▁the ▁Mac don ald – Cart ier ▁Fre ew ay ▁to ▁honour ▁Mac don ald ▁and ▁George - Ét ienne ▁Cart ier , ▁two ▁of ▁Canada ' s ▁F athers ▁of ▁Confeder ation . ▁Un like ▁other ▁names ▁later ▁applied ▁to ▁the ▁highway , ▁the ▁Mac don ald – Cart ier ▁Fre ew ay ▁design ation ▁covers ▁the ▁entire ▁length ▁of ▁Highway   4 0 1 . ▁Sign s ▁design ating ▁the ▁fre ew ay ▁and ▁shield s ▁with ▁the ▁letters ▁' M - C ' ▁were ▁installed , ▁but ▁these ▁had ▁been ▁removed ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁ 3 8   year s ▁after ▁Rob arts ' ▁naming ▁of ▁the ▁highway , ▁a ▁Member ▁of ▁Provin cial ▁Parliament ▁attempted ▁to ▁get ▁the ▁Mac don ald - Cart ier ▁Fre ew ay ▁highway ▁name ▁en sh r ined ▁into ▁law ; ▁the ▁bill ▁only ▁passed ▁first ▁reading ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁en act ed . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Highway   4 0 1 ▁was ▁w iden ed ▁to ▁six ▁lan es ▁in ▁Dur ham , ▁but ▁otherwise ▁saw ▁little ▁improvement . ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁saw ▁more ▁sections ▁w iden ed , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁new ▁collect or - express ▁system ▁between ▁Highway   4 0 3 ▁/ ▁ 4 1 0 ▁and ▁Highway   4 2 7 ▁completed ▁in ▁mid - 1 9 8 5 . ▁Pl ans ▁were ▁made ▁to ▁extend