Chambers of Commerce in the Fraser Valley have formed a united front to urge the province to speed up plans to widen Highway 1 all the way to Chilliwack.

A joint call for expedited highway widening as far as Chilliwack 鈥� and not just Abbotsford 鈥� was issued Tuesday (Aug. 8) by business leaders in response to a request for comment last week for the province鈥檚 plans for from 264th Street to Highway 11.

Chambers of Commerce from Abbotsford, 91原创 Township/City, Mission, and Chilliwack are pushing for 鈥渟hovels in the ground鈥� and a provincial promise to fund a further expansion, in order to 鈥渆nsure the continued growth, and mobility of business and economic activity across the region.鈥�

Congestion 鈥済rinds the traffic to a halt regularly,鈥� slowing business, and making it too difficult for people to get around the region, they said.

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At the same time, populations of the region are exploding, and forecast to increase by 47 per cent by 2050, the business groups underlined.

Chilliwack was cited as the second fastest-growing city in B.C. in the last federal census.

鈥淐hilliwack is growing rapidly, but traffic is growing and the increased congestion is slowing down not only commuters but the commercial trucks that account for 8.5 per cent of all traffic through the valley corridor,鈥� said Leanna Kemp, executive director of the Chilliwack Chamber. 鈥淲idening Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley is essential to ensuring safety, reliability, and efficiency for our truck transportation and commuters in and out of the Lower Mainland.鈥�

Highway 1 functions as 鈥渢he lifeblood of commerce and connectivity,鈥� in the region, with more than 80,000 vehicles a day.

鈥淎bbotsford鈥檚 business community is growing and plays an essential role in the region, being home to the Abbotsford International Airport, University of the Fraser Valley, and other regional assets,鈥� said Alex Mitchell, CEO of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce. 鈥淜ey transportation infrastructure has fallen behind, making this one of the top economic issues facing our community.鈥�

Expansion of the highway to Chilliwack could take decades, the release noted, so the funding commitments are necessary now, so they can eventually pave the way for a thriving and prosperous Fraser Valley.

鈥淗ighway 11 connects Mission with the rest of the Fraser Valley and is a critical link to the U.S. border, but the current interchange is holding back growth and slowing business in Mission and across the Valley,鈥� said Miriam Bozman, executive director of the Mission Regional Chamber of Commerce. 鈥淲e want to see this expansion move forward as quickly as possible, and urge the province to prioritize this project and allocate the necessary resources to ensure its timely completion.鈥�

The four Chambers represent 鈥渢housands of member businesses鈥� across the Fraser Valley and work to support, connect and advocate for the needs of local business. What is sorely needed, the group is arguing, is for provincial officials to prioritize and expedite 鈥減reloading, design, planning, procurement and other timelines and schedules鈥� to get the highway project started, and finished, sooner.

鈥淭his group will be sharing a formal submission with the provincial government as part of the official engagement process.鈥�

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