Construction begins on $345 million Highway 1 widening in Langley

Construction on Highway 1 in Langley near 248th Street. (Google Maps)

Major improvements are now in the process of being made to a 13 km stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway through Langley Township between the 216th Street interchange and the 264th Street interchange.

The first component of the project that officially began construction today is the replacement of the under-sized Glover Road overpass crossing, which will have a new configuration that allows for a widened highway beneath it. The existing overpass currently has a height clearance of just 4.3 metres (14 ft), but the new crossing will meet the current standards of a minimum height clearance of 5.2 metres (17 ft), which will improve the safety of commercial, freight, and oversize vehicles on Highway 1.

As well, the nearby CP railway overpass and the 232nd Street interchange will also be replaced with higher structures as part of the highway widening project.

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The new Glover Road overpass crossing will reach completion in Summer 2024. The bidding process for other contracts for the highway widening project will begin this winter, with construction on the other project components starting by Spring 2023.

Upon full completion, Highway 1 between the 216th Street and 264th Street interchanges will be widened by one lane in each direction, dedicated to the use of HOV and electric-battery vehicles. The new additional lanes will be built within the existing median.

Previously completed Highway 1 project in 2020: 202nd Street to 216th Street (purple); Current project under construction: 216th Street to 264th Street (yellow); and future project: 264th Street to Whatcom Road. (Government of BC)

This widening project carries a total construction cost of $345 million, with the provincial government covering $226 million, the federal government contributing $96 million, and the Township of Langley contributing $23 million.

“The Glover Road crossing replacement is a major milestone as part of our government’s commitment to widen Highway 1 in the Fraser Valley,” said Rob Fleming, the BC minister of transportation and infrastructure, in a statement. “These needed upgrades will help get goods moving smoothly along this important trade corridor and make it easier for people to get to work and back home again to their families.”

Approximately 90,000 vehicles use this particular stretch of highway on a daily basis, including 9,000 commercial and freight vehicles.

“Our association is supportive of improvements to Highway 1 through the Langley area, which will improve the reliability of commercial transport,” said Dave Earle, president and CEO, of BC Trucking Association.

“Widening the highway and adding lanes for HOV travel will decrease some of the congestion, which will improve overall safety and make the movement of goods by truck more efficient.”

Later this decade, the provincial government is expected to begin construction on the major widening project of Highway 1 immediately to the east of the existing segment — between 64th Street in Langley Township and Whatcom Road in Abbotsford, a total distance of 22 km.

Since the completion of the Gateway Project, upgrades to the Highway 1 corridor have progressively moved eastward. A three-lane standard with an additional HOV lane in each direction and interchange improvements were completed in 2020 on the four km stretch from 200th Street to 216th Street.

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