Highway 1 widening from Langley to Abbotsford to cost $2.3 billion

Preliminary design concept for the widened Highway 1 segment between 264 Street interchange and Mt. Lehman Road interchange (Phase 3A). (Government of BC)

Some construction work has begun on another major phase of the widening and upgrade of Highway 1 in the Lower Mainland.

The provincial government announced this week it has begun site preparation construction work for the expansion of the freeway over a nine-km-long distance between the 264th Street interchange in Langley Township and Mt. Lehman Road interchange in Abbotsford.

This project is now expected to carry a cost of $2.34 billion or roughly $250 million per km.

In contrast, the six-km-long SkyTrain Millennium Line extension reaching Arbutus will cost $2.8 billion, while the new replacement Pattullo Bridge will cost $1.4 billion. The 16-km-long SkyTrain Expo Line extension reaching Langley Centre and the new replacement George Massey Tunnel carry an estimated cost of about $4 billion each.

This is the first segment of Highway 1 widening to reach the Fraser Valley — a widening effort that began with the original Gateway Project more than a decade ago, which included the construction of the new Port Mann Bridge. Ever since, the provincial government has progressively moved eastward with further incremental improvements through Surrey and Langley.

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Currently, this stretch of Highway 1 generally has four vehicle travel lanes — two lanes in each direction. The forthcoming work will expand the highway’s width to up to 10 vehicle travel lanes, including the addition of HOV and battery vehicle lanes, shoulder bus lanes, and truck climbing lanes.

This includes a major new expanded interchange at 264th Street, which will also have a bus public transit hub and truck parking facility. Other components include an expanded Bradner Rest Area, a new interchange at Mt. Lehman Road, and walking and cycling paths following the length of improved highway segment.

highway 1 langley abbotsford fraser valley

Highway 1 improvement project between eastern Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. (Government of BC)

Preliminary design concept for the widened Highway 1 segment between 264 Street interchange and Mt. Lehman Road interchange (Phase 3A). (Government of BC)

According to the provincial government, this segment of Highway 1 sees over 80,000 vehicles daily, including significant commercial freight traffic carrying over $65 billion worth of goods each year. Business groups in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley have been calling for an expedited project to widen the freeway.

“The Fraser Valley is growing fast and we are building infrastructure that people need,” said Rob Fleming, BC Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, in a statement.

“People need to be able to get to work and back home without facing gridlock. We’re taking action to relieve congestion for drivers, to make goods movement more efficient and to accommodate more sustainable transportation options.”

Preliminary design concept for the 264 Street interchange with Highway 1 in Langley. (Government of BC)

Preliminary design concept for the Bradner Rest Area on Highway 1 in Langley. (Government of BC)

highway 1 highway 11 abbotsford interchange

Preliminary design concept for the Highway 11 interchange with Highway 1 in Abbotsford. (Government of BC)

The project of widening the highway between the 264th Street and Mt. Lehman Road interchanges is being split up into three separate major construction contracts. The procurement bidding process for these contracts will begin in 2024, with construction expected to reach completion in 2029.

Major construction activities are already well underway for the Highway 1 segment to the west between the 216th Street interchange and 264th Street interchange. A new Glover Road overpass is expected to open in Summer 2024.

In early 2024, site preparation construction work will begin for the 11 km long Highway 1 widening segment to the east between the Mt. Lehman Road interchange and Highway 11. The estimated construction cost for this incremental segment has yet to be made.

Another future phase of the highway corridor upgrade between the Mt. Lehman Road interchange and the Highway 11 (Sumas Way) interchange in the Sumas Prairie will go through a $30 million planning process for its more complex upgrade to make it more resilient to flooding, following the major flood of 2021. This is expected to include raising the level of the freeway’s height.

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