Early Discussions & Planning
- 1907: Railway Grade Crossing Fund is established.
- 1911: Canadian Highway Association is established.
- 1912: The idea of a transcontinental highway is promoted by Thomas Wilby, a journalist, as he travels across Canada.
- 1912: Vancouver Island - TCH Signpost dispute.
- 1919: The Canada Highways Act is passed, providing funding for provincial highway construction to support postwar reconstruction. It emphasizes interprovincial highway connections and is a precursor to the TCH, though it doesn't establish a national highway system.
- 1945: After World War II, discussions resume for a national roadway due to increased vehicle use and the need for long-distance travel.
- 1948 (Dec): Preliminary agreements and plans are made by the federal government and provinces.
- 1949 (Dec 10): The Trans-Canada Highway Act is enacted, authorizing the highway's construction and providing a framework for funding and standards.
Construction and Official Opening
- 1950: Construction commences, with the goal of connecting all ten provinces.
- 1956: Original deadline for completion set in the Trans-Canada Highway Act, but delays occur due to negotiations and construction challenges.
- 1957: Saskatchewan becomes the first province to complete its section of the highway.
- 1960: Quebec officially signs on to the project.
- 1962 (July 30): An official opening of the Trans-Canada Highway is held at Rogers Pass, though some sections remain incomplete.
- 1962 (Sept 3): Prime Minister John Diefenbaker officially opens the Trans-Canada Highway at Rogers Pass.
- 1965: A key section is completed in Newfoundland, allowing motorists to drive the route in its entirety.
Final Completion
- 1971: Construction is completed to the standards outlined in the Trans-Canada Highway Act.
Continued Upgrades and Extensions
- Since 1971: Ongoing improvements, including twinning sections of the highway, building bypasses around cities, and adding alternative routes like the Yellowhead Highway.
Is the TCH a New Single Road or a network?
The Trans-Canada Highway (TCH) is not a single, continuous road, but rather a network of interconnected provincial highways. The TCH has a main route and several branches that diverge and sometimes rejoin to serve major population centers:
- The Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) serves as a northern alternative route across Western Canada.
- There are multiple routes through Ontario, including a northern route (Highways 71 and 11) and a southern alternate route.
- In the Maritimes, there's a route to Prince Edward Island via the Confederation Bridge.
In essence, think of the Trans-Canada Highway as a system of roads, rather than a single, monolithic highway.
Does the Trans-Canada Highway Bypass Small Towns?
The Trans-Canada Highway generally does not bypass small towns to the same extent as the U.S. Interstate Highway System. Here's why:
- Original Design: The TCH was largely an amalgamation of existing roads, many of which already passed through towns and villages. It was not built as a completely new, limited-access system like the Interstate.
- Two-lane vs. Multi-lane: While some sections of the TCH have been upgraded to multi-lane divided highways, many parts, particularly outside major cities, remain two-lane roads that pass through towns.
- Intersections and Speed Limits: In many areas, the TCH serves as the main street of communities, with at-grade intersections, traffic lights, and lower speed limits as it passes through urban areas.
- Evolution and Upgrades: Over time, bypasses have been built in some areas, especially around larger cities, but these are not universal and don't exist to the same extent as the Interstate system's bypasses around smaller towns.
- Provincial Control: The TCH is a system of provincial highways, each province responsible for its portion, which means standards and upgrades are not uniform nationwide.
In essence, while the TCH may bypass some major cities or high-traffic areas, much of it functions as a traditional highway that goes through towns rather than around them, unlike the Interstate system's more systematic approach to bypassing populated areas.