Dramatic changes in Fraser Valley when original Port Mann Bridge and four-lane highway opened in 1964

This photo of the original Port Mann Bridge, built in 1964, was taken by Stephen Rees in 2011. The photo is looking towards the Surrey side of the river.

This was written for the 125th anniversary edition of The Chilliwack Progress, B.C.'s oldest continually-published community newspaper. It began operations in 1891. Chilliwack and the entire Lower Mainland began a period of transformative change when Highway 401 (now Highway 1, "the freeway") was officially opened in 1964. The changes related to the opening of that highway continue today.

The anniversary edition of The Progress was published on April 29, and can be found here. Unfortunately, it did not have enough room for this article.

Chilliwack was drawn irrevocably closer to Vancouver when the four-lane freeway, known at the time as the 401 Highway, was officially opened on June 12, 1964.

“At $90 million, this was the most expensive piece of highway in Canada,” said Premier W.A.C. Bennett at the opening ceremony held on the new $25 million Port Mann Bridge, as reported in a story by Woody Fisher in the June 17 Progress. Bennett compared the achievement to the building of roads by the Romans in ancient Britain.

“Even these people are pikers alongside the greatest Roman of them all,” he said of the beaming Highways Minister Phil Gaglardi, who had overseen the project.

A hint of what was to come in the years ahead came when traffic was snarled for miles, as people attempted to get to the opening ceremony. Even the premier was delayed by the traffic jams.

The new 70 mile per hour road, which stretched from Taylor Way in West Vancouver to Bridal Falls, brought with it some challenges. East of Highway 11, there were 20 crossroads in a 30-mile stretch in Sumas and Chilliwhack municipalities, and some local leaders felt that the 70 mile per hour speed limit was too high in such circumstances.

An executive meeting of Chilliwack Chamber of Commerce at the Royal Hotel was reported on in the Sept. 2, 1964 Progress.

“Douglas Shaw, president of Fraser Valley Tourist Association, pointed out that three months ago, a letter was sent to Hon. P.A. Gaglardi, minister of highways, urging a speed reduction to 60 m.p.h. He predicted that if the 70 m.p.h. limit is continued before overpasses can be built and remaining crossroads closed off, “there will be a lot more graves.” 

The chamber committee recommended that signs be posted stating “this is not a freeway.”

And on Oct. 21, 1964, The Progress reported that “Chilliwack school board will attempt to find out if it is legal to erect a flasher on school buses crossing Highway 401. School children using buses might be offered an added measure of protection at crossings. Fear persists for the safety of buses having to cross the freeway.”

Because the area east of Highway 11 went through a largely agricultural area, the provincial cabinet “permitted slow-moving farm vehicles, pedestrians and horseback riders to use the 70 miles per hour highway,” The Progress reported on Oct. 28.

In addition to the numerous crossroads, the B.C. Hydro Railway line also crossed the freeway just a short distance east of the Vedder/Yale Road overpass. On Dec. 16, 1974, a truck filled with 38,500 pounds of bananas hit a train at the level crossing. Nine cars were derailed, and 800 feet of track was torn up.

Truck driver Chris Gannon told The Progress that he picked a boxcar to hit as his rig was headed for the train. Visibility had been poor, as it was raining heavily, and he did not see the train until it was too late. There were no crossing gates at the level crossing – just flashing lights which were activated by an oncoming train.

Gannon’s driving partner Gerry Hayden said “That crossing is deadly. A freeway should have no interruptions, especially a road carrying that much (traffic) volume.”

Gradually, the crossroads were closed as overpasses were built, initially at Prest Road and later at Gibson and Annis Roads. Most recently, a new overpass has been built at Evans Road. The railway crossing was also replaced with an overpass, which was officially opened on Feb. 21, 1979. Gannon and B.C. Hydro Rail engineer Ed Stevens, who was driving the train struck by Gannon’s truck, assisted Highways Minister Alex Fraser in the official opening ceremony.

The route chosen for the highway, south of the original Chilliwack downtown area, led to increased commercial development near the freeway and a much larger business community. This began with the construction of Cottonwood Corner Shopping Centre, which opened on Aug. 15, 1974. Many other commercial developments have opened since that time.

Highway 401, which later became Highway 1, has also played a major role in the population growth of Chilliwack over the past 50 years. The 1961 census showed the population of the city was 8,259. The township was home to 18,296 people. In the 2011 census, Chilliwack’s population had increased to 92,308.