CORY REDEKOP
LANGLEY – Langley businesses are eagerly awaiting the expansion of Highway 1 following the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s announcement of the timeline and budget for the next phase of widening for Highway 1 from 264th street through to Mt Lehman Road.
The $2.34 billion project will begin construction in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2029, at which point it will have added a new HOV lane and bus lane to the highway, as well as a special climbing lane dedicated to trucks navigating hills along the highway. Importantly for the 200 businesses and 12,000+ workers in the Gloucester district in northeastern Langley, this portion of the project will also see a new interchange at 264th street and a transit hub with a dedicated bus loop and park-and-ride parking, finally bringing transit to the area.
The Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce applauds any movement on this project and welcomes the announcement of construction starting in the 2024. However, a completion date of 2029 leaves businesses and residents in Langley struggling with highway congestion and the related challenges for 6 more years.
The Langley Chamber is urging the Ministry and the project team to explore all possible options to expedite construction of the project and find ways of delivering this critically needed infrastructure project sooner.
The Langley Chamber also sees this 6 year gap as yet further evidence that Translink must act to provide transit service to Gloucester now. This hub of industrial and manufacturing businesses has long suffered with a lack of transit service, adding to car traffic and hamstringing recruitment efforts for area businesses who must only hire workers with their own cars.
“Highway 1 is a critical corridor that moves over 80,000 vehicles a day, but too often it is slow and congested, and this causes delays for people trying to get to work, businesses trying to get to clients, and goods trying to get to market,” says Cory Redekop, CEO of the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce.
“Expanding Highway 1 can’t come soon enough for Langley businesses, and while we’re pleased to see it moving forward, we simply can’t wait 6 more years for transit service to this part of our community.”
In the lead up to this announcement, the Langley Chamber’s policy committee met with the project team, and the Langley Chamber worked with the other Fraser Valley chambers of commerce in Mission, Abbotsford and Chilliwack to push for an expedited project timeline, and to make a formal submission to the Ministry with suggestions and recommendations on the scope of the project
The Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce is one of the province’s largest and most active chambers, representing over 1,000 local businesses from across Langley and the region. Find them online at:
LangelyChamber.com
Facebook.com/LangleyChamber
Instagram.com/LangleyChamber
