada Highway (EP).
Trans-Canada Highway
Length: 8,030 km (4,990 mi)[1]-South route
2,960 km (1,839 mi)-Yellowhead
Formed: 1962
Direction: West–East
From: Victoria / Prince Rupert
To: St. John's
Major cities: Victoria, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Moncton, St. John's

The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins all ten provinces of Canada. It is, after the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, the world's third longest national highway, with a total distance (including both the main route and the Yellowhead Highway) of 7,821 km. The system was approved by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1948[2], construction commenced in 1950[3], officially opened in 1962, and was completed in 1971. The highway system is recognizable by its distinctive white-on-green maple leaf route markers.

Throughout much of Canada, there are at least two routes designated as part of the Trans-Canada Highway. For example, in the western provinces, both the main Trans-Canada route and the Yellowhead Highway are part of the Trans-Canada system.

Unlike the American Interstate Highway System, not all of the Trans-Canada Highway consists of limited-access freeways or even four-lane roads for that matter, making it more similar to the U.S. Highway system. Canada does not have a comprehensive national highway system, as decisions about highway and freeway construction are entirely under the jurisdiction of the individual provinces. In 2000 and 2001, the government of Jean Chrétien considered funding an infrastructure project to have the full Trans-Canada system converted to freeway. Although freeway construction funding was made available to some provinces for portions of the system, the government ultimately decided not to pursue a comprehensive highway conversion. Opposition to funding the freeway upgrade was due to low traffic levels in parts of the Trans-Canada; provinces preferred the money going towards improving vital trade routes (often not inter-provincial) and border crossings with the United States.[citation needed]

There have also been discussions of upgrading the Trans-Labrador Highway (Quebec Route 389/Newfoundland and Labrador Route 500 to Trans-Canada Highway standards (fully-paved, two lanes with shoulders, 90 km/h (55 mph) speed limit).

Route numbering on the Trans-Canada Highway is also handled by the provinces. The Western provinces have coordinated their highway numbers so that the main Trans-Canada line is designated Highway 1 and the Yellowhead Highway line is designated Highway 16 throughout the region. However, from the Manitoba–Ontario border eastwards, the highway numbers change at each provincial boundary. As the Trans-Canada is in many places composed from parts of other important highways with their own separate identities (these highways already existed before the Trans-Canada), it is unlikely that the Trans-Canada Highway will ever have a uniform designation across the whole country.

Contents

[edit] Route details

[edit] Victoria–Winnipeg

Highway 1 Westbound through Chilliwack towards Vancouver
Highway 1 Westbound through Chilliwack towards Vancouver
Highway 1 with wildlife overpass, eastbound in the Banff National Park
Highway 1 with wildlife overpass, eastbound in the Banff National Park

The Trans-Canada Highway, uniformly designated as Highway 1 in the four western provinces, begins in Victoria, British Columbia at the intersection of Douglas Street and Dallas Road (where the "Mile 0" plaque stands) and passes northward along the east coast of Vancouver Island for 99 km (62 mi) to Nanaimo. From here, a 57 km (35 mi)-long ferry route (see BC Ferries) connects the highway to West Vancouver, whence it passes through the Vancouver metropolitan area, heading 170 km (106 mi) east to Hope. The TCH then turns north for 186 km (116 mi) toward Cache Creek, then east for 79 km (49 mi) through to Kamloops, 483 km (300 mi) east to Banff, 101 km (63 mi) east to Calgary (where it is known as 16th Avenue N, a road with heavy traffic and many traffic lights), 293 km (182 mi) east to Medicine Hat, 403 km (250 mi) east to Moose Jaw, 79 km (49 mi) east to Regina, 372 km (231 mi) east to Brandon, 119 km (74 mi) east to Portage La Prairie, and finally 84 km (52 mi) east to Winnipeg. Winnipeg's Perimeter Highway (the southern half of which, Highway 100, is officially part of the Trans-Canada) gives highway drivers a way of bypassing the city completely.

Throughout the western provinces, the speed limit is generally 100 km/h (62 mph) on the Trans-Canada, though limited-access portions in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba may have higher limits of 110 km/h (68 mph). As in all national parks in Canada, when the highway passes through national parks, the speed limit is 90 km/h.

It is in the B.C.-to-Manitoba part of Canada that the Yellowhead Highway, an ancillary branch of the TCH, runs its course along Highways 16 and 5.

There is also a route which runs between British Columbia and Alberta known as the Crowsnest Highway (Highway 3 in both provinces); while not officially part of the Trans-Canada Highway, it connects with the main branch of the highway in both Hope and Medicine Hat (the western and eastern termini of the Crowsnest Highway, respectively).

For more information, see also:

Trans Canada (Main) Route
Westbound through the Rockies
Westbound through the Rockies
Yellowhead Route

[edit] Winnipeg–Ottawa

The Trans-Canada highway in Mattawa, Ontario.
The Trans-Canada highway in Mattawa, Ontario.

The highway continues east from Winnipeg for another 205 km (127 mi) to Kenora. The existing branch from Kenora continues east for 136 km (85 mi) to Dryden. A second branch extends southward along Highway 71 from Kenora to Chapple, a routing of 157 km (98 mi), and then eastward along Highway 11 for 320 km (199 mi) to Shabaqua, where it reunites with the main Highway 17 route.

The united highway proceeds southeast for 65 km (40 mi) to Thunder Bay. The highway proceeds northeast for 115 km (71 mi) to Nipigon, where it once again splits into two routes. The northern route is designated as Highway 11, and the southern branch is designated as Highway 17. From Nipigon, Highway 11 extends through northern Ontario for 401 km (249 mi) east to Hearst and another 213 km (132 mi) east through Cochrane. The highway proceeds southeast for 218 km (135 mi) to New Liskeard, then south for 153 km (95 mi) to North Bay, where it meets Highway 17. Near Kirkland Lake, a northern spur route of the Trans-Canada extends eastward from Highway 11, following Ontario's Highway 66 (58 km (36 mi)), then Quebec's Route 117 (576 km (358 mi)) and Autoroute 15 (98 km (61 mi)) into Montreal.

A section of the Trans-Canada between Thunder Bay and Nipigon is named the Terry Fox Courage Highway. The 83 km (52 mi) section marks the spot where Fox was forced to end his cross-Canada Marathon of Hope run (which was raising money for cancer research). A bronze statue marks the spot where he stopped his run.

From Nipigon, Highway 17 proceeds east along the coast of Lake Superior for 581 km (361 mi) through to Sault Ste. Marie and another 291 km (181 mi) east to Sudbury, where the Trans-Canada Highway splits again. The resulting southern branch follows Highways 69 and 400 south for 254 km (158 mi), then follows Highway 12 southeast for 27 km (17 mi) to Orillia, then follows Highway 12 south for 58 km (36 mi) along the shore of Lake Simcoe, then follows Highway 7 east for 70 km (43 mi) to Peterborough. The existing northern branch goes east for 151 km (94 mi) to North Bay, where it meets the Highway 11 route. The highway then goes east for 216 km (134 mi) before arriving at Pembroke. The two branches converge at Ottawa, 244 km (152 mi) east of Peterborough and 123 km (76 mi) east of Pembroke.

Through most of Ontario, the speed limit is generally 90 km/h (55 mph) on the Trans-Canada, though freeway portions, such as the freeway segment in Sudbury and the section from Arnprior through Ottawa to the Ontario/Quebec border, have a higher limit of 100 km/h (62 mph).

It is notable that the Trans-Canada does not go through Canada's most heavily populated region, southern Ontario, which includes Toronto, Ontario's provincial capital and the country's largest city.

[edit] Ottawa–Moncton

Route 20 northbound
Route 20 northbound

From Ottawa, the Trans-Canada Highway proceeds 206 km (128 mi) east to Montreal. Known as Highway 417 in Ontario and Autoroute 40 in Quebec, the Trans-Canada also assumes the name "Autoroute Métropolitaine" (also known as "The Met" or "Metropolitan Boulevard") as it traverses Montreal as an elevated highway. At the Decarie Interchange in Montreal, the Abitibi route (Highway 66/Route 117/A-15) rejoins the main TCH line. The TCH then follows Autoroute 25 southbound, crossing the St. Lawrence River through the Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel, and proceeds northeast on Autoroute 20 for 257 km (160 mi) to Lévis (across from Quebec City).

East of Lévis, the Trans-Canada highway continues on Autoroute 20 following the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River to a junction just south of Rivière-du-Loup, 173 km (107 mi) northeast of Lévis. At that junction, the highway turns southeast and changes designation to Autoroute 85 for 13 km (8 mi), and then downgrades to Route 185 until the New Brunswick border. The portion from Autoroute 20 to Edmundston, New Brunswick is 121 km (75 mi) long.

Following the designation of Route 2, from Edmundston, the highway follows the St. John River Valley, running south for 170 km (106 mi) to Woodstock (parallelling the International Boundary) and then east for another 102 km (63 mi) to pass through Fredericton. 40 km (25 mi) east of Fredericton, the St. John River turns south whereby the highway crosses the river at Jemseg and continues heading east to Moncton another 135 km (84 mi) later. On 1 November 2007, New Brunswick completed a 20-year effort to convert its 516 km section of the Trans-Canada highway into a four-lane freeway. The highway has a speed limit of 110 km/h.

[edit] Moncton–North Sydney

From Moncton, the highway continues southeast for 54 km (34 mi) to a junction at Aulac on the New Brunswick–Nova Scotia border (near Sackville) where the Trans-Canada Highway splits into the main route continuing to the nearby border with Nova Scotia as Route 2, and a 70 km (43 mi) route designated as Route 16 which runs east to the Confederation Bridge at Cape Jourimain.

[edit] Prince Edward Island

Confederation Bridge
Confederation Bridge

After crossing the Northumberland Strait on the 13 km (8 mi)-long Confederation Bridge to Borden-Carleton, the Trans-Canada Highway follows a 110 km (68 mi)-long route across southern Prince Edward Island, designated as Route 1. After passing through Charlottetown it ends at Wood Islands where a 26 km (16 mi)-long ferry route (see Northumberland Ferries Ltd.) crosses the Northumberland Strait to Caribou, Nova Scotia (near Pictou). From the ferry terminal at Caribou, the highway continues south for another 19 km (12 mi) as Highway 106 to a junction with the direct Trans-Canada Highway route (Highway 104) at Westville (near New Glasgow).

[edit] Nova Scotia

From the New Brunswick border, the main Trans-Canada Highway route continues east into Nova Scotia at Amherst, where it follows the designation of provincial Highway 104. The highway then passes by Truro, where it links with provincial Highway 102 to Halifax, 117 km (73 mi) east of the New Brunswick border. Halifax, like Toronto, is a provincial capital not serviced by a Trans-Canada Highway. There is a 30 km (19 mi) stretch of highway with a toll of $4 per automobile (different rates for other vehicles).

From Truro, the highway continues east for 57 km (35 mi) to New Glasgow (where it links with provincial Highway 106—that portion of the Trans-Canada running to the ferry terminal at Caribou), and then northeast for another 112 km (70 mi) to the Canso Causeway which crosses the Strait of Canso to Cape Breton Island near Port Hawkesbury. From the Canso Causeway, the highway continues east for 144 km (89 mi) using the designation of Highway 105 on Cape Breton Island, until reaching the Marine Atlantic ferry terminal at North Sydney.

[edit] Port aux Basques–St. John's

From North Sydney, a 177 km (110 mi)-long ferry route, operated by the Crown corporation Marine Atlantic, continues the highway to Newfoundland, arriving at Channel–Port aux Basques, whereby the Trans-Canada Highway assumes the designation of Highway 1 and runs northeast for 219 km (136 mi) through Corner Brook, east for another 352 km (219 mi) through Gander and finally ends at St. John's, another 334 km (208 mi) southeast.

[edit] The "mile zero" concept

The Mile Zero monument at the end of the Trans-Canada Highway in Victoria, British Columbia.
The Mile Zero monument at the end of the Trans-Canada Highway in Victoria, British Columbia.
The marker showing the actual start point.
The marker showing the actual start point.

Although there does not appear to be any nationally-sanctioned "starting point" for the entire Trans-Canada Highway system, St. John's appears to have adopted this designation for the section of highway running in the city by using the term "Mile One" for its sports stadium and convention centre complex, Mile One Centre.

The Victoria terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway lies at the foot of Douglas Street and Dallas Road at Beacon Hill Park, and is marked by a "mile zero" monument. This is the official western end of the Trans-Canada Highway, although Tofino claims to be the "Pacific Terminus".

Although Highway 4 was commissioned in 1953 and is technically not part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, there is also a sign marking the Pacific terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway at Tofino, British Columbia, where Highway 4 terminates in the west, but it was most likely erected before 1953. Tofino was a strong proponent of a Trans-Canada Highway since the 1920s, when the only roads in the area were gravel, recognizing the need for tourism. The community was bypassed by the official Trans-Canada Highway in the 1950s, when government prioritized the connection of major communities in its budgets, choosing instead to connect Nanaimo with Victoria.

[edit] "Highway 1" and other References

  • All the highways designated 1 in the western provinces are designated as Trans-Canada Highway 1 on road maps.
  • Quebec and Ontario use standard provincial highway markers to number the highway within their boundaries.
  • Ontario posts numberless Trans-Canada Highway shields alongside the provincial markers to identify it. Quebec does not use such shields, and hence does not explicitly indicate the Trans-Canada Highway.
  • People across Canada (less so in Ontario and Quebec) generally refer to the highway as "The Trans-Canada Highway" ("Trans-Canada", "T-Can", or "TCH") rather than by its number(s)". In Quebec it is "la Transcanadienne" (to Francophones)/"The Trans-Can" (to Anglophones) west of the Decarie Interchange or "Metropolitan Boulevard" on the Island of Montreal east of the Decarie Interchange. In downtown Ottawa it is "the Queensway". Residents of the Vancouver area often refer to it as simply "The Highway", "The Freeway", or "Highway One". In Calgary, it is 16 Avenue North, or "Sixteenth". In the majority of the Saskatchewan towns along the highways length it is more commonly referred to as "the Number One."

[edit] References

  1. ^ CBC Digital Archives - Trans-Canada Highway: Bridging the Distance
  2. ^ Department of Justice Canada—Trans-Canada Highway Act—R.S.C. 1970, c. T-12
  3. ^ Transport Canada—The Trans-Canada Highway

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Portions of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway map