Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove reacts during Tuesday's meeting after learning the city has finally received a site permit necessary for the long-awaited Prest Road widening project. (Image Credit: City of Chilliwack.)

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Construction

After multiple delays from the province, City of Chilliwack secures site permit for long-awaited Prest Road project

Jun 3, 2026 | 6:55 AM

CHILLIWACK – Chilliwack councillors had reason to celebrate at their meeting Tuesday after learning that the City of Chilliwack has finally secured a site permit to move forward with the long-awaited Prest Road widening project.

Kara Jefford, deputy director of engineering for the City of Chilliwack, told councillors the city received an email at 2:14 p.m. during Tuesday’s meeting, confirming receipt of the necessary site permit.

Just minutes prior to the great news, councillors had expressed angst over repeated delays associated with the project, including the possibility that a section of Prest Road might have gone undeveloped due to delays in obtaining a site permit from the B.C. Heritage Branch, an arm of the provincial government. Archaeological work had already been conducted for the road project, and all that was left was the site permit.

In order to proceed with the 1.5-km project, the city had to obtain right of way approvals from private land owners, a local First Nation, and the government just to be able to widen Prest Road and proceed with the roundabout at Prest/McGuire.

Councillor Bud Mercer said, “This has been a long time coming. For the city to be able to acquire the property that’s necessary to widen the road, it’s been a very long and arduous process with staff. Just a thank you to them. This is one of the most difficult pieces of road that we’ve seen to put together.”

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Chilliwack Councillor Bud Mercer. (Image Credit: City of Chilliwack.)

Councillor Nicole Read said, “I think it’s been almost four years. I really hope to see this project move forward.”

Councillor Nicole Read.

If the site permit had not been obtained, Councillor Chris Kloot said during Tuesday’s meeting that the city ran the risk of having a section of Prest Road undeveloped while construction continued all around it.

Councillor Mercer feared an onslaught of hundreds of emails from city residents over a section of unfinished Prest Road due to the previous lack of a site permit.

As a result of the good news, councillors voted unanimously to award the project tender to Ballina Contracting Ltd. for $5,721,650.66. Ballina submitted the lowest-cost tender for the project. City staff say their submission meets all the requirements of the tender. Ballina Contracting Ltd. has successfully completed projects of similar scope and nature for the city and other municipalities.

The scope of work features all labour, materials and equipment for the construction of approximately 1,500 metres of road widening between Bailey Road and McGuire Road, and a single-lane roundabout at McGuire Road featuring concrete curbs, sidewalk, streetlighting, drainage works and riparian plantings.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

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After multiple delays from the province, City of Chilliwack secures site permit for long-awaited Prest Road project

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