Construction-related activities set to begin for improvements to Tyson Road in Chilliwack

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Construction activities for Tyson Road consist of the following:

Closures of rec sites and campgrounds

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• Curb installation and multi-use pathways on both sides of Tyson Road
• A signalized intersection upgrade/widening at South Sumas Road
• 1,270 metres of road widening/reconstruction
• Drainage works
• Paving
• Streetlighting
• Street trees

The city says multi-use pathways will be located behind the curb, away from the travel lane section of the roadway. Once completed, the municipality states Tyson Road will become the first north-south thoroughfare in Chilliwack with continuous cycle and pedestrian facilities. The roughly 1-kilometre section without sidewalks represents the only section of Tyson Road without sidewalks along the 8.5-km corridor. The city has ranked it among its highest priority projects in its Active Transportation Plan, and identified it as a core route in the city’s Cycle Vision Plan.

Part of the project will be funded by $500,000 from the B.C. Active Transportation Infrastructure Grants Program.

Back in October 2022, Chilliwack City Council approved a motion at its meeting to pursue a plan to add sidewalks and cycling lanes to both sides of Tyson Road between Evans Road and Watson Road. Council had been asked to authorize staff to apply for shared funding under the B.C. government’s Active Transportation Grant, which would enable the city to receive significant funding towards project costs to fund the development of active transportation infrastructure for all ages and abilities.

The provincial grant typically covers things like multi-use protected travel lanes, pedestrian and cycling safety improvements, and lighting and way finding for up to two-shovel ready projects, according to a staff report.

Of note, the Tyson Road project is already included in the city’s capital plan, has been identified in the 2018 Transportation Plan Update, and accounts for a core cycling route in the 2017 Cycle Vision Plan. McElhanney Consulting Services completed a pre-design evaluation of the Tyson Road project in 2018 and determined a Class C estimate would cost $5.3 million.

The Tyson Road component of the project consists of street lighting, barrier curbs, sidewalks, drainage, cycle lanes, and vehicle lane improvements; it will connect a north-south network from Wellington Avenue to Canada Education Park and the UFV Chilliwack campus.

Keith Wilson Road will undergo similar improvements in a stretch of road between Hipwell Place, near Canadian Forces Base Chilliwack, and Garrison Boulevard. These public works improvement consist of the following:

• Sidewalk and bike lanes on the north side and a multi-use pathway on the south side
• Approximately 730 metres of road widening/reconstruction
• Drainage works
• Paving
• Street trees
• Curb installation
• Road geometry improvements to reduce westbound traffic entering the roundabout