A new $59 million highway interchange and widening project at 216th Street in Langley will begin in two years.
As part of the flurry of federal funding announcements made Friday, the joint federal-provincial-municipal project was unveiled at 202nd Street.
The project will be funded with $22.3 million each from the federal and provincial governments, and $14.3 million from Langley Township. The Township is only contributing to the interchange, not the accompanying road widening.
“For years an intersection at Highway One and 216th Street has been high on the Township’s wish list,” said acting mayor David Davis.
He noted that he remembered protesting years ago with his father and grandfather to have such an interchange built. The project has been on the Township’s transportation plan as a priority since 2009.
The project includes the widening of the Trans Canada Highway from 202nd Street to 216th, out to six lanes from the current four.
“This has been a priority,” said Langley MP Mark Warawa. “This was the year that we committed to make it happen.”
Fort Langley-Aldergrove MLA Rich Coleman said the opportunities for a commercial development on the south side of the interchange could generate an estimated 700 to 800 jobs.
The actual design of the interchange and any commercial area will require rezonings, and will go through a local public hearing process.
With construction slated to start in 2017, the project will likely take about 18 months, said Rich Coleman.
The fall of 2019 is a likely completion date.
The interchange will allow drivers a third way to cross the highway between Walnut Grove and Willoughby.
It will also connect to a network of new and existing routes that will give quicker connections from the highway to Trinity Western University and Glover Road.