Long-awaited improvements could be coming to Hwy 1 through Fraser Valley
Posted April 24, 2019 11:49 am.
Last Updated April 24, 2019 3:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FRASER VALLEY (NEWS 1130) – A day after major upgrades were announced for roads on Vancouver Island, NEWS 1130 has learned the province is expected to call a news conference on Thursday where it will detail upcoming work to Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley.
Several politicians in the area have been calling for the Trans-Canada to be widened to six lanes through the valley for years, including Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun.
Braun expressed his frustration following the Vancouver Island announcement, noting Abbotsford has been pushing for the widening of Highway 1 east of Langley for years.
“I totally agree with mayor Braun, this has been an issue for a long time and it’s just continually getting worse,” adds Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove.
He says congestion has an economic impact, as well as driver safety.
“In 2011 there 640 accidents, 2017 that almost doubled. And that’s just congestion, more people on the road,” he says.
Meanwhile, Mike de Jong is hoping the announcement will include a fix for the bottlenecks drivers there have to deal with.
“Premier Horgan inherited the strongest balance sheet and the strongest economy in the country. People who are stuck on Highway 1 expect the project to proceed.”
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He says it should be the government’s priority, noting it’s Canada’s national highway.
“They could care less about what’s happening in the Fraser Valley,” de Jong adds. “They have diverted the monies that were set aside for this project to areas where, other areas of the province, urban areas of the province where NDP MLAs hold office.”
The $80 million worth of upgrades on Vancouver Island announced on Tuesday chiefly fall in Premier John Horgan’s Langford-Juan de Fuca riding.
No more details have been released but more information about the announcement is expected later on Wednesday.
-With files from Jonathan Szekeres, Ria Renouf and Tim James
