Proposed improvements for Highway 1 from 264 Street in Langley to the Highway 11 interchange in Abbotsford are now available for public comment.
The next phase of the Highway 1 expansion includes high-occupancy vehicle and transit lanes, more commercial-vehicle parking facilities, and a section of multi-use pathway parallel to the highway.
Details are available in an online discussion guide, along with information about how to share comments and ask questions.
A press release from the provincial government states that the expansion of Highway 1 will also tie into a new 264 Street interchange, which will be reconfigured and include facilities to improve active transportation, truck parking and public transit in the area.
A request for qualifications for the project will be issued this summer.
Pre-construction work begins this summer along the highway median between 264 Street and Peardonville Road.
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This includes the removal of soil berms along five kilometres of highway median east of 264 Street and placement of soil in other areas where needed in advance of future highway expansion, the press release states.
Following the impact of the 2021 floods to highways in the Fraser Valley, improvements to the Sumas Prairie, segmented by various phases, are being considered.
East of Highway 11, any future improvements will address the need for infrastructure to be more resilient to a changing climate.
First Nations, local government, the province, and the federal government are collaborating to develop a regional flood-mitigation strategy. The planning process will also identify future related highway improvements through the Sumas Prairie.
Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said travelling around the Fraser Valley is becoming increasingly difficult due to the traffic volume on Highway 1.
“We’re working to address these concerns by focusing on improvements, like widening to accommodate high-occupancy vehicles and transit, and better, more accessible interchanges to make it easier and quicker for people to get where they need to go,” he said.
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Chilliwack MLA Dan Coulter, minister of state for infrastructure and transit, said people in the Fraser Valley “face lengthy daily commutes” along the freeway.
“Upgrades to the highway between Langley and the Sumas Prairie will keep goods moving smoothly, while allowing for more reliable transit to make it faster and easier for people to get to and from work, so they can spend more time with their families,” he said.
The online discussion guide can be viewed at gov.bc.ca/264toHighway11