Province hopes widening project will ease traffic woes, trucking industry incidents
Construction is set to begin on the expansion of a stretch of Highway 1 in Langley, B.C.
At a press conference Thursday, B.C. Minister of Transportation Rob Fleming announced the project will begin with increasing the height of the Glover Road crossing.
Changes to the crossing are part of the government’s commitment to widen Highway 1 by adding a new lane in each direction between 216th and 264th streets.
“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,” said Fleming.
Truckers have raised concerns after a number of commercial trucks carrying oversized loads hit overpasses along B.C. highways.
In July, a cherry-picker truck crashed into the Glover Road overpass of Highway 1 in Langley. The bridge has a sign listing its lowest height as 4.46 metres.
Once upgrades are completed, the overpass will sit at a minimum height of 5.2 metres to provide more clearance for commercial trucks, Fleming said.
A nearby CP Rail overhead and the 232nd Street interchange will also be replaced with higher structures, the province said.
The Glover Road crossing is expected to be completed in the summer of 2024. Work on other elements, such as the addition of extra lanes, is expected to start by spring 2023.
The federal government will contribute nearly $96 million to the project, while B.C. is committing more than $225 million and the Township of Langley is adding another $23 million.