View source for 400-series highways (British Columbia)

{{short description|Former series of highways in British Columbia}}
{{multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=September 2018}}
{{lead too long|date=September 2018}}
}}
{{infobox highway system
| province    = BC
| type        = Hwy
| header_type = former
| title       = 400-series highways
| markers     = {{Infobox road/shieldmain/CAN|province=BC|type=Hwy|route=401}}{{Infobox road/shieldmain/CAN|province=BC|type=Hwy|route=499}}
| caption     = [[Highway shield|Highway markers]] for Highway&nbsp;401 and Highway&nbsp;499
| map         =
| map_notes   =
| map_alt     =
| maint       = [[British Columbia Ministry of Transportation|B.C. Department of Highways]]
| length_km   = 517
| length_ref  =
| formed      = 1964
| notes       = Decommissioned in 1973.
| label1      = [[Provincial highway|Provincial]]
| field1      = British Columbia Highway 4XX
}}
The '''400-series highways''' were a pair of [[controlled-access highway]]s located in the southwestern portion of the [[Canadian province]] of [[British Columbia]], forming a special subset of the provincial highway system. Modelled after the [[400-series highways|400-Series Highways]] in [[Ontario]], 400-series designations were introduced in 1964 in conjunction with the completion of the [[Trans-Canada Highway]] freeway between [[Vancouver]] and [[Clearbrook, Abbotsford|Clearbrook]] (present-day [[Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford]]);<ref name=BC_401>{{cite book |title=Frontier to Freeway: A short illustrated history of the roads in British Columbia |date=2000 |publisher=British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways |pages=16–19 |url=https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/reports-and-reference/reports-and-studies/frontier_to_freeway.pdf}}</ref> however, unlike their Ontario counterparts, both routes had signalized sections. The 400-series system never expanded beyond two freeways, and in 1973 Highways 401 and 499 were renumbered 1 and 99 respectively, while the former routes were assigned the 'A' suffix.
{{-}}
==Highway 401==
{{main|British Columbia Highway 1}}
{{Infobox
|bodystyle = width:22em
|above  = [[File:BC-401 (TCH).svg|30px]]
|subheader={{Big|'''Highway 401'''}}
<div style="margin:.4em 0 0 0; height:.5em; background:#AAA;"></div>
|label1 = Length
|data1  = {{convert|122|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|label2 = Existed
|data2  = 1964–1973
|label3 = West end
|data3  = {{jct|state=BC|TCH|1|Hwy|99}} in [[West Vancouver, British Columbia|West Vancouver]]
|label4 = Major<br />junctions
|data4  = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|7A}} in [[Vancouver]]<br />{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|7}} in [[Coquitlam]]<br />{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|15}} in [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]]<br />{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|10}} in [[Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)|Langley]]<br />{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|11}} in [[Abbotsford, British Columbia|Abbotsford]]
|label5 = East end
|data5  = {{jct|state=BC|TCH|1|Hwy|9}} near [[Rosedale, British Columbia|Rosedale]]
}}
Highway&nbsp;1 originally followed portions of [[Old Yale Road]] and [[Fraser Highway]] from [[Rosedale, British Columbia|Rosedale]] to Highway&nbsp;99 ([[King George Highway]]) in [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]], where the two routes shared a common alignment across the [[Pattullo Bridge]] and followed a series of streets including [[Kingsway (Vancouver)|Kingsway]] and [[Main Street (Vancouver)|Main Street]] into [[downtown Vancouver]]. In 1959, Highway&nbsp;1 was extended to [[Horseshoe Bay, British Columbia|Horseshoe Bay]] via the [[Lions Gate Bridge]] and Taylor Way in [[West Vancouver, British Columbia|West Vancouver]].
Major freeway construction commenced in the late 1950s, with the [[Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing|Second Narrows Bridge]] over [[Burrard Inlet]] opening in 1960 in conjunction with Upper Levels Highway opening through [[North Vancouver (district municipality)|North Vancouver]]; however, it was an expressway had a mix of interchanges and signalized intersections. In 1962, Highway&nbsp;1 was re-routed to a new expressway. The original [[Port Mann Bridge]] opened in 1964 in conjunction with a new highway between Vancouver and Clearbrook and was designated as ''Highway&nbsp;401'';<ref name=BC_401/> the Clearbrook-Rosedale section of Highway&nbsp;1 was restored to its original alignment and the expressway became part of Highway&nbsp;401.
The Trans-Canada Highway was designated along the newly constructed Highway&nbsp;401, while Highway&nbsp;1 between Rosedale and West Vancouver was signed as British Columbia Highway&nbsp;1 and had a regular provincial highway shield. Highway&nbsp;401 was a freeway for the majority of its length with exception of some traffic signals along the Upper Levels Highway and small section in Vancouver where it followed Cassiar Street (the sections were replaced by interchanges in the 1990s). Highway&nbsp;401 was renumbered to Highway&nbsp;1 in 1973, with former sections of Highway&nbsp;1 becoming [[British Columbia Highway 1A|Highway&nbsp;1A]].
{{-}}
==Highway&nbsp;499==
{{main|British Columbia Highway 99}}
{{Infobox
|bodystyle = width:22em
|above  = [[File:BC-99B.svg|38px]]
|subheader={{Big|'''Highway 99B'''}}
<div style="margin:.4em 0 0 0; height:.5em; background:#AAA;"></div>
|label1 = Length
|data1  = {{convert|30|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|label2 = Existed
|data2  = 1959–1962
|label3 = {{nowrap|South end}}
|data3  = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|10}} in [[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]]
|label5 = North end
|data5  = {{jct|state=BC|TCH|1|Hwy|99}} in [[Vancouver]]
}}
{{Infobox
|bodystyle = width:22em
|above  = [[File:BC-499.svg|38px]]
|subheader={{Big|'''Highway 499'''}}
<div style="margin:.4em 0 0 0; height:.5em; background:#AAA;"></div>
|label1 = Length
|data1  = {{convert|49|km|mi|abbr=on}}
|label2 = Existed
|data2  = 1964–1973
|label3 = {{nowrap|South end}}
|data3  = {{Jct|state=WA|I|5}} at [[Canada–United States border|Canada–U.S. border]]
|label4 = Major<br />junctions
|data4  = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|99}} in [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]]<br />{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|10}} in [[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]]<br />{{jct|state=BC|Hwy|17}} in [[Delta, British Columbia|Delta]]
|label5 = North end
|data5  = {{jct|state=BC|TCH|1|Hwy|99}} in [[Vancouver]]
}}
Highway&nbsp;99 originally followed the [[King George Highway]] from the [[Canada–United States border|U.S. border]] to Highway&nbsp;1 ([[Fraser Highway]]) in [[Surrey, British Columbia|Surrey]], where the two routes shared a common alignment across the [[Pattullo Bridge]] and followed before following a series of streets including [[Kingsway (Vancouver)|Kingsway]] and [[Main Street (Vancouver)|Main Street]] into [[downtown Vancouver]]. The 1950s saw a series of Highway&nbsp;improvements connecting Vancouver and [[Richmond, British Columbia|Richmond]], with the completion of the [[Oak Street Bridge]] was built in 1957 across the [[Fraser River|North Arm Fraser River]], and the completion of the [[Deas Island Tunnel]] in 1959 across the Fraser River (renamed the George Massey Tunnel in 1967). As part of the project, an expressway was constructed connecting the Deas Island Tunnel to [[British Columbia Highway 10|Highway&nbsp;10]] – the route connecting downtown Vancouver to Highway&nbsp;10 was designated as '''Highway&nbsp;99B'''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Postcard: Deas Island Tunnel, 1959 |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/45379817@N08/9643676616 |website=Flickr |access-date=September 5, 2018 |language=en-us |date=September 1, 2013 |quote=Deas Island Tunnel conveying traffic from Richmond to Delta, BC under the Fraser River.  Constructed from March 1957 to May 23, 1959. Opened officially on July 15, 1959 by Queen Elizabeth II who was on a royal tour of Canada with Prince Philip.  The tunnel was renamed the George Massey Tunnel in 1967 after the late Nehamiah "George" Massey, former British Columbia MLA for Delta, BC (1956-60).    This 4-lane highway, which ran from downtown Vancouver to Hwy. 10 in Delta, was originally designated as Highway&nbsp;99B.  After the completion of the Deas (Island) Throughway through Delta to the U.S. border in 1962, it became Hwy. 99.  From 1964 to 1973, the route was called the '499' Freeway; Since 1974, Hwy. 99.}}</ref>
In 1962, the freeway was extended to 8th Avenue in Surrey and the route (including Highway&nbsp;99B) was re-designated as ''Highway&nbsp;99''. In 1964, Highway&nbsp;99 was moved back to its former alignment and the freeway was designated as ''Highway&nbsp;499'', which also followed [[Oak Street (Vancouver)|Oak Street]] and [[Granville Street]] into downtown Vancouver where it linked with Highway&nbsp;1 and Highway&nbsp;99. Highway&nbsp;499 was renumbered to Highway&nbsp;99 in 1973, with former sections of Highway&nbsp;99 becoming [[British Columbia Highway 99A|Highway&nbsp;99A]].
{{-}}
== See also ==
* [[400-series highways (Ontario)]]
* [[Autoroutes of Quebec]]
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{BCHighways}}
{{Streets in Vancouver}}
[[Category:Former British Columbia provincial highways|400]]
[[Category:British Columbia provincial highways|400]]
[[Category:Transport in Greater Vancouver|Highways]]