B.C. commits $2.65 billion for Hwy 1 widening project between Langley and Abbotsford

The B.C. government has announced $2.65 billion in funding to widen and improve Highway 1 in the Fraser Valley in order to reduce traffic congestion and cut commute times between Langley and Abbotsford.

The Trans-Canada widening project — a 2020 NDP campaign promise — has been delayed, much to the frustration of commuters often stuck in traffic jams and businesses clamouring for an improved corridor for the estimated $65 billion of goods transported every year. Most of Abbotsford will be served by the widened freeway.

Premier David Eby acknowledged the delays and cost increases for the project, which was originally slated to go to Whatcom Road and be completed by 2026.

He said flooding at the Sumas Prairie in 2021, global inflation, and the increase in volume on the highway has made the project challenging.

“I feel the frustration of everybody who sits in traffic who wants to get this road open as quickly as possible,” he said Wednesday. “That’s what I want too.”

He said the expanded and improved highway will help residents of the fast-growing Fraser Valley region by cutting commutes by car and transit, and help improve the shipment of goods.