Overnight Highway 1 construction could delay Metro Vancouver drivers this month
Work to widen Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley rolls on, and drivers have been warned that traffic-pattern changes may impact their late-night commutes as early as this week.
The Government of B.C. announced that overnight traffic-pattern changes are planned for Highway 1 at Highway 11 as part of the widening and upgrade of the highway through the Lower Mainland.
Drivers are warned that the on-ramp from Highway 11 southbound to Highway 1 westbound will be closed daily from just before midnight until 4:30 a.m.
The closures and detours are to facilitate the clearing of trees in the construction area. The ministry also added that some of the work is weather-dependent, and the exact timing of the closures may change.
B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit/Flickr
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“On Highway 11, the speed limit will be reduced to 50 km/h,” stated the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure in a release. “Drivers are reminded to slow down and use caution, allow extra travel time, obey signs and traffic-control personnel, and watch for roadside workers.”
“Traffic will be diverted south. Drivers can anticipate a short detour to return to westbound travel, with minor delays.”
The ministry also alerted drivers to intermittent lane closures throughout the duration of construction. Timing for the closures includes:
- Eastbound from 9 p.m. until 4:30 a.m. (7 a.m. on weekends)
- Westbound: from 8:30 p.m. (9 p.m. on weekends) until 4:30 a.m. (7 a.m. on weekends)
“Patience from travellers is appreciated during these traffic-pattern changes that allow work to progress safely on this phase of widening Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley,” added the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Transit/Flickr
The latest construction work is part of improvements to a 21 km stretch of Highway 1 between the 264th Street Interchange in Langley and Highway 11 in Abbotsford.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said online that widening Highway 1 will enable it to add improvements like HOV/EV lanes both east and westbound, bus-on-shoulder lanes in each direction, truck climbing lanes, and a truck staging area.
The Government of B.C. has approved $2.34 billion in provincial funding for this section of the project.
With files from Kenneth Chan