A staple of British Columbia driving since its completion in 1961, Highway 1 is part of the Trans Canada Highway, travelling through the entirety of BC at a total length of 1,039 km. Whether you love or hate the #1, its presence is part of the fabric of BC, uniting communities and providing tourists and commuters with access to the BC coast. Finding alternate routes to Highway 1 has become more than just local knowledge and a way of avoiding traffic and congestion, as it allows drivers to discover new corners of BC they’ve never seen before.
The Lower Mainland section, which we’ll focus on in this post, is a main connector of Metro Vancouver to the rest of the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Island. Originally following Kingsway from Vancouver to Surrey and traversing the Fraser Valley, Highway 1 was rerouted from Chilliwack to a new expressway in 1962. The Lower Mainland section of the #1 measures 170 km, crossing the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Bridge Crossing and nine interchanges.
There are ways around using Highway #1, and today we’ll lay out a few of the most popular local routes that get off the main drag and into the back roads of BC.
Abbotsford - Chilliwack
Highway #1 from Abbotsford to Chilliwack will often get backed up between exit 92 / Sumas and Lickman Rd. To avoid some typical congestion you can take South Parallel Rd. off of exit 92 or go through the countryside along one of our favorite scenic routes. To do this, you need to:
- Get onto Vye Road. We’ll outline the route from the McCallum Rd. exit / exit 90 to Chilliwack.
- Head south on McCallum Rd. out of Abbotsford
- Turn east on Vye Rd. Continue through the southern BC countryside passing over the Sumas River
- Veer north when Vye Rd. turns into Powerhouse Rd.
- Connect with Wells Line Rd and turn east following the Interprovincial Highway to Campbell Rd.
- From Campbell Rd., head east and continue as it becomes Towne Rd
- As Towne Rd. becomes Boundary Rd. continue north and cross the Chilliwack River via Keith Wilson Rd
- Head east until you hit Lickman Rd.
- Turn north and continue until South Sumas Rd.
- Head east again, turning north on Vedder Rd and into the heart of Sardis.
- Keep north and head northeast on Luckakuck Way bypassing Highway 1 before turning north on Young Rd.
Voila, you’re in Chilliwack!
Langley - Abbotsford
As housing costs increase closer to Vancouver, more people are commuting from Abbotsford into the city. This can cause a fair amount of congestion during rush hour between the 200th St. exit and Abbotsford. Luckily, to avoid the stop and go of Highway 1 you can take a more scenic route through the countryside and enjoy your after work drive.
Valley Driving School routinely uses this unique scenic route to travel from the Langley branch to Abbotsford.
- From Valley Driving School at 9295 198 St in Langley head east toward 198 St.
- Turn right onto 96 Ave, and then shortly after, turn left onto Glover Rd/Trans Canada Trail.
- Turn right onto Fort-to-Fort Trail/Mavis Ave, and then left onto River Rd/Trans Canada Trail. Continue to follow Trans Canada Trail for 6.2 km. Turn right onto 264 St/County Line Rd.
- Turn left onto 52 Ave and follow until 52 Ave turns slightly right and becomes 272 St
- Turn left onto 40 Ave and continue onto 40 Ave/Downes Rd
- Turn right onto Bradner Rd, then left onto 8 Ave/Huntingdon Rd
- Turn left onto McCallum Rd to enter Abbotsford.
Langley - Coquitlam via Lougheed Highway
Another straight shot alternative, the Lougheed Highway is a great shortcut that can reduce the drive time to Coquitlam by about 45 minutes. Simply cross the Golden Ears bridge at 200th street and head west on the Lougheed, directly into the heart of Coquitlam, crossing the Pitt River along the way.
Stay on the Lougheed Highway and you’ll find yourself connecting back with Highway #1 or veer onto Highway 7A in Coquitlam to take another scenic route into the heart of Vancouver via Port Moody and Barnet Road.
Maple Ridge - Langley - Abbotsford
- Head west out of Maple Ridge and connect with the southbound Golden Ears Way, crossing the Fraser River.
- Exit on 199A St, heading south as 199A st. becomes 200 St.
- Continue south on 200 St through Jericho
- Straight on through to Langley. (Alternatively, hook up with the Langley Bypass at Highway 10 north of Langley to head around the downtown and towards the Fraser Highway.)
- Once on the Fraser, keep heading west, passing through Aldergrove, and connect on Maclure Rd for a straight shot into Abbotsford.
Langley - Surrey
No need to use Highway 1 here. Instead, take the Langley Bypass (Highway 10) out of Langley and connect with the Fraser Highway heading north west out of town. From here you can keep on the Fraser Highway for about 19 km and exit at King George Blvd to access the heart of Surrey. You can also stay connected to reach Highway 91 – bringing you to Delta, Richmond and Vancouver via New Westminster.
Surrey - Burnaby
Surrey to Burnaby is a straight shot when staying off the #1 Highway. Simply head east on 104 Ave towards 135 St/City Parkway. From here turn left onto King George Blvd/BC 99A North for about 9 km. Then turn right onto Canada Way for another 5 km to reach Burnaby.
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Adapting to the back roads and alternate routes for Highway 1 in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland is a rewarding experience. Knowing your way around potential gridlock, the odd accident, or congestion can come in handy and save you significant time behind the wheel and give you a unique sense of the culture and identity of BC’s lesser known areas. There’s life out there, and using alternate routes to the big, bad, Trans Canada is a great way to experience it. Safe travels!