Skip to main content
Travel Advisories

Travel Advisory: Highway 4 Upgrades

Highway 4 Construction: Port Alberni to Tofino & Ucluelet (July-Dec 2025)

 


Planning a trip to Tofino or Ucluelet between July and December 2025? Be prepared for highway upgrades on Highway 4, connecting Port Alberni to Tofino and Ucluelet. These essential road improvements aim to enhance road safety but will cause travel delays.

 

Expect Delays on Highway 4

Crews will be working on the highway from July to December 2025. Here’s a breakdown of estimated delays to help you plan your journey:

Month Daytime Delays Evening/Night Delays
July Up to 30 min Up to 30 min
August Up to 50 min Up to 50 min
Early September Up to 70 min Up to 40 min
Mid-Sept–October Up to 50 min Up to 20 min
November–December Up to 30 min Up to 30 min

Project Details & Traffic Impacts

Hydro Hill Base Repair
Location: Hydro Hill
Timeline: July to November
Traffic Impact:

  • July 5 to September 25: Single-Lane Alternating Traffic – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
  • September 26 to October 24: Single-Lane Alternating Traffic – Daytime only

Expected Delays: Up to 30 minutes

Highway 4 Pacific Rim Base Repair
Location: Southeast of Tofino Seaview Cemetery
Timeline: August to mid-September
Traffic Impact: Single-Lane Alternating Traffic – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Expected Delays: Up to 20 minutes

Taylor River Area & Base Repairs and Resurfacing
Location: East of the Taylor River Rest Area
Timeline: September to December
Traffic Impact: Single-Lane Alternating Traffic – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

Expected Delays: Up to 20 minutes

Specific Route Adjustments (August – Mid-September)

 

  • Port Alberni to Ucluelet: Subtract 20 minutes from the estimated delays.
  • Tofino to Ucluelet: Add 20 minutes to your total travel time.

 

Important Travel Tips

 

  • Plan extra travel time: Account for potential delays, especially during peak construction periods.
  • Check DriveBC for real-time updates: Visit DriveBC before you go for the latest information on road conditions and delays.
  • Beware of GPS: Some GPS apps may suggest unrecommended alternate routes. Stick to Highway 4 unless otherwise advised by official sources.
  • Limited cell service: Cell coverage is spotty along the route. Wi-Fi is available at the Taylor River rest area.

These Highway 4 upgrades are crucial for improving road safety on the route to Vancouver Island’s popular West Coast destinations. By planning ahead, you can minimize disruptions to your travel.

Tucked away on Vancouver Island’s stunning west coast, Ucluelet is ideal for those looking to unwind, relax, and focus on personal wellness. With its peaceful oceanfront, serene forest trails, and welcoming atmosphere, Ucluelet offers an environment where you can truly disconnect from the stresses of everyday life and reconnect with yourself. Whether meditating by the sea or indulging in a spa treatment, this tranquil town is the perfect place to recharge and focus on your health and wellness.

Reconnect with Nature on Coastal Hikes

Ucluelet is home to some of the most breathtaking trails on Vancouver Island, including the renowned Wild Pacific Trail. Walking along the cliffs with views of the Pacific Ocean, you’ll experience the therapeutic benefits of being in nature with the ocean’s fresh coastal air and soothing sounds. It’s a place where you can slow down and let the rhythm of nature help restore balance to your life.

Mindful Mornings by the Shore

Start your day with mindful moments by the ocean. Practicing yoga or meditation on the beach while listening to the waves lap against the shore is a powerful way to center yourself. Ucluelet’s uncrowded beaches offer the perfect space for quiet reflection and peace.

Wellness at Local Spas and Retreats

Treat yourself to rejuvenating treatments such as deep-tissue massages, facials, and reflexology at local wellness centers. Many of Ucluelet’s spas use natural, eco-friendly products sourced from the island, helping you feel connected to the environment while letting go of stress.

Spa Retreats:

Nurture Well-Being

Drift Spa

Wellness Options:

Wellness Collective

Medicine With Melody 

Coastal Retreats

Indulge in Healthy, Local Cuisine

Ucluelet’s culinary scene is brimming with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. From vibrant salads to wild-caught seafood, the town’s cafes and restaurants make nourishing your body with wholesome, delicious meals easy. Stop by Heartwood Kitchen, Thay Tea or Yayu Cafe for flavorful, health-conscious options.  If you would rather cook at home drop by Blackberry Cove MarketPlace or check out one of the local fish markets: Neptune, Fishful Thinking, or Ukee Seafood.

Wellness Challenge 

For those looking to combine wellness with a physical challenge, there are a number of activities to add to your retreat that go beyond the spa treatments and meditation, Ucluelet hosts events like the Edge to Edge Marathon. This annual event allows participants to run along one of the most scenic routes on Vancouver Island, connecting Tofino and Ucluelet. The course features breathtaking ocean views, lush forests, and stretches of the multi-use path, ideal for runners of all abilities. Whether you’re running the full marathon, half marathon, or relay, the multi-use path offers a flat, well-maintained surface perfect for focusing on your pace and staying present in the moment. 

For those who aren’t keen to hit the ground running, the multi-use path is great for e-biking and walking as well!

Ucluelet is the perfect destination for anyone looking to rejuvenate their mind and body. From peaceful mornings by the shore to exhilarating challenges, this coastal town offers countless opportunities for wellness and relaxation. Whether you’re here for a tranquil retreat or an active adventure, Ucluelet is a place where you can find balance, recharge, and reconnect with nature.

Carousel Placeholder

Today, we want to kick off a celebration of women who have helped transform Ucluelet into the unique community it is today by showcasing the phenomenal and ground-breaking work done at Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, the first of many stories to come.

Black Rock Oceanfront Resort is setting a new standard for sustainability with a Refillable and Zero Waste model that will minimize the resort’s ecological footprint, take a load off the landfill, reduce plastic waste, and support local entrepreneurs. Black Rock is one of the first resort’s in Canada to adopt such a model and has partnered with two forward-thinking and female-run small businesses in Ucluelet, The Den and Mint Cleaning, to make this dream a reality!

Located on a dramatic headland above the Pacific Ocean’s crashing waves, the Resort is surrounded by the Wild Pacific Trail and the rugged rocky coast of West Vancouver Island. Our stunning Ucluelet resort is minutes from Vancouver Island’s amazing beaches, forests, restaurants, and attractions, and the Long Beach Unit of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve which includes Barkley Sound. Only 40 km from the village of Tofino.

“The Zero-Waste dream started with a conversation. It reflects how we feel about the natural environment and our desire to protect the rainforest and ocean,” says Adele Larkin, General Manager of Black Rock Oceanfront Resort. “It’s better for community, environment, visitors, and staff.”

Black Rock guests are now enjoying 100% refillable bathroom products supplied by The Den, including Oneka shampoo, conditioner, body wash, lotions, Cascades paper products, and Tru Earth laundry strips. Den co-owners Kristen O’Keefe and Diane Rudge call the partnership a win-win-win that supports the community, sustainability, and small business.

“We believe supporting local businesses is essential for the success of the community we live in. When everyone is striving in their individual pursuits, the greater community here feels that momentum,” O’Keefe says.

At the same time, Mint Cleaning, a cleaning service products company founded by two Ucluelet moms, provides:

  • All-natural carpet deodorizer.
  • Essential oil-based air freshener.
  • All-purpose cleaner.
  • Other earth-friendly biodegradable cleaning products.

It’s healthier for staff and visitors, knowing that all products have been selected with their well-being top of mind.

Forage is the newly opened in-house gift shop in partnership with The Den, Foggy Bean Coffee Company, Ocean Pet Supplies, and other boutique Ucluelet businesses. It’s the perfect place for Black Rock guests to find a sustainable piece of the West Coast to take home.

“As a tourism destination, we all recognize that the reason people come here is because they enjoy pristine natural spaces,” Larkin says. “This understanding is at the heart of all the decisions we make for our businesses, guests, staff, and the environment.”

For more information, please visit www.blackrockresort.com.

Ukee Days is a 3-day weekend-long festival celebrating West Coast life. The celebration happens in late July every year. For full current details and more information, please visit: ukeedays.wordpress.com, and be sure to check out the sample schedule below to get an idea of all the community fun.

The festival features logger sports demonstrations, live music and performances, awesome food and retail vendors, an eclectic parade, beer gardens, surf & turf BBQ, and some of the most interesting and unique contests you have ever seen.

Only the best of family-friendly West Coast fun… We look forward to seeing you there!

Sign Up For The Discover Ucluelet Newsletter