View source for Trans-Canada Highway

{{Short description|Transcontinental highway system}}
{{Redirect|Trans-Canada|the Boards of Canada record|Trans Canada Highway (EP)|the airline|Trans-Canada Air Lines|other uses|TransCanada (disambiguation)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=November 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox road
| country = CAN
| type = TCH
| map = TransCanadaHWY.png
| length_km = 7476
| length_ref = <ref name="cbc">{{cite web |url = http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/science-technology/transportation/trans-canada-highway-bridging-the-distance-1/topic---trans-canada-highway-bridging-the-distance.html |publisher = CBC Digital Archives |title = Trans-Canada Highway: Bridging the Distance |access-date = July 10, 2012 |archive-date = December 3, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161203125324/http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/science-technology/transportation/trans-canada-highway-bridging-the-distance-1/topic---trans-canada-highway-bridging-the-distance.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
| length_notes = Main route
| established = July 30, 1962<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/005-1142.19-e.html |title = Trans-Canada Highway |work = Unpublished Guides |publisher = Library and Archives of Canada |access-date = July 29, 2011 |archive-date = March 30, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140330001821/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/the-public/005-1142.19-e.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
| terminus_a = [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]] and [[Haida Gwaii]], British Columbia
| terminus_b = [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]]
| cities = [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]], [[Vancouver]], [[Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford]], [[Kamloops]], [[Calgary]], [[Edmonton]], [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]], [[Saskatoon]], [[Winnipeg]], [[Thunder Bay]], [[Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario|Sault Ste. Marie]], [[Greater Sudbury]], [[North Bay, Ontario|North Bay]], [[Orillia]], [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]], [[Ottawa]], [[Montréal]], [[Drummondville, Quebec|Drummondville]], [[Quebec City]], [[Edmundston, New Brunswick|Edmundston]], [[Fredericton]], [[Moncton]], [[Charlottetown]], [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]]
}}

The '''Trans-Canada Highway''' ([[Canadian French|French]]: {{lang|fr-CA|Route Transcanadienne}}; abbreviated as the '''TCH''' or '''T-Can''', or simply the '''Trans-Canada''')<ref>{{cite journal |title = THE TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY – A Major Link in Canada's Transportation System |author = Donaldson MacLeod |publisher = Transportation Association of Canada |journal = Conference of the Transportation Association of Canada |year = 2014 |url = http://conf.tac-atc.ca/english/annualconference/tac2014/s-32/macleod.pdf |access-date = March 10, 2016 |archive-date = March 11, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160311012648/http://conf.tac-atc.ca/english/annualconference/tac2014/s-32/macleod.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> is a transcontinental federal–provincial [[highway]] system that travels through all ten [[provinces of Canada]], from the [[Pacific Ocean]] on the west coast to the [[Atlantic Ocean]] on the east coast. The main route spans {{cvt|7,476|km}} across the country, one of the longest routes of its type in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/features/feature-the-worlds-longest-highways/ |title = The world's longest highways |date = November 4, 2013 |df = dmy-all |access-date = February 17, 2017 |work = roadtraffic-technology.com |archive-date = August 27, 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170827045029/http://www.roadtraffic-technology.com/features/feature-the-worlds-longest-highways/ |url-status = live }}</ref> The highway system is recognizable by its distinctive white-on-green maple leaf [[route shield|route markers]], although there are small variations in the markers in some provinces.

While by definition the Trans-Canada Highway is a highway ''system'' that has several parallel routes throughout most of the country, the term "Trans-Canada Highway" often refers to the main route that consists of Highway&nbsp;1 (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba), Highways 11, 17, and 417 (Ontario), Autoroutes 40, 25, 20, and 85 and Route&nbsp;185 (Quebec), Highway&nbsp;2 (New Brunswick), Highways 104 and 105 (Nova Scotia), and Highway&nbsp;1 (Newfoundland and Labrador). This main route starts in [[Victoria, British Columbia]], and ends in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]], passes through nine of the ten provinces, and connects most of the country's major cities, including [[Vancouver]], British Columbia; [[Calgary]], Alberta; [[Regina, Saskatchewan]]; [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba; [[Ottawa]], Ontario; [[Montreal]] and [[Quebec City]], Quebec; and [[Fredericton]], New Brunswick. One of the main route's eight other parallel routes connects to the tenth province, [[Prince Edward Island]].

While the other parallel routes in the system are also technically part of the Trans-Canada Highway, they are usually considered either secondary routes or different highways altogether. For example, Highway&nbsp;16 throughout Western Canada is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, but is almost exclusively referred to as the [[Yellowhead Highway]] and is often recognized as its own highway under that name. In comparison, Highway&nbsp;1 in Western Canada is always referred to as the Trans-Canada Highway, and has a significantly higher traffic volume with a route passing through more major cities than the less important Highway&nbsp;16 (Yellowhead) TCH route. Therefore Highway&nbsp;1 is usually considered to be part of the main Trans-Canada Highway route, while Highway&nbsp;16 is not, although it may be considered a second mainline corridor as it serves a more northerly belt of major cities, as well as having its own Pacific terminus.

Although the TCH network is strictly a transcontinental system, and does not enter any of Canada's [[northern Canada|three northern territories]] or run to the [[Canada–United States border|United States border]], it does form part of Canada's overall [[National Highway System (Canada)|National Highway System]] (NHS), which provides connections to the [[Northwest Territories]], [[Yukon]], and the border, although the NHS (apart from the TCH sections) is unsigned.<ref name="NHS">{{cite web |url = http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/policy/NHS_2007.pdf |title = National Highway System |publisher = Transport Canada |access-date = April 26, 2014 |archive-date = March 8, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140308193516/http://www.tc.gc.ca/media/documents/policy/NHS_2007.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref>

==Jurisdiction and designation==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2023}}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = TCH-1_(BC).svg
| width1 = 82
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = 
| image2 =  Trans-Canada Highway Quebec.svg
| width2 = 82
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = 
| image3 =  NL TCH sign.svg
| width3 = 82
| alt3 = 
| caption3 = 
| footer = Examples of marker variations between provinces: British Columbia, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador
}}
Canada's National Highway System is not under federal jurisdiction or coordination, as highway construction and maintenance are entirely under the [[Works and Undertakings|jurisdiction of the individual provinces]], which also handle route numbering on the Trans-Canada Highway. The Western provinces have voluntarily coordinated their highway numbers so that the main Trans-Canada route is designated Highway&nbsp;1 and the Yellowhead route is designated Highway&nbsp;16 throughout. Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador also designate Highway&nbsp;1 as their section of the TCH, while New Brunswick uses Highway&nbsp;2 (a separate important highway—albeit non-TCH—is Highway&nbsp;1 in that province). East of Manitoba, the highway numbers change at each provincial boundary, or within a province (especially in Ontario and Quebec) as the TCH piggybacks along separate provincial highways (which often continue as non-TCH routes outside the designated sections) en route. In addition, Ontario and Quebec use standard provincial highway shields to number the highway within their boundaries, but post numberless Trans-Canada Highway shields alongside them to identify it. As the Trans-Canada route was composed of sections from pre-existing provincial highways, it is unlikely that the Trans-Canada Highway will ever have a uniform designation across the whole country.

==Highway design and standards==
Unlike the [[Interstate Highway System]] in the United States, the Trans-Canada Highway system has no national construction standard, and it was originally built mostly as a two-lane highway with few multi-lane [[freeway]] sections, similar to the older [[United States Numbered Highway System]]. As a result, highway construction standards vary considerably among provinces and cities. In much of British Columbia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, the Trans-Canada Highway system is still in its original two-lane state. British Columbia is{{When|date=May 2024}} actively working on converting its section of Highway&nbsp;1 east of [[Kamloops]] to a four-lane [[divided highway]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=September 12, 2019 |title=Highway 1 - Kamloops to Alberta - Four Laning - Province of British Columbia |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation-projects/highway1-kamloops-alberta |access-date=March 19, 2024 |website=www2.gov.bc.ca |publisher=BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure |archive-date=April 17, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240417150049/https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation-projects/highway1-kamloops-alberta |url-status=live }}</ref> Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have widened most of their southern Trans-Canada Highway network to four lanes. In Quebec, most sections of the TCH network overlap with the province's [[Autoroutes of Quebec|Autoroute]] freeways. New Brunswick is the only province to have its whole length of the main Trans-Canada Highway route at a four-lane freeway standard.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024|reason=can find lots of sources saying it's fully divided, but not limited access}}

Like the former [[U.S. Route 66]], the many non-expressway sections of the Trans-Canada Highway often form the [[Main Street|main streets]] of communities, with homes and businesses directly adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway.

The Trans-Canada Highway is not always the preferred route between two cities, or even across the country. For example, the vast majority of traffic travelling between [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]] and Kamloops, British Columbia, takes the [[British Columbia Highway 5|Coquihalla Highway]] via [[Merritt, British Columbia|Merritt]], rather than the longer Trans-Canada Highway route.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}} Another example is that much long-distance traffic between Western and Eastern Canada will drive south into the United States and use the Interstate Highway System, rather than the Trans-Canada Highway through [[Northern Ontario]].{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}

==Main route ==

=== British Columbia ===
{{Main|British Columbia Highway 1|}}
{{unreferenced section|date=April 2024}}
[[File:Transca chwk.jpg|thumb|[[British Columbia Highway 1|Highway&nbsp;1]] westbound near [[Vancouver]]]]
[[File:Glacier National Park, Canada.jpg|thumb|The Trans-Canada Highway passing through [[Glacier National Park (Canada)|Glacier National Park]] in [[British Columbia]].]]
[[File:Wildlife Crossing in Banff National Park.jpg|thumb|[[Alberta Highway 1|Highway&nbsp;1]] with [[Wildlife crossing|wildlife overpass]], eastbound through [[Banff National Park]] in [[Alberta]].]]
The main Trans-Canada Highway is uniformly designated as Highway&nbsp;1 across the four western provinces. The British Columbia section of Highway&nbsp;1 is {{cvt|1,045|km}} long, beginning in [[Victoria, British Columbia|Victoria]] at the intersection of [[Douglas Street (Victoria, British Columbia)|Douglas Street]] and Dallas Road (where the "Mile&nbsp;0" plaque stands), and ending on the Alberta border at [[Kicking Horse Pass]]. The highway starts by passing northward along the east coast of [[Vancouver Island]] for {{cvt|99|km}} to [[Nanaimo]] along a mostly-four-lane, heavily signalized highway. After passing through downtown Nanaimo on a small [[arterial road]], it enters the [[Departure Bay ferry terminal]] and crosses the [[Strait of Georgia]] to [[Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver|Horseshoe Bay]] via [[BC Ferries]]. From there, it travels through [[Metro Vancouver Regional District|Metro Vancouver]] on a four-to-eight-lane freeway before leaving the city and continuing as a four-lane freeway eastward up the [[Fraser Valley]] to [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]]. There, the Trans-Canada Highway exits the freeway and turns north for {{cvt|186|km}} through [[Fraser Canyon]] and [[Thompson Canyon]] toward [[Cache Creek (British Columbia)|Cache Creek]] (as a scenic alternative and for local traffic), mostly as a two-lane rural highway with only occasional traffic lights, while the freeway continues on [[British Columbia Highway 5|Highway 5]] (which is the preferred route for through traffic). Approaching [[Kamloops]], Highway&nbsp;1 re-enters a short freeway alignment with Highways 5 (and concurrent [[British Columbia Highway 97|97]]), before passing through Kamloops itself as a four-lane signalized highway. From Kamloops, the highway continues east as a mostly-two-lane rural highway through the Interior of British Columbia, with occasional passing lanes. It widens to a signalized, four-lane arterial road for short stretches in [[Salmon Arm, British Columbia|Salmon Arm]], [[Revelstoke, British Columbia|Revelstoke]], and [[Golden, British Columbia|Golden]], but has no signal lights on it for most of its length. The highway crosses two high passes along its route: [[Rogers Pass (British Columbia)|Rogers Pass]] in [[Glacier National Park (Canada)|Glacier National Park]], and [[Kicking Horse Pass]] in [[Yoho National Park]]. At Kicking Horse Pass, the highest point on the whole Trans-Canada Highway system is reached, at {{cvt|1627|m}}. The high pass marks the boundary between British Columbia and Alberta (and also between Yoho and Banff National Parks), as well as the Continental Divide of the Americas.

Speed limits on the Mainland segment of the Trans-Canada Highway in British Columbia range from {{convert|90-100|km/h|abbr=on|mi/h}}, although in towns it can be as low as {{convert|50|km/h|abbr=on|mi/h}}. A combination of difficult terrain and growing urbanization limits posted speeds on the Vancouver Island section to {{cvt|50|kph}} in urban areas, {{convert|80|km/h|abbr=on}} over the [[Malahat, British Columbia|Malahat]] and through suburban areas, and a maximum of {{convert|90|km/h|abbr=on}} in rural areas.

=== Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba ===
[[File:ManitobaHwy1Cberry.JPG|thumb|[[Manitoba Highway 1|Highway&nbsp;1]] eastbound in [[Manitoba]] near [[Carberry, Manitoba|Carberry]].]]
{{Main|Alberta Highway 1|Saskatchewan Highway 1|Manitoba Highway&nbsp;1}}
The Trans-Canada Highway through the three Prairie Provinces ([[Alberta]], [[Saskatchewan]], and [[Manitoba]]) is {{cvt|1,667|km}} long. It starts at the border with British Columbia at Kicking Horse Pass near [[Lake Louise, Alberta]], and runs all the way to the Ontario border east of [[Winnipeg]], Manitoba. The highway continues through Alberta, running east for {{cvt|206|km}} as [[Alberta Highway&nbsp;1]] to [[Lake Louise (Alberta)|Lake Louise]], [[Banff, Alberta|Banff]], [[Canmore, Alberta|Canmore]], and [[Calgary]]. This section of the highway passes through [[Banff National Park]] and has significant tourism. The section of Highway&nbsp;1 through Banff National Park was also one of the first highways in North America to have wildlife crossing structures and fencing installed on it{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}. After leaving the mountains, it enters Alberta's largest city, Calgary, where it becomes known as [[16 Avenue N]], a busy six-lane street with many signalized intersections.<ref name="ABmap">{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.7253081,-112.997724,6.75z|title=Highway&nbsp;1 in Alberta|access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref> For the next {{cvt|293|km}} after Calgary, the Trans-Canada Highway continues as a four-lane expressway, with few stops along its route. [[Medicine Hat]] is served by a series of six interchanges, after which the Trans-Canada crosses into Saskatchewan on the way to [[Swift Current]] and [[Moose Jaw]].<ref name="ABmap" /> The highway mainly travels straight as a four-lane route for most of these sections. The expressway continues {{cvt|79|km}} east to the city of [[Regina, Saskatchewan|Regina]] (Saskatchewan's capital), and skirts around the city on the [[Regina Bypass]], the most expensive infrastructure project in Saskatchewan to date{{As of?|date=May 2024}}. Beyond Regina, it continues east for {{cvt|486|km}}, across the border with Manitoba, to the cities of [[Brandon, Manitoba|Brandon]] and [[Portage la Prairie]], and finally {{cvt|84|km}} east to Manitoba's capital, [[Winnipeg]].<ref name=SKMBmap/> The southern portion of Winnipeg's [[Perimeter Highway]] (Highway&nbsp;100) is part of the Trans-Canada Highway, and bypasses the city with a mix of traffic lights and interchanges, while Highway&nbsp;1 continues through central Winnipeg as a signalized arterial highway.<ref name=SKMBmap>{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.4422044,-104.2687269,5.5z|title=Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan and Manitoba|access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref>

With the exception of a {{convert|15.3|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} stretch of two-lane highway just west of the Ontario border, the entire length of Highway&nbsp;1 through the Prairie Provinces is a four-lane highway. While the only true freeway sections of the route are along the Regina Bypass, in Medicine Hat, and between Calgary and Banff, the whole highway is largely stoplight-free, with "split" at-grade intersections forming the vast majority of the junctions.

The speed limit is restricted to {{cvt|90|kph}} through national parks in Canada, including Banff National Park. East of Banff, traffic on most of Highway&nbsp;1 through Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba<ref name="mbtchspeed">{{cite news |title = Manitoba Trans-Canada Speed Limit Goes Up to 110 km/h Today |publisher = CBC Manitoba |year = 2015 |url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-trans-canada-speed-limit-goes-up-to-110-km-h-today-1.3096606 |access-date = June 2, 2015 |archive-date = July 4, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150704133543/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-trans-canada-speed-limit-goes-up-to-110-km-h-today-1.3096606 |url-status = live }}</ref> is limited to {{convert|110|km/h|abbr=on}}, but is {{convert|100|km/h|abbr=on}} east of Winnipeg.

===Ontario===
{{Main|Ontario Highway 17|Ontario Highway 417}}
[[File:17-mattawa.jpg|thumb|[[Ontario Highway 17|Highway&nbsp;17]] in [[Mattawa, Ontario]].]]
[[File:Terry Fox.jpg|thumb|The statue of [[Terry Fox]], which is located near where Fox stopped his [[Terry Fox#Marathon of Hope|run]] near [[Thunder Bay, Ontario]].]]
[[File:Hwy 17 Echo Bay.jpg|thumb|[[Ontario Highway 17|Highway&nbsp;17]] near [[Echo Bay, Ontario]].]]
[[File:Highway 417 near Highway 416.jpg|thumb|Trans-Canada Highway through [[Ottawa]] on [[Ontario Highway&nbsp;417]].]]
East of Winnipeg, the highway continues for over {{cvt|200|km}} to [[Kenora]], Ontario. At the provincial border, the expressway becomes an arterial highway and the numeric designation of the highway changes from 1 to 17. It is signed with a provincial shield along with a numberless Trans-Canada Highway sign, and continues as an arterial highway along the main route across Northern and Eastern Ontario, until widening out to a freeway at Arnprior, near Ottawa (Canada's capital city).<ref name=ONmap>{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@50.0370965,-87.9000881,4.25z|title=Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario|access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref> In Kenora, the Trans-Canada designation includes both the main route through the city's urban core and the {{convert|33.6|km|adj=on}} [[Ontario Highway 17A|Highway&nbsp;17A]] bypass route to the north. The existing branch from Kenora continues east for {{cvt|136|km}} to [[Dryden, Ontario|Dryden]].<ref name=ONmap/> This section of highway passes through the [[Canadian Shield]], a rugged, forested area with thousands of lakes. There are many cottage communities along this section of the Trans-Canada Highway, some of which have their driveways directly onto the highway.

Highway&nbsp;11/Highway&nbsp;17 proceeds southeast for {{cvt|65|km}} to [[Thunder Bay]], then northeast for {{cvt|115|km}} to [[Nipigon]].<ref name=ONmap/> Between Thunder Bay and Nipigon, an {{convert|83|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} segment of the Trans-Canada is commemorated as the ''[[Terry Fox]] Courage Highway''.<ref name=ONmap/> Fox was forced to abandon his cross-country [[Marathon of Hope]] run here, and a bronze statue of him was later erected in his honour. The highway is the only road that connects eastern and western Canada. On January 10, 2016, the [[Nipigon River Bridge]] suffered a mechanical failure, closing the Trans-Canada Highway for 17 hours; the only alternative was to go through the United States, around the south side of [[Lake Superior]].<ref>{{Cite news |url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/nipigon-bridge-transcanada-update-1.3398207 |title = Nipigon River Bridge on Trans-Canada Highway partially reopens |newspaper = CBC News |access-date = November 28, 2016 |archive-date = November 28, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161128050741/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/nipigon-bridge-transcanada-update-1.3398207 |url-status = live }}</ref>

Highway&nbsp;17 proceeds east from Nipigon for {{cvt|581|km}} along the northern and eastern coast of Lake Superior. Between [[Wawa, Ontario|Wawa]] and [[Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario|Sault Ste. Marie]], the highway crosses the [[Montreal River Hill]], which sometimes becomes a bottleneck on the system in the winter when inclement weather can make the steep grade virtually impassable.<ref name=nob>{{cite news |url = https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/construction/the-montreal-river-hill-nine-years-for-nothing-364162 |title = The Montreal River hill: Nine years for nothing? |work = [[Northern Ontario Business]] |date = May 16, 2006 |access-date = November 17, 2016 |archive-date = November 16, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161116231212/https://www.northernontariobusiness.com/industry-news/construction/the-montreal-river-hill-nine-years-for-nothing-364162 |url-status = live }}</ref> At Sault Ste. Marie, the main route turns eastward for {{cvt|291|km}} to [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]].

The mainline route then continues east from Sudbury for {{cvt|151|km}} to North Bay. The northern route rejoins the mainline here, which continues {{cvt|339|km}} to [[Arnprior]], where it widens to a freeway and becomes [[Ontario Highway 417|Highway&nbsp;417]]. The freeway continues to [[Ottawa]], passing through the city on Highway&nbsp;417, which is between six and eight lanes wide at this point. In [[Southern Ontario]], the speed limit is generally {{cvt|80|kph}} on the Trans-Canada, while in Northern Ontario it is {{cvt|90|kph}}. Sections routed along Highway&nbsp;417 outside urban Ottawa feature a higher limit of {{cvt|110|kph}}.<ref name="Eastmap">{{Google maps|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@47.5427268,-67.9814063,4.75z|title=Trans-Canada Highway in Eastern Canada|access-date=November 4, 2016}}</ref>

While Highways&nbsp;17 and 417 are largely free from traffic congestion except for minor rush hour delays on Ottawa's stretch of Highway&nbsp;417, the non-freeway sections are subject to frequent closures due to crashes, especially in winter. It is considered a dangerous route due to its extensive outdated sections of winding two-lane highway.<ref name="nob" /> Because this section of the highway passes through a largely undeveloped and forested area, collisions with animals are a common cause of crashes. {{As of|2022|alt=As recently as 2022}}, Sault Ste. Marie's local government has asked for Highway 17 to be expanded north of the city.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Four-laning Highway 17 N essential for outlying communities |url=https://saultstar.com/news/four-laning-highway-17-n-essential-for-outlying-communities |access-date=April 16, 2022 |website=saultstar |language=en-CA |archive-date=November 17, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231117213242/http://www.saultstar.com/news/four-laning-highway-17-n-essential-for-outlying-communities |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 28, 2022 |title=Sault council wants highway safety improvements to be a priority in Ontario election |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/northern-ontario/article/sault-council-wants-highway-safety-improvements-to-be-a-priority-in-ontario-election/ |access-date=April 16, 2022 |website=Northern Ontario |language=en |archive-date=June 14, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230614185332/https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/sault-council-wants-highway-safety-improvements-to-be-a-priority-in-ontario-election-1.5838525 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Ontario plans{{As of?|date=May 2024}} to extend the 417 freeway to Sudbury, which will widen the section of the mainline TCH between Ottawa and Sudbury to four-lane freeway standards. However, there is{{When|date=May 2024}} no funding secured for such a project, as Ontario is currently{{When|date=May 2024}} focusing on extending [[Ontario Highway 400|Highway&nbsp;400]] to Sudbury along the Highway&nbsp;69 corridor (which is part of the [[Georgian Bay]] TCH route).

It is notable that the Trans-Canada largely bypasses Canada's most heavily populated region, the [[Golden Horseshoe]] area of Southern Ontario, which includes Canada's largest and most populous city; [[Toronto]]. However, a short section of the Central Ontario branch does pass through the rural northeastern edge of [[Durham Region]] at both [[Sunderland, Ontario|Sunderland]] and [[Beaverton, Ontario|Beaverton]], which is officially part of the [[Greater Toronto Area]] (GTA). Access to Toronto itself from the mainline from Northern Ontario is via the non-TCH southern section of Highway 400, while access from Toronto to Quebec and points east is via [[Ontario Highway 401|Highway 401]] (North America's busiest highway and a major national highway in itself),<ref>{{cite web

 | title        = Carmageddon: The World's Busiest Roads
 | first        = Paddy
 | last         = Allen
 | url          = https://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2011/jul/11/cars-busiest-roads-i405-interactive
 | website      = The Guardian
 | publisher    = Guardian News & Media Ltd.
 | date         = July 11, 2011
| access-date  = July 11, 2014
| url-status   = live
 | archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140715003135/http://www.theguardian.com/world/interactive/2011/jul/11/cars-busiest-roads-i405-interactive
 | archive-date = July 15, 2014}}</ref> a short non-TCH section of [[Quebec Autoroute 20|Autoroute 20]], and [[Quebec Autoroute 30|A-30]], where the Trans-Canada is joined at [[Quebec Autoroute 40|A-40]] just west of Montreal.

=== Quebec ===
{{Main|Quebec Autoroute 40|Quebec Autoroute 20|Quebec Autoroute 85|Quebec Route 185|l2 = Autoroute 20|l3 = Autoroute 85|l4 = Route 185}}
[[File:Highway 20-Quebec.JPG|thumb|[[Quebec Autoroute 20]] eastbound]]
From Ottawa, the Trans-Canada Highway continues as a freeway and proceeds {{cvt|206|km}} east to Quebec's largest city, [[Montreal]], as Highway&nbsp;417 in Ontario (and the Queensway in Ottawa) and {{lang|fr-CA|[[Quebec Autoroute 40|Autoroute&nbsp;40]]}} in Quebec.<ref name=Eastmap/> The Trans-Canada assumes the name {{lang|fr-CA|Autoroute Métropolitaine}} (also known as "The Met" or "Metropolitan Boulevard") as it traverses Montreal as an elevated freeway. At the Laurentian Interchange (in Montreal's suburban area), the Abitibi route (Highway&nbsp;66, Route&nbsp;117, A-15) rejoins the main TCH line. The TCH then follows [[Quebec Autoroute 25|Autoroute&nbsp;25]] southbound, crossing the [[St. Lawrence River]] through the 6-lane [[Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge–Tunnel]], and proceeds northeast on [[Quebec Autoroute 20|Autoroute&nbsp;20]] for {{cvt|257|km}} to {{lang|fr-CA|[[Lévis, Quebec|Lévis]]|italic=no}} (across from Quebec's capital and second largest city, [[Quebec City]]).

East of {{lang|fr-CA|Lévis|italic=no}}, the Trans-Canada Highway continues on Autoroute&nbsp;20 following the south bank of the St. Lawrence River to a junction just south of {{lang|fr-CA|[[Rivière-du-Loup]]|italic=no}}, {{cvt|173|km}} northeast of Quebec City. At that junction, the highway turns southeast and changes designation to [[Quebec Autoroute 85|Autoroute&nbsp;85]] for {{cvt|43|km|}}, and then downgrades from a freeway to [[Quebec Route 185|Route&nbsp;185]], a non-Autoroute (not limited-access) standard highway for {{cvt|9|km|}} until [[Saint-Louis-du-Ha! Ha!]], where Autoroute 85 resumes once again. The portion from Autoroute&nbsp;20 to [[Edmundston]], New Brunswick is approximately {{cvt|120|km}} long.<ref name=Eastmap/>

Since the Trans-Canada Highway for the most part follows Quebec's Autoroute System, which is always composed of a minimum four-lane freeway, travel through Quebec is generally, safe, fast, and congestion-free.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} The exception is the route through Montreal, which can be prone to traffic congestion. However, drivers can bypass the city on the [[Toll highway|tolled]] Autoroute 30, which is not part of the Trans-Canada.

The maximum speed limit on the Quebec Autoroute System (including the TCH) is a strictly enforced {{cvt|100|kph}}. However, the speed limit may be lower in select spots, such as through tunnels or major interchanges.

Since 2018, Quebec has been working on upgrading the {{convert|40|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}}, two-lane, undivided section of Trans-Canada Highway along [[Quebec Route 185|Route&nbsp;185]] to an Autoroute, with {{Convert|21.5|km|abbr=on}} of new freeway commissioned during 2021–22, another 10 km in 2024 and the remaining {{Convert|8.5|km|abbr=on}} of freeway under construction, with final completion targeted for 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Réaménagement de la route 185 en autoroute (85) |trans-title=Redevelopment of Route 185 by Autoroute 85 |url=https://www.quebec.ca/transports/projets-routiers/bas-saint-laurent/reamenagement-route-185-autoroute-85 |access-date=April 30, 2024 |publisher=Gouvernement du Québec |language=fr |archive-date=April 30, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240430135305/https://www.quebec.ca/transports/projets-routiers/bas-saint-laurent/reamenagement-route-185-autoroute-85 |url-status=live }}</ref>{{Update after|2024|12|reason=Update length as the remaining segments complete over the next few years}} Once this project is completed, the disconnected sections of Autoroute 85 will be joined, and all of Quebec's Mainline Trans-Canada Highway route will be minimum four-lane freeway standards. This will also result in the TCH becoming a continuous freeway from Arnprior, Ontario to [[Lower South River]], [[Nova Scotia]].

=== New Brunswick ===
{{Main|New Brunswick Route 2}}
The Trans-Canada Highway crosses into New Brunswick and becomes [[New Brunswick Route 2|Route&nbsp;2]] just northwest of [[Edmundston]]. From Edmundston, the highway (again signed exclusively with the TCH shield) follows the [[Saint John River (New Brunswick)|Saint John River]] Valley, running south for {{cvt|170|km}} to [[Woodstock, New Brunswick|Woodstock]] (parallelling the [[Canada–United States border]]) and then east for another {{cvt|102|km}} to pass through New Brunswick's capital city, [[Fredericton]]. {{cvt|40|km}} east of Fredericton, the Saint John River turns south, whereby the highway crosses the river at [[Jemseg, New Brunswick|Jemseg]] and continues heading east to [[Moncton]] another {{cvt|135|km}} later. On November 1, 2007, New Brunswick completed a 20-year effort to convert its entire {{convert|516|km|adj=on}} section of the Trans-Canada Highway into a four-lane, limited-access, divided highway. The highway has a speed limit of {{convert|110|km/h|abbr=on}}<ref name=Eastmap/> on most of its sections in New Brunswick.

New Brunswick was the first province where the main route of the Trans-Canada Highway was made entirely into a four-lane, limited-access, divided highway.

From Moncton, the highway continues southeast for {{cvt|54|km}} to a junction at [[Aulac, New Brunswick|Aulac]] close to the New Brunswick–[[Nova Scotia]] border (near [[Sackville, New Brunswick|Sackville]]). Here, Trans-Canada Highway again splits into two routes, with the main route continuing to the nearby border with Nova Scotia as Route&nbsp;2, and a {{Convert|70|km|adj=on}} route designated as [[New Brunswick Route 16|Route&nbsp;16]], which runs east to the [[Confederation Bridge]] at [[Cape Jourimain, New Brunswick|Cape Jourimain]].<ref name=Eastmap/>

=== Nova Scotia ===
[[File:NSHighway104 OutsideNewGlasgowWest.jpg|thumb|[[Nova Scotia Highway 104|Highway&nbsp;104]] in [[Nova Scotia]] near Westville.]]
From the New Brunswick border, the main Trans-Canada Highway route continues east into [[Nova Scotia]] as [[Nova Scotia Highway&nbsp;104]], passing the town of [[Amherst, Nova Scotia|Amherst]]. Southeast of Amherst, near [[Thomson Station, Nova Scotia|Thomson Station]], the highway traverses the [[Cobequid Pass]], a {{Convert|45|km|mi|adj=on}} [[toll road|tolled]] section ending at [[Masstown, Nova Scotia|Masstown]], before passing [[Truro, Nova Scotia|Truro]], where it links with [[Nova Scotia Highway 102|Highway&nbsp;102]] to [[Halifax, Nova Scotia|Halifax]], {{cvt|117|km}} east of the New Brunswick border. Like Toronto, Halifax is a provincial capital that the Trans-Canada Highway does not pass through. Beyond Truro, the highway continues east for {{cvt|57|km}} to New Glasgow, where it meets [[Nova Scotia Highway 106|Highway&nbsp;106]], before continuing to the [[Canso Causeway]], which crosses the [[Strait of Canso]] onto [[Cape Breton Island]] near [[Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia|Port Hawkesbury]]. From the Canso Causeway, the highway continues east, now designated as [[Nova Scotia Highway 105|Highway&nbsp;105]] on Cape Breton Island, until reaching the [[Marine Atlantic]] ferry terminal at [[North Sydney, Nova Scotia|North Sydney]].<ref name=Eastmap/>

=== Newfoundland and Labrador ===
[[File:Route1 nl.png|thumb|[[Newfoundland and Labrador Route 1|Route 1]] in [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] near [[Corner Brook]].]]
From North Sydney, a {{Convert|177|km|mi|adj=on}} ferry route, operated by the [[Crown corporation]] [[Marine Atlantic]], continues the highway to [[Newfoundland and Labrador|Newfoundland]], arriving at [[Channel-Port aux Basques]], whereby the Trans-Canada Highway assumes the designation of [[Newfoundland and Labrador Route 1|Highway&nbsp;1]]. The highway runs northeast for {{cvt|219|km}} through [[Corner Brook]], and travels east for another {{cvt|352|km}} through [[Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador|Gander]]. It then travels another {{cvt|334|km}} southeast, and then {{cvt|52|km}} northeast. Finally, after {{cvt|7,476|km}} across Canada from Victoria, the Trans-Canada Highway finally ends at [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]]. From Channel-Port aux Basques to its eastern terminus in the provincial capital city, the highway travels {{cvt|905|km}} in total, across the island.<ref name=Eastmap/> The eastern terminus of the highway is at an intersection with Outer Bay Road/White Hills Road and Logy Bay Road. The majority of the Trans-Canada Highway in Newfoundland is undivided, though sections in Corner Brook, [[Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland and Labrador|Grand Falls-Windsor]], [[Glovertown, Newfoundland and Labrador|Glovertown]], and a {{Convert|75|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} section from [[Whitbourne, Newfoundland and Labrador|Whitbourne]] to St. John's are divided.<ref name=Eastmap/>

==="Mile zero"===
[[File:Mile Zero Monument Victoria BC 2018 (cropped).jpg|thumb|The Mile Zero monument at the end of the Trans-Canada Highway in [[Victoria, British Columbia]].]]
[[File:Mile one stadium.jpg|thumb|[[Mile One Centre]] in [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador]].]]
Although there does not appear to be any nationally sanctioned "starting point" for the entire Trans-Canada Highway system, [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St. John's]] has adopted this designation for the section of highway running in the city. The foot of East White Hills Road in St. John's, near [[Newfoundland and Labrador Route 30|Logy Bay Road]], would be a more precise starting point of the highway, where the road meets and transfers into the start of the Trans-Canada Highway. The terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway in [[Victoria, British Columbia]], at the foot of [[Douglas Street (Victoria, British Columbia)|Douglas Street]] and Dallas Road at [[Beacon Hill Park]], is also marked by a "mile zero" monument. St. John's downtown arena, [[Mary Brown's Centre]], was originally branded under [[naming rights]] as "Mile One Centre" in reference to the geography of the region.<ref>{{cite news |last = Muret |first = Don |date = April 9, 2001 |title = Venue's Name Game Takes New Twist |work = Amusement Business |url = http://www.allbusiness.com/services/amusement-recreation-services/4568492-1.html |access-date = July 30, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date = October 14, 2021 |title = The Biggest Mary: Chicken chain Mary Brown's buys naming rights to Mile One Centre |url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mary-browns-mile-one-name-change-1.6210704 |access-date = January 9, 2022 |website = CBC News |archive-date = October 30, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211030133025/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mary-browns-mile-one-name-change-1.6210704 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The usage of miles instead of kilometres at both designations dates back to when the Trans-Canada Highway was completed in 1962, prior to [[metrication in Canada]].

== Other routes ==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2023}}

=== Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) ===
{{Main|Yellowhead Highway||}}
The Yellowhead Highway is a {{Convert|2,859|km|adj=on}} highway in Western Canada, running from [[Masset|Masset, British Columbia]], on [[Graham Island]] (in [[Haida Gwaii]]), east to where it intersects the main Trans-Canada Highway (Highway&nbsp;1) just west of [[Portage la Prairie|Portage la Prairie, Manitoba]], near Winnipeg. It is designated as Highway&nbsp;16 in all four provinces that it passes through (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba). It follows a more northerly east–west route across Western Canada than the main TCH and passes through fewer cities. Other major municipalities on the route include [[Prince Rupert, British Columbia|Prince Rupert]], [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]], [[Lloydminster]], and [[Saskatoon]]. The Yellowhead Highway is most well-known for passing through [[Jasper National Park]] in Alberta, where it crosses the [[Continental Divide]] through its namesake [[Yellowhead Pass]]. Since it carries significantly less traffic than its more southerly counterpart, the Yellowhead is almost exclusively a two-lane highway in British Columbia and Manitoba, and is only partially a four-lane expressway in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Until 1990, the Yellowhead Highway had its own unique highway number signs, but they have now mostly been replaced with standard maple-leaf Trans-Canada Highway signs, with numberless Yellowhead shields posted adjacent to them.

=== Northern Ontario & Quebec routes ===
{{Main|Ontario Highway 71|Ontario Highway 11|Ontario Highway 66|Quebec Route 117|Quebec Autoroute 15}}
The {{Convert|1547|km|adj=on}} section of Highway 71 and Highway 11 between [[Kenora]] and [[North Bay, Ontario]], is considered part of the Trans-Canada Highway. This highway first runs south of the Main TCH route between Kenora and Thunder Bay, passing through the town of [[Fort Frances]] on the U.S. border. Then, after running concurrently with the main Trans-Canada Highway route, [[Ontario Highway 11|Highway&nbsp;11]] splits off to the north at [[Nipigon]], running through a vast and sparsely populated area of northern Ontario. This highway sees little long-distance traffic compared to the main route, beside heavy transport trucks looking to avoid the significant elevation changes along the Lake Superior route, since it is much flatter and the transit time for heavy hauling is usually the same. The area is also not well-known as a tourist destination outside of fishing tours, which are often fly-in. A much shorter {{Convert|60|km|adj=on}} section of Highway&nbsp;66 connects another northern Trans-Canada Highway route to Quebec's [[Quebec Route 117|Highway 117]], which itself continues the TCH route to Montreal after connecting with [[Quebec Autoroute 15|Autoroute 15]]. The main Highway&nbsp;11 continues south until it intersects the main Trans-Canada Highway route (Highway&nbsp;17) in North Bay. Except for the southernmost stretches south of [[Labelle, Quebec|Labelle]], these highways are two-lane undivided routes.

=== Central Ontario / Georgian Bay route ===
{{Main|Ontario Highway 69|Ontario Highway 400|Ontario Highway 12|Ontario Highway 7}}
The southern Ontario Trans-Canada Highway route is even more abstract than the northern ones, as it uses four different provincial highways, and is largely non-functional as a major long distance corridor due to its roundabout route and the complete avoidance of the Toronto area. It is a {{Convert|671|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} alternate route to Highway&nbsp;17 (the mainline TCH) between [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]] and Ottawa. It passes through several major communities, including [[Orillia]] and [[Peterborough, Ontario|Peterborough]]. Because it passes closer to major population centres, this section of the TCH sees higher traffic volumes. It is made up of various sections of freeways, expressways, and two-lane routes.

=== Prince Edward Island Route ===
{{Main|New Brunswick Route 16|Prince Edward Island Route 1|Nova Scotia Highway 106}}
Another spur route of the Trans-Canada Highway splits off the mainline in eastern New Brunswick. This route connects to [[Prince Edward Island]] across the {{Convert|13|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} [[Confederation Bridge]], crosses the central part of Prince Edward Island, including through the provincial capital of [[Charlottetown]], before crossing back to the mainland on a ferry. This length of the route is 234&nbsp;km (145 miles), and consists of New Brunswick Highway&nbsp;16, Prince Edward Island Highway&nbsp;1, and Nova Scotia Highway&nbsp;106. This leg of the Trans-Canada Highway sees moderately high traffic volumes and is an important tourist route. The Confederation Bridge is often viewed as an attraction in itself. Although the highway is mostly a two-lane route, portions of the route are built as [[two-lane expressway]]s.

=== Bypasses ===
{{Main|Perimeter Highway (Winnipeg)|Ontario Highway 17A|}}
Two short bypasses are also considered part of the Trans-Canada Highway system. These include the {{convert|42|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} [[Perimeter Highway (Winnipeg)|Perimeter Highway&nbsp;100]] bypass around Winnipeg, which provides an expressway standard alternative to the crowded Highway&nbsp;1 in the city centre, and the {{convert|34|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} two-lane Kenora Bypass ([[Ontario Highway 17A|Highway&nbsp;17A]]), which is a two-lane route that bypasses the entire town to the north.

==History==
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2017}}

=== Predecessor routes ===
Early on, much of the route of the Trans-Canada Highway was first explored in order to construct the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] in the late 19th century, a route which much of the mainline TCH route later ended up following.

The Trans-Canada Highway was not the first road across Canada. In British Columbia, the highway was predated by the [[Crowsnest Highway]], the [[Big Bend Highway]], and the [[Cariboo Highway]], all of which were constructed during the [[Great Depression in Canada|Great Depression]] era. Many of the earlier highways in British Columbia were largely gravel and had many frequent inland ferry crossings at wide rivers and lakes. In Alberta, the section between Calgary and Banff was predated by the Morley Trail (now Highway&nbsp;1A), which was driveable starting in the 1910s and paved in the 1930s. The first route over the Central Canadian Rockies to connect Calgary to British Columbia was the [[Banff–Windermere Highway|Banff–Windermere Parkway]], which was opened in 1922 and is now{{As of?|date=May 2024}} numbered as Highway&nbsp;93. Sections of road across the Prairies have also existed since the 1920s. A gravel road connection across northern Ontario (Highway&nbsp;17) was constructed starting in 1931. While this section was largely open by the late 1930s, it was not fully completed until 1951 (in large part due to [[World War II]] interrupting construction). However, despite the gap, vehicles could still cross the county by getting ferried around the relatively short section of incomplete highway by either rail or water, and Highway 11 was completed to Hearst from the east by 1937 and Nipigon by 1943.

=== Opening ===
The system was approved by the Trans-Canada Highway Act of 1949,<ref>{{cite web |title = Trans-Canada Highway Act |url = http://lois.justice.gc.ca/en/publaw/217522_25895.html |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110725133830/http://lois.justice.gc.ca/en/publaw/217522_25895.html |archive-date = July 25, 2011 |access-date = December 19, 2006 |publisher = Department of Justice Canada |id = R.S.C. 1970, c. T-12 }}</ref> with construction commencing in 1950.<ref>{{cite web |title = The Trans-Canada Highway |url = http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/backgrounders/b04-R007e.htm |publisher = [[Transport Canada]] |access-date = December 19, 2006 |archive-date = May 6, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070506102930/http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/backgrounders/b04-R007e.htm |url-status = live }}</ref> The highway officially opened in 1962, with the completion of the [[Rogers Pass (British Columbia)|Rogers Pass]] section of highway between [[Golden, British Columbia|Golden]] and [[Revelstoke, British Columbia|Revelstoke]]. This section of highway bypassed the original Big Bend Highway, the last remaining section of gravel highway on the route. Upon its original completion, the Trans-Canada Highway was the longest uninterrupted highway in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last = MacLeod |first = Donaldson |date = 2014 |title = The Trans-Canada Highway: A Major Link in Canada's Transportation System |url = http://conf.tac-atc.ca/english/annualconference/tac2014/s-32/macleod.pdf |access-date = March 10, 2016 |publisher = Transportation Association of Canada |archive-date = March 11, 2016 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160311012648/http://conf.tac-atc.ca/english/annualconference/tac2014/s-32/macleod.pdf |url-status = live }}</ref> Construction on other legs continued until 1971, when the last gap on Highway&nbsp;16 was completed in the Upper [[Fraser Valley]] east of [[Prince George, British Columbia|Prince George]], at which point the highway network was considered complete.

=== Since completion (1960–2000) ===
When the Trans-Canada Highway first opened, it was almost exclusively a two-lane route for its whole length across the country. While at the time it was considered a major improvement to the gravel roads and ferries it replaced, it was soon believed to be insufficient to handle the growing traffic volumes. In response, several provinces began to construct realignments, freeway widenings, and twin sections of highway in response to traffic flow and safety concerns.

In British Columbia, the Upper Levels Freeway alignment was opened in 1960 through [[Metro Vancouver]] with the completion of the [[Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing|Second Narrows Crossing]], which allowed the TCH to bypass downtown Vancouver's streets and the narrow [[Lions Gate Bridge]]. The four-lane Upper Levels Freeway was constructed to a relatively low standard, with narrow lanes, low overpasses, and no proper merge ramps. It remains in this state in the present day{{When|date=May 2024}}. Between 1962 and 1964, Highway&nbsp;1 was rerouted onto a new four-lane freeway bypass between [[Vancouver]] and [[Chilliwack]]. This section of highway was originally part of British Columbia's own [[400-series highways (British Columbia)|400 series of highways]], until the designation was replaced by Highway&nbsp;1. A freeway alignment on the Trans-Canada Highway between Chilliwack and [[Hope, British Columbia|Hope]] opened in 1986. The opening of the [[Cassiar Tunnel]] in 1990 bypassed the last sets of signal lights in Vancouver, rendering the whole alignment of the Trans-Canada Highway through the Lower Mainland a freeway. All bypassed sections of the highway were absorbed into various urban and rural road networks. The older freeways in the Lower Mainland were largely built as a parkway design, with wide, forested medians and low overpasses (a road configuration that was common across North America at the time). After the opening of the [[Coquihalla Highway]] in 1986, the Trans-Canada Highway through the [[Fraser Canyon]] received less traffic, because the freeway bypass shortened the drive between Hope and Kamloops by 90 minutes. However, the route was retained as part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, and is considered a scenic route and a valuable part of the Fraser Country Circle Tour.<ref>{{Cite web |date = November 9, 2023 |title = Fraser Country Circle Tour |url = https://www.travel-british-columbia.com/tours-drives/fraser-country/ |access-date = November 9, 2023 |website = Travel British Columbia |archive-date = November 10, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231110015122/https://www.travel-british-columbia.com/tours-drives/fraser-country/ |url-status = live }}</ref> The opening of the Coquihalla was also an economic disaster for many of the towns along the Fraser Canyon section of the Trans-Canada Highway, since most of the travel and tourism business along the route quickly dried up when most of the traffic took the new highway. The towns continue to be largely deprived of wealth, and some are close to being abandoned. On the other hand, [[Merritt, British Columbia|Merritt]], located midway up the new Coquihalla highway, ended up booming, and continues{{As of?|date=May 2024}} to grow as a tourism and travel centre. The Coquihalla project also realigned Highway&nbsp;1 (TCH) to a new freeway bypass around [[Kamloops]]. Plans for a freeway to bypass or eliminate [[traffic congestion]] and road hazards along the heavily travelled route from Victoria to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island were cancelled during the [[recession]] that followed the [[1987 stock market crash]].

In Alberta, between 1964 and 1972, the Trans-Canada Highway was completely rerouted from its former two-lane alignment along the [[Bow River]] to a new, more direct, four-lane freeway between Banff and Calgary, resulting in the bypassing of several towns, such as [[Canmore, Alberta|Canmore]] and [[Cochrane, Alberta|Cochrane]]. Prior to this change, one of the first [[traffic circle]]s in Canada existed on Highway&nbsp;1 at the "gateway" junction for Banff from at least as early as the 1950s until about 1980 when it was replaced by an interchange. In the rest of Banff National Park, much of the predecessor Highway&nbsp;1 parkway was bypassed by a new two-lane route in the 1960s. This new route was subsequently twinned in phases beginning in about 1980.  The original route between Banff and [[Lake Louise, Alberta|Lake Louise]] remains as the [[Alberta Highway 1A|Bow Valley Parkway]] and Lake Louise Drive, while a section over [[Kicking Horse Pass]] was abandoned and is now only open to pedestrians and cyclists. Between 1973 and 1990, the highway was twinned from Calgary to the Saskatchewan Border. In 1970, plans were made for a six-to-eight-lane freeway to carry the Trans-Canada Highway though the heart of North Calgary, but the plan was soon dropped due to [[Freeway revolts|citizen outcry]].

Between Ottawa and the Ontario–Quebec border, the Trans-Canada Highway designation was taken from the two-lane Highway&nbsp;17 and applied to the existing Highway&nbsp;417 freeway in 1997–98. On April 1, 1997, the [[Ministry of Transportation of Ontario]] (MTO) transferred the responsibility of maintenance and upkeep along {{cvt|14.2|km}} of Highway&nbsp;17 east of "the split" with Highway&nbsp;417 to Trim Road (Regional Road&nbsp;57) to the [[Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton]], a process commonly referred to as ''downloading''. The Regional Municipality then designated the road as [[Regional Road&nbsp;174]]. Despite the protests of the region that the route served a provincial purpose, a second round of transfers saw Highway&nbsp;17 within Ottawa downloaded entirely on January 1, 1998, adding an additional {{convert|12.8|km|abbr=on}} to the length of Regional Road&nbsp;174.<ref>{{cite report |url = http://www.ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2004/10-13/trc/ACS2004-CCS-TRC-0009.htm |title = Responsibilities and Obligations Re: Highway&nbsp;174 |author = Department of Public Works and Services |date = September 14, 2004 |publisher = City of Ottawa |access-date = February 14, 2011 |archive-date = May 26, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110526231933/http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/occ/2004/10-13/trc/ACS2004-CCS-TRC-0009.htm |url-status = live }}</ref> The highway was also downloaded within the [[United Counties of Prescott and Russell]], where it was redesignated as County Road&nbsp;17.<ref>{{cite report |url = http://www.sdcpr-prcdc.ca/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&task=download&id=13&Itemid=208&lang=en |title = Economic Development Plan – Final Report |author = Millier Dickinson Blais |date = February 16, 2010 |publisher = Prescott-Russell Community Development Corporation |pages = 41–42 |access-date = March 10, 2011 |section = 4.2 Linking to the Megaregion |archive-date = July 6, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110706202749/http://www.sdcpr-prcdc.ca/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&task=download&id=13&Itemid=208&lang=en |url-status = live }}</ref> The result of these transfers was the truncation of Highway&nbsp;17 at the western end of Highway&nbsp;417.<ref>{{cite map |title = Ontario Road Map |cartography = Geomatics Office |publisher = Ministry of Transportation |year = 1999<!-- Note: Compiled to January 1, 1999 --> }}</ref> 1990 saw the opening of the two-lane [[Kenora Bypass]], providing through traffic with a way to avoid the congested town.

Starting in the 1960s, Quebec began to build its [[Autoroutes of Quebec|Autoroute]] network. Many sections of Trans-Canada Highway were widened to freeway standards during that era of highway construction.

Starting in 1987, New Brunswick began to widen its section of TCH to four lanes. Work to make the route a full freeway began in the late 1990s and was completed in 2007.

The {{Convert|13|km|mi|adj=mid|-long}} [[Confederation Bridge]] connecting PEI to New Brunswick opened in 1997. Replacing the ferry that previously serviced that route, it was hailed as a major accomplishment.

=== Recent changes (2000–present) ===
In 2000 and 2001, [[Transport Canada]] considered funding an infrastructure project to have the full Trans-Canada system converted to limited-access divided highways. Although construction funding was made available to some provinces for portions of the system, the federal government ultimately decided to not pursue a comprehensive limited-access highway conversion. Opposition to funding the limited-access widening was due to low traffic levels on parts of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Prior to the start of the [[Great Recession]] in 2008, the highway underwent some changes through the [[Rocky Mountains]] from [[Banff National Park]] to [[Golden, British Columbia|Golden]], British Columbia. A major piece of this project was completed on August 30, 2007, with the [[Park Bridge (British Columbia)|new Park Bridge]] and Ten Mile Hill sections opening up {{cvt|16|km}} of new four-lane highway. Other smaller four-lane widening projects on the Trans-Canada Highway in the interior of British Columbia were also built around the same time. As part of the [[Gateway Program (Vancouver)|Gateway Program]], {{cvt|37|km}} of congested four-lane Highway&nbsp;1 freeway in Metro Vancouver were widened to an eight-lane buildout starting in 2012. This project continues into the present{{As of?|date=May 2024}}, with the current goal of rebuilding the freeway to a minimum six-lane layout from Langley to Abbotsford by 2025.

The twinning of the highway in Alberta's [[Banff National Park]] continued, with the final {{cvt|8.5|km|1}} of Highway&nbsp;1 between Lake Louise and the British Columbia border opened to traffic on June 12, 2014,<ref name="PCtwinningcomplete">{{cite news |last = Schmidt |first = Colleen |date = June 13, 2014 |title = Crews Complete Twinning of Trans-Canada Through Banff National Park |publisher = CTV Calgary |url = https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/crews-complete-twinning-of-trans-canada-through-banff-national-park/ |access-date = June 13, 2014 |archive-date = June 17, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140617224756/http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/crews-complete-twinning-of-trans-canada-through-banff-national-park-1.1868296 |url-status = live }}</ref> making the whole length of Alberta's main Trans-Canada Highway route a minimum four lanes. [[Stoney Trail]] began construction in 2005, and was usable as a bypass around Calgary when its northeastern section opened in 2010. Although not officially part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, Stoney Trail plays a critical role in providing through traffic on the Trans-Canada Highway with a way around the city.

During the 2000s, much of the Trans-Canada Highway through Saskatchewan and Manitoba was twinned. In 2019, the [[Regina Bypass]] opened, resulting in the Trans-Canada Highway being realigned around the city and bypassing a section of heavily signalized arterial road on [[Victoria Avenue (Regina, Saskatchewan)|Victoria Avenue]].

The 2010s saw changes to other routes in the Trans-Canada Highway system as well. [[Ontario Highway 400|Ontario Highway&nbsp;400]] began to be extended towards Sudbury, replacing [[Ontario Highway 69|Highway&nbsp;69]] and resulting in a freeway alignment for part of the Southern Ontario Trans-Canada Highway Route. Work on this project is continuing, with almost {{cvt|25|km}} of freeway currently{{When|date=May 2024}} under construction.

Edmonton is currently{{When|date=May 2024}} attempting to widen its urban section of [[Yellowhead Trail|Highway&nbsp;16]] to a six-lane freeway. Large amounts of Highway&nbsp;16 in Alberta were twinned during the 2000s.

Despite these many widenings, over half of the mainline Trans-Canada highway still{{As of?|date=May 2024}} remains in its original two-lane state, and only about 15% of the mainline's length is composed of freeway comparable to that of the [[Interstate Highway System]].

In 2012, a series of free public [[electric vehicle charging stations]] were installed along the main route of the highway by a private company, Sun Country Highway, permitting electric vehicle travel across the entire length, as demonstrated by the company's president, Kent Rathwell, in a publicity trip from St John's, NL, to Victoria, BC, in a [[Tesla Roadster (2008)|Tesla Roadster]]. {{as of|2012}}, this made the TCH the longest electric-vehicle-ready highway in the world.<ref>{{cite news |last = Caulfield |first = Jane |date = December 11, 2012 |title = Electrifying Trip Along the Trans-Canada Highway Pit Stops in Saskatchewan |work = Metro |url = http://metronews.ca/news/regina/474005/electrifying-trip-along-the-trans-canada-highway-pit-stops-in-saskatchewan/ |url-status = dead |access-date = April 12, 2014 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131216212145/http://metronews.ca/news/regina/474005/electrifying-trip-along-the-trans-canada-highway-pit-stops-in-saskatchewan/ |archive-date = December 16, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title = World's Longest Greenest Highway Project: Item Details |url = https://suncountryhighway.ca/wlghp/ |access-date = July 11, 2019 |publisher = Sun Country Highway |archive-date = June 25, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230625092131/https://suncountryhighway.ca/wlghp/ |url-status = live }}</ref>

== Future ==
No national plan for widening the Trans-Canada Highway exists,{{As of?|date=May 2024}} and all planning is currently{{As of?|date=May 2024}} done by the individual provinces, as the Trans-Canada Highway and highways within [[National Highway System (Canada)|National Highway System]] fall within provincial/territorial jurisdiction, with provincial/territorial governments responsible for planning, design, construction, operation, maintenance, and financing.<ref>{{Cite web |author = Transport Canada |title = Highways |url = https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/policies/highways |access-date = November 12, 2023 |publisher = Transport Canada |language = en-CA |archive-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231112154405/https://tc.canada.ca/en/corporate-services/policies/highways |url-status = live }}</ref>  However, the federal government may contribute funding to highway projects through its various funding programs. Currently, there are five large-scale highway projects on the Trans-Canada Highway Network.

Quebec is{{When|date=May 2024}} working on completing Autoroute 85, bringing the last two-lane section of the mainline highway in Quebec up to four-lane freeway standards. {{As of|2021|09}}, only {{cvt|7|km}} of two-lane highway had not yet been addressed. The rest either had been completed or was currently under construction.

In Ontario, the province has several significant highway expansion projects on the Trans-Canada Highway planned or under way:{{When|date=May 2024}}

* Between Parry Sound and Sudbury, construction to upgrade Highway 69 from a two-lane highway to a 400-series freeway has been underway for decades, with the most recently completed section of freeway officially opened in December 2021,<ref>{{Cite press release |first1 = Dakota |last1 = Brasier |first2 = Simisola |last2 = Ikotun |title = Ontario Opens Newly Expanded Highway 69 |work = Ontario Newsroom |date = December 23, 2021 |url = https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001376/ontario-opens-newly-expanded-highway-69 |access-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-date = November 27, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221127193210/https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001376/ontario-opens-newly-expanded-highway-69 |url-status = live }}</ref> leaving {{cvt|68|km|mi}} to be completed. 
* Between Arnprior and Renfrew, the province announced in 2019 the upgrading of an additional {{cvt|22.5|km|mi}} of two-lane Highway 17 to a 400-series freeway. The announcement did not specify costs or timelines, but a new overpass at Calabogie Road opened in August 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |last = Haaima |first = Sherry |date = September 1, 2023 |title = New Highway 17 ramps, overpass at Calabogie Road now open |url = https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news/new-highway-17-ramps-overpass-at-calabogie-road-now-open/article_9c90bdda-28c8-52d6-9895-0ee710b25edb.html |access-date = November 12, 2023 |website = InsideOttawaValley.com |language = en |archive-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231112174525/https://www.insideottawavalley.com/news/new-highway-17-ramps-overpass-at-calabogie-road-now-open/article_9c90bdda-28c8-52d6-9895-0ee710b25edb.html |url-status = live }}</ref>
* Between Thunder Bay and Nipigon, construction to make Highway 11/17 a four-lane divided highway (with at-grade intersections) started in the late 2000s, with completion expected by 2030. The most recent section through Dorion was opened in the summer of 2023,<ref>{{Cite press release |first1 = Dakota |last1 = Brasier |first2 = Tanya |last2 = Blazina |date = August 31, 2023 |title = Ontario Completes Widening of Highway 11/17 in Thunder Bay District |work = Ontario Newsroom |url = https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003455/ontario-completes-widening-of-highway-1117-in-thunder-bay-district |access-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231112174527/https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1003455/ontario-completes-widening-of-highway-1117-in-thunder-bay-district |url-status = live }}</ref> with other sections under design or construction.<ref>{{Cite press release |first1 = Curtis |last1 = Lindsay |first2 = Dakota |last2 = Brasier |first3 = Simisola |last3 = Ikotun |date = April 9, 2022 |title = Ontario Moving Ahead with Twinning Highway 11/17 Between Thunder Bay and Nipigon |work = Ontario Newsroom |url = https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001999/ontario-moving-ahead-with-twinning-highway-1117-between-thunder-bay-and-nipigon |access-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-date = June 12, 2024 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240612210037/https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1001999/ontario-moving-ahead-with-twinning-highway-1117-between-thunder-bay-and-nipigon |url-status = live }}</ref> 
* Between Kenora and the Manitoba border, construction to make Highway 17 a four-lane divided highway started in 2022, with a {{cvt|6.5|km|mi}} section slated for completion by 2025 and the remaining sections still under design.<ref>{{Cite web |title = Moving forward on twinning Highway 17 from Manitoba/Ontario border to Kenora. It looks like the wait is over and important first steps taken |url = https://www.lowdsa.com/articles/it-looks-like-the-wait-is-over-and-important-first-steps-taken-moving-forward-on-twinning-4-laning-highway-17-from-manitobaontario-border-to-kenora |access-date = November 12, 2023 |website = LOWDSA |language = en |archive-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231112174528/https://www.lowdsa.com/articles/it-looks-like-the-wait-is-over-and-important-first-steps-taken-moving-forward-on-twinning-4-laning-highway-17-from-manitobaontario-border-to-kenora |url-status = live }}</ref>

In Manitoba in May 2023, the province announced the launch of a conceptual design study for the twinning of the remaining {{Convert|16|km|mi|adj=on}} two-lane section of Highway 1 west of the Ontario border, plus the immediate construction of a {{Convert|700|m|mi|adj=on}} section to align with four-laning work in Ontario.<ref>{{Cite press release |title = Manitoba Government Announces Next Steps for Twinning Trans-Canada Highway from Falcon Lake to Manitoba–Ontario Border |publisher = Province of Manitoba |url = https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/?archive=&item=59418 |access-date = November 12, 2023 |language = en |archive-date = November 12, 2023 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20231112182215/https://news.gov.mb.ca/news/?archive=&item=59418 |url-status = live }}</ref>

{{As of|2021|09}}, British Columbia was planning on widening the {{Convert|420|km|mi|-long|adj=mid}} long section of TCH between Kamloops and Alberta to four lanes by 2050. The project goals do not include an eventual freeway conversion, and it is likely that the signalized sections of highway in Kamloops, Salmon Arm, Revelstoke, and Golden will remain. Around {{cvt|16|km}} of four-lane highway were under construction, with {{cvt|6|km}} more planned to start in 2022. Around a quarter of the length of highway between Kamloops and Alberta is{{When|date=May 2024}} now four lanes wide. At the current{{When|date=May 2024}} rate of construction, the project will likely not be completed until the 2070s. However, some of the most difficult sections have been completed, meaning that it may be easier to widen the remaining sections of highway to four lanes. Some of the highway in this section is under the jurisdiction of Parks Canada, specifically the sections through [[Mount Revelstoke National Park|Mount Revelstoke]], [[Glacier National Park (Canada)|Glacier]], and [[Yoho National Park|Yoho]] National Parks, which means that [[Parks Canada]] will have to implement its own four-lane program in order for the provincial government to accomplish its goal.

The City of Edmonton is{{When|date=May 2024}} changing its urban section of Highway 16 (TCH) to a six-lane freeway by replacing all signal lights with overpasses. The route is already largely a freeway, but seven signalized intersections remain. The project is expected to be finished by 2026.<ref>{{Cite web |title = Yellowhead Trail Freeway Conversion |department = Program History |publisher = City of Edmonton |url = https://www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/yellowhead-trail-public-engagement#:~:text=The%20City%20completed%20a%20strategic%20plan%20for%20the,Council%20to%20designate%20Yellowhead%20Trail%20as%20a%20freeway. |access-date = February 14, 2022 |archive-date = February 14, 2022 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220214230223/https://www.edmonton.ca/projects_plans/yellowhead-trail-public-engagement#:~:text=The%20City%20completed%20a%20strategic%20plan%20for%20the,Council%20to%20designate%20Yellowhead%20Trail%20as%20a%20freeway. |url-status = live }}</ref>

{{As of|2021|09}}, British Columbia was planning on widening {{cvt|36|km}} of Highway 1 in the Lower Mainland as part of its Fraser Valley Highway program. The four-lane freeway is over-congested, and many of the overpasses are in poor shape. The project intends to rebuild most of the interchanges and overpasses and widen the highway to six lanes. The first {{cvt|4|km}} of this project opened in 2020, with {{cvt|10|km}} more expected to be complete in 2025.

Apart from the major programs, many smaller-scale projects exist on the highway in order to rehabilitate the aging infrastructure or make minor traffic changes.

Alberta had long term plans to convert both of its Trans-Canada Highway routes to a minimum four-lane freeway standard, but has{{As of?|date=May 2024}} not set a timeline for doing so.{{Clear|left}}

== Bicycling ==
Most of the Trans-Canada Highway (except a few sections of exceptionally heavy motorized traffic) is a popular [[Bicycle touring|bike tour]] route.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Going Across Canada by Bicycle - Tips, routes, detours |url=https://transcanadahighway.com/traveltips/going-across-canada-by-bicycle/ |access-date=2025-07-21 |website=Trans-Canada Highway |publisher=TransCanada FoundLocally Inc. |language=en-CA}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Roads|Canada}}
* [[Canadian (train)|''Canadian'' (train)]]
* [[List of Canadian highways by province]]
* [[Trans-Canada Trail]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Trans-Canada Highway}}
{{Wikivoyage}}
{{Attached KML}}
* [http://www.transcanadahighway.com/ Trans-canada highway.com]—Detailed province by province description, history, and itineraries
* ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY5fg0RACd8&t Dirt Roads to Freeways ... And All That]'', ca. 1978, Archives of Ontario YouTube Channel
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF0fZTzRPTE Ten Mile Hill Project Trans-Canada in B.C. HD Video]
* [https://www.drivecanada.co.uk/ Trans-Canada Road Trip]—Details, blog and photographs from a road trip on the TCH coast to coast in 2018

{{Trans-Canada}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Trans-Canada Highway| ]]