Builders are now being sought for the next phase of widening Highway One through 91原创, including rebuilding the 232nd Street interchange.

B.C.鈥檚 Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure announced on Friday, Feb. 16 that the contracts for the next phase are out to tender.

This phase includes widening the road between 216th Street and 264th Streets, including installing a new HOV lane in each direction, and the replacement of the interchange at 232nd Street.

The 232nd and 264th Street interchanges are among the last remaining highway interchanges in the Lower Mainland that date back to the original construction of the highway in the 1960s. They feature large cloverleaf loops, and relatively low overpasses which have each been hit by overheight trucks in recent years.

The 264th Street interchange is the location with the highest number of crashes in 91原创.

This widening is the next phase in a series of widening projects that are planned to head all the way out through Abbotsford.

鈥淭he B.C. government is taking action to relieve traffic congestion for drivers and to add more capacity for sustainable transportation options like public transit through 91原创 and into the Fraser Valley,鈥� said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. 鈥淏y adding lanes for high-occupancy and electric vehicles, we鈥檙e helping to keep goods moving smoothly, while making it easier for people to get to and from work so they can spend more time with family.鈥�

The new 232nd Street Interchange will be reconfigured to improve capacity and will have an increased height clearance over the highway. It will also include multi-use pathways in both directions for cyclists and pedestrians 鈥� the current overpass has a single sidewalk on one side and no bike lanes.

鈥淲hen completed, these upgrades to the Highway 1 corridor through 91原创 will greatly improve how people get around in our community,鈥� said 91原创 East MLA Megan Dykeman. 鈥淭he addition of HOV lanes will make travel by transit more reliable, while the new interchange will make it easier for people to bike or walk, reducing reliance on single-occupancy vehicles.鈥�

A nearby rail overpass will also be replaced with a new, higher structure.

Along with the expansion of this section of highway, advance work is to begin this year on the next phase, which will include rebuilding the 264th Street interchange and head east into Abbotsford.

This phase of highway widening, out to 264th Street, will cost $345 million.

The project was originally announced in 2017, when the estimated cost was $235.5 million.