Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove. (Image Credit: City of Chilliwack.)

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Road conditions

Mayor apologizes for Chilliwack’s ‘crappiest piece of road’, cites delays in getting permits from B.C. govt.

Feb 25, 2026 | 5:32 AM

CHILLIWACK – Chilliwack Mayor Ken Popove has issued an apology over the condition of Prest Road while faulting the provincial government for not granting permits to the city fast enough in order to finish the Prest Road project in a timely fashion.

During a casual visit to 89.5 JR Country last Thursday, Morning host Glen Slingerland asked Popove about the topic of ongoing road construction in town as there seems to be construction happening across Chilliwack at any given time. When Prest Road came up, Popove had plenty to say about the north-south arterial.

“You know, that is one piece of road that should have been done at least two years ago,” Popove told Slingerland. “We are waiting for our archaeology permits to come in. This is all to do with what the province calls the Heritage Act, which is now on hold, which they should have a look at it. And we were able to move the poles, which I’m sure folks have seen, but that is the crappiest piece of road that we have in Chilliwack.”

According to its website in November 2025, the city revealed that longer than anticipated delays in receiving the required archaeological permit from the province for necessary field investigation meant the next phase of the Prest Road project would not commence until spring 2026. Once the permit is received, the archaeological field investigation in the form of test holes can move forward under supervision of the archaeologist. The city would then release the tender for the roadworks based on the shortlist approved by Chilliwack City Council. This next phase would constitute the third and final phase of the Prest Road widening project, featuring the construction of a roundabout at Prest Road and McGuire Road and road widening between McGuire Road and Bailey Road.

Prest Road looking south toward Promontory. (Image Credit: Mike Vanden Bosch.)

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Popove said he hopes the City of Chilliwack is able to obtain the necessary permits very soon to finish the project.

“Like I say, it should have been on a couple of years ago. We’re waiting for permits. Hopefully in the not too distant future we’ll get them,” he said. “The RFP’s been let out, the contractor is aware, all that stuff is ready to go, but we need those permits. And I told staff, let’s just do it and say we’re sorry, but I guess there’s a lot of legalities attached to that. But just, the province really needs to have a look at that because it is, it is definitely slowing things down.”

For example, Popove said a city-owned parking lot near Young Road and Victoria Avenue in downtown Chilliwack took 17 months to get permits.

“It’s a parking lot. Yeah, they’ve found a bird stone,” Popove said, referring to an artifact. “I get all that, but just the system is broken, buddy. The system is broken. So sorry for the people that have to use that road (Prest). I know that 10,000 or 12,000 people live up in Promontory have to go through that chunk, but I’m pushing for it, but that’s all I can really do. It’s in the hands of the province at this point.”