Fraser Valley – In response to the release of plans for new Highway 1 upgrades by the Province, four Chambers of Commerce representing the Fraser Valley,
including Abbotsford, Langley Township/City, Mission, and Chilliwack, are uniting to push for an expedited completion of this Highway 1 expansion project to bring better transportation capacity to the region.
Completing a transportation investment project of this scale requires long-term funding commitments. Completion of the Highway 1 widening through Chilliwack may take decades, but industry, taxpayers, and local governments need to be able to rely on senior levels of government to commit to these necessary investments.
Froim the August 2 Province of BC release:
For a discussion guide and information about how to share comments and ask questions about this project, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/264toHighway11
Based on public feedback received during earlier engagement, this next phase of Highway 1 expansion would include 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.
This expansion of Highway 1 will also tie into a new 264th Street Interchange, which will be reconfigured to better serve road users in the region.
To advance the phase between 264th Street and Highway 11, pre-construction work will begin this summer along the highway median between 264th Street and Peardonville Road. This will include the removal of soil berms along five kilometres of highway median east of 264th Street, and placement ofsoil in other areas where needed in advance of future highway expansion.
East of Highway 11, any future improvements will address the need for infrastructure to be more resilient to a changing climate.
A multi-agency response involving First Nations, local government, the Province, and the federal government is underway to develop a regional flood-mitigation strategy. In parallel, an integrated planning process will identify future highway improvements compatible with the regional flood mitigation strategy through the Sumas Prairie.
