The B.C. government says new funding to widen and improve Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley will help ease traffic congestion thousands of people face every day.

The $2.65 billion has been approved for upgrades to the section of Highway 1 between Mount Lehman Road and Highway 11 in Abbotsford. The province says this money is in addition to the $2.34 billion approved last fall, for work between 264th Street and Mount Lehman.

The province says major construction on the stretch between 264th Street and Mount Lehman will start this year, with the fourth major phase of work expected to wrap by in 2029.

Work on the segment between Mount Lehman and Highway 11 will start in 2026, with major construction expected to begin in 2026. This phase is set to finish in 2031.

“I know that many people in the Fraser Valley find travel increasingly difficult, given the traffic volume on Highway 1, and we’re working hard to address these concerns” said Minister of State for Infrastructure and Transit Dan Coulter.

“We’re focusing on improvements to the highway through widening to accommodate sustainable transportation and better, more accessible interchanges to make it easier and quicker for people to get where they need to go.”

In addition to upgrades, the province says overpasses at Peardonville Road, Bradner Road, and the CPKC rail overhead will eventually be rebuilt to accommodate height clearance for commercial trucks. This work on Highway 1 between 216th Street and Abbotsford is in addition to the rebuild of the Glover Road overpass, which is done.

Meanwhile, a new interchange is planned for the area of 232nd Street, 264th Street, Mount Lehman Road, and Highway 11.

The B.C. government says more than 80,000 drivers use Highway 1 between Langley and Abbotsford, and through the Sumas Prairie in Abbotsford and Chilliwack, each day. Additionally, more than $65 billion in goods are transported along this corridor.