Public invited to review, comment on proposed Highway 1 upgrades
People travelling in the Fraser Valley will benefit from a wider Highway 1, better cross-highway connections and more sustainable transportation options, with proposed improvements between the 264th Street Interchange and Highway 11 Interchange now available for public comment.
“I know that travelling around Fraser Valley communities is increasingly difficult, given the traffic volume on Highway 1,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “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.”
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. A request for qualifications will be issued this summer for the 264th Street Interchange project, which would include facilities to improve active transportation, truck parking and public transit in the area.
“Many people from the Fraser Valley face lengthy daily commutes along Highway 1,” said Dan Coulter, Minister of State for Infrastructure and Transit, and MLA for Chilliwack. “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.”
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.
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 of soil 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.
Improvements to Highway 1 between 216th Street and the Sumas Prairie are part of the Fraser Valley Highway 1 Corridor Improvement Program, the Province’s strategy to improve Highway 1 in the Fraser Valley to better serve the growing region and more than 80,000 motorists who use the highway every day.
Learn More:
For a discussion guide and information about how to share comments and ask questions about this project, visit: www.gov.bc.ca/264toHighway11