Highway 4 is the longest east–west main vehicle route on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada, with a total length of. It is known locally as the Alberni Highway to the east of Port Alberni and the Pacific Rim Highway to the west. The original highway from Parksville to Alberni and Port Alberni was completed in 1942 and was originally designated as Highway 1A. It was re-designated as Highway 4 in 1953, and was extended in 1961 to the small community of Tofino, on the west coast of the Island.
Route details
Highway 4's eastern terminus is at the interchange with Highway 19 at Qualicum Beach; however, the roadway continues north as Memorial Avenue for to Highway 19A. From Highway 19, it travels south for to a junction with an older Alberni Highway segment, now known as Highway 4A, at the small community of Hilliers in Coombs. Highway 4 veers directly west upon meeting this junction. The majority of Highway 4's length is composed of a two-lane configuration. An abandoned spur of the E&N Railway parallels Highway 4 all the way from the coast to the city of Port Alberni. West of Coombs Junction, Highway 4 travels for before meeting Cameron Lake. Highway 4 hugs the shore of Cameron Lake for, then winds its way through MacMillan Provincial Park, which includes a tourist attraction known as Cathedral Grove. After Cameron Lake, Highway 4 climbs for, following the Cameron River, to the Port Alberni Summit—the highest point on the highway, known by locals as "The Hump", at which it crosses from the Regional District of Nanaimo into the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District—and then descends for to a spur that travels into the city centre of Port Alberni. Highway 4 actually enters the city limits of Port Alberni west of the main spur into the city, and later, exits Port Alberni via a bridge over the Somass River. system, and this sign was erected in the hope that Highway 4 would become part of the TCH. west of the Somass River crossing, Highway 4 reaches the shore of Sproat Lake, following the lake shore west for. Highway 4 then follows the Taylor River for to the summit of Sutton Pass, named after William John Sutton, and then turns toward the south-southwest to follow the Kennedy River. This very winding bearing of Highway 4, which features very steep grades, continues for before reaching the southeast shore of Kennedy Lake. Highway 4 then follows the shore of Kennedy Lake southwest for, then reaches a junction with a spur into the settlement of Ucluelet later. At the Tofino-Ucluelet junction, known locally as "The Junction," Highway 4 then makes a ninety-degree turn towards the northwest. later, Highway 4 enters the Long Beach Unit of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Highway 4 goes through the national park for northwest, finally terminating later at Tofino.
Major intersections
From east to west:
Highway 4A
Highway 4A is the previous alignment of Highway 4 east of Coombs. The '4A' designation was originally assigned in 1968 to the current section of Highway 4 between Coombs and Qualicum Beach. The 4 and 4A alignments east and north of Coombs, respectively, switched designations when the Parksville to Mud Bay section of the Inland Island Highway was completed in 1996. This older spur of Highway 4 terminates in the east at Parksville, from Coombs.
