British Columbia Highway 15
Encyclopedia
Highway 15 known locally as the Pacific Highway, is a 20.99 kilometres (13 mi) long north–south highway primarily located in the City of Surrey
, British Columbia
. The southern terminus is with Interstate 5
(I-5) near Blaine
, Washington as Washington State Route 543 (SR 543). SR 543 is a 1.09 miles (1.8 km) long connector between I-5 and the Canada – United States border, linking with BC 15. Over 3,000 trucks per day pass through the border crossing along SR 543 and BC 15, because the Peace Arch
border crossing does not allow commercial trucks.
. An at-grade interchange with H Street is next, before the road widens and an interior lane diamond interchange
with D street, providing access to Blaine and the last northbound exit before the border. Traffic from 12th Street can access both northbound and southbound SR 543, and traffic from southbound SR 543 can access 12th Street as the final interchange before the Canada – United States border.
The border features both a NEXUS lane for passenger vehicles, as well as a Free and Secure Trade
(FAST) lane for commercial trucks. Border crossing times can become significantly delayed such as in the event of certain Seattle Mariners
baseball games and summer holiday travel. During the reconstruction of the Peace Arch border crossing, delays at the Pacific Highway crossing were similar to times seen right after the attacks of September 11.
Continuing north, now as BC 15, the highway passes farmland and intersects 8 Avenue, which provides access to British Columbia Highway 99 to the west. The highway turns west slightly before entering Cloverdale
and crossing over railroad tracks of the Southern Railway of British Columbia
. BC 10 is intersected before the highway moves back towards the east and its original alignment on 176th Street. Farmland once again surrounds the highway as it interchanges with the Fraser Highway and terminates at a diamond/cloverleaf
hybrid interchange with BC 1. On January 12, 2009 construction started on the 1 billion South Fraser Perimeter Road
, which will link the northern terminus of BC 15 to Delta
in the west.
Prior to the current Washington route numbering system, this route was designated as Primary State Highway 1 Truck Route.
A construction project was completed in August 2008 on the United States side, at a total cost of 50.8 million, which improved the interchange with D street, which is now rasied above SR 543. The left lane from SR 543 in each direction is raised above for travelers wishing to access D Street, while the rest of the traffic continues below the intersection. Two additional lanes have been added going northbound, and one additional lane has been added southbound.
! scope="col" |State /
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! scope="col" |County /
Regional District
! scope="col" |City
! scope="col" |Mi
! scope="col" |Km
! scope="col" |Destinations
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|-
|-
|rowspan=2 |Washington
|rowspan=2 |Whatcom
|rowspan=2 |Blaine
|0.00
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus, northbound entrance and southbound exit
|-
|0.82
|1.32
|D Street – Blaine City Center
|
|-
|colspan=3 align=center|Canada – United States border
|1.09
0.0
|1.75
0.0
|colspan=2 align=center |End SR 543
Begin Hwy 15
|-
|rowspan=5 |British Columbia
|rowspan=5 |Metro Vancouver
|rowspan=5 |Surrey
|1.0
|1.6
|8 Avenue to – Peace Arch
border crossing, Vancouver
|
|-
|7.1
|11.4
|
|
|-
|9.5
|15.3
|Fraser Highway – Whalley, Langley
|
|-
|12.1
|19.5
|Golden Ears Way
north to – Maple Ridge
96 Avenue west – North Delta
|
|-
|12.5
|20.1
|
|Northern terminus. Roadway continues as 176 Street
Future South Fraser Perimeter Road
|-
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. The southern terminus is with Interstate 5
Interstate 5 in Washington
Interstate 5 in Washington is a highway in the U.S. state of Washington that extends from its border with Oregon to its border with Canada...
(I-5) near Blaine
Blaine, Washington
Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canadian border. Blaine is the shared home of the Peace Arch international monument...
, Washington as Washington State Route 543 (SR 543). SR 543 is a 1.09 miles (1.8 km) long connector between I-5 and the Canada – United States border, linking with BC 15. Over 3,000 trucks per day pass through the border crossing along SR 543 and BC 15, because the Peace Arch
Peace Arch
The Peace Arch is a monument situated on the Canada – United States border between the communities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia. The Peace Arch, which stands...
border crossing does not allow commercial trucks.
Route description
SR 543 starts at an incomplete trumpet interchange with I-5 and heads north, passing the now closed Blaine Municipal AirportBlaine Municipal Airport
Blaine Municipal Airport was a city-owned public-use airport located one nautical mile east of the central business district of Blaine, a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States...
. An at-grade interchange with H Street is next, before the road widens and an interior lane diamond interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
with D street, providing access to Blaine and the last northbound exit before the border. Traffic from 12th Street can access both northbound and southbound SR 543, and traffic from southbound SR 543 can access 12th Street as the final interchange before the Canada – United States border.
The border features both a NEXUS lane for passenger vehicles, as well as a Free and Secure Trade
Free and Secure Trade
The Free and Secure Trade program is a joint United States-Canadian program between the Canada Border Services Agency and the United States Customs and Border Protection. The FAST initiative offers pre-authorized importers, carriers and drivers expedited clearance for eligible goods, building on...
(FAST) lane for commercial trucks. Border crossing times can become significantly delayed such as in the event of certain Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
baseball games and summer holiday travel. During the reconstruction of the Peace Arch border crossing, delays at the Pacific Highway crossing were similar to times seen right after the attacks of September 11.
Continuing north, now as BC 15, the highway passes farmland and intersects 8 Avenue, which provides access to British Columbia Highway 99 to the west. The highway turns west slightly before entering Cloverdale
Cloverdale, British Columbia
Cloverdale is an historic town and designated town centre of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, located near Langley, which is east of Vancouver. The town was founded initially as a small farm community in 1870 for its fertile land and temperate climate, and has since become enveloped by suburban...
and crossing over railroad tracks of the Southern Railway of British Columbia
Southern Railway of British Columbia
The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in the southwestern mainland of British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry products, and other shipments...
. BC 10 is intersected before the highway moves back towards the east and its original alignment on 176th Street. Farmland once again surrounds the highway as it interchanges with the Fraser Highway and terminates at a diamond/cloverleaf
Cloverleaf interchange
A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which left turns, reverse direction in left-driving regions, are handled by ramp roads...
hybrid interchange with BC 1. On January 12, 2009 construction started on the 1 billion South Fraser Perimeter Road
South fraser perimeter road
The South Fraser Perimeter Road is a $1.0 billion highway project for Metro Vancouver and is part of the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation's Gateway Program and is currently under construction.-Project scope and goals:...
, which will link the northern terminus of BC 15 to Delta
Delta, British Columbia
Delta is a district municipality in British Columbia, and forms part of Metro Vancouver. Located south of Richmond, it is bordered by the Fraser River to the north, the United States to the south and the city of Surrey to the east...
in the west.
History
The Pacific Highway was opened as a gravel road on July 12, 1913 and again on September 3, 1923 as a paved road. For a time between 1942 and 1958, BC 15 was designated number 99A after the King George Highway (then Hwy. 99, now 99A) superseded it as the primary route to the U.S. border. In 2008, the highway was widened to four lanes as part of the Gateway Program to improve provincial highways in Metro Vancouver.Prior to the current Washington route numbering system, this route was designated as Primary State Highway 1 Truck Route.
A construction project was completed in August 2008 on the United States side, at a total cost of 50.8 million, which improved the interchange with D street, which is now rasied above SR 543. The left lane from SR 543 in each direction is raised above for travelers wishing to access D Street, while the rest of the traffic continues below the intersection. Two additional lanes have been added going northbound, and one additional lane has been added southbound.
Major intersections
{| class=wikitable! scope="col" |State /
Province
! scope="col" |County /
Regional District
! scope="col" |City
! scope="col" |Mi
! scope="col" |Km
! scope="col" |Destinations
! scope="col" |Notes
|-
|-
|rowspan=2 |Washington
|rowspan=2 |Whatcom
Whatcom County, Washington
Whatcom County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. Its name ultimately derives from the Lummi word Xwotʼqom, meaning "noisy water." As of 2010, the population was 201,140. The county seat is at Bellingham, which is also the county's largest city...
|rowspan=2 |Blaine
Blaine, Washington
Blaine is a city in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. The city's northern boundary is the Canadian border. Blaine is the shared home of the Peace Arch international monument...
|0.00
|0.00
|
|Southern terminus, northbound entrance and southbound exit
|-
|0.82
|1.32
|D Street – Blaine City Center
|
|-
|colspan=3 align=center|Canada – United States border
|1.09
0.0
|1.75
0.0
|colspan=2 align=center |End SR 543
Begin Hwy 15
|-
|rowspan=5 |British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
|rowspan=5 |Metro Vancouver
|rowspan=5 |Surrey
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
|1.0
|1.6
|8 Avenue to – Peace Arch
Peace Arch
The Peace Arch is a monument situated on the Canada – United States border between the communities of Blaine, Washington and Surrey, British Columbia. The Peace Arch, which stands...
border crossing, Vancouver
|
|-
|7.1
|11.4
|
|
|-
|9.5
|15.3
|Fraser Highway – Whalley, Langley
Langley, British Columbia (city)
The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...
|
|-
|12.1
|19.5
|Golden Ears Way
Golden Ears Way
Golden Ears Way is a two-to-six lane road in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia. It connects Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows to Langley and Surrey via the Golden Ears Bridge...
north to – Maple Ridge
Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Maple Ridge is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Metro Vancouver. Maple Ridge has a population of approximately 68,949.-History:...
96 Avenue west – North Delta
North Delta, British Columbia
North Delta is a largely middle-class bedroom community situated in the Lower Mainland, in British Columbia, Canada. The community is the most populous of the three communities that make up the Corporation of Delta. North Delta is home to numerous parks and recreational opportunities...
|
|-
|12.5
|20.1
|
|Northern terminus. Roadway continues as 176 Street
Future South Fraser Perimeter Road
South fraser perimeter road
The South Fraser Perimeter Road is a $1.0 billion highway project for Metro Vancouver and is part of the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation's Gateway Program and is currently under construction.-Project scope and goals:...
|-