About 75 people celebrated the official opening of the Valley Rail Trail extension by cycling along its paved path on Saturday.
Cyclists joined Mayor Ken Popove and members of council for a bike tour along the trail that morning, from Airport Road to the Sheffield Dog Off-Leash Area.
The Valley Rail Trail now extends from Luckakuck Way north over the Trans-Canada Highway and Chilliwack Creek to Airport Road and will provide cyclists of all abilities with a protected cycling trail that connects the north and south sides of the highway.
The trail features a cantilevered pedestrian/cyclist pathway off of the existing rail bridge over the Trans-Canada Highway complete with a slip resistant, grated fiberglass deck, a new bridge over the Chilliwack River, multiple resting bench areas, signage and traffic signals at Airport Road. The 1.2-kilometre trail has LED lighting throughout and was funded in part by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
READ MORE: Work wrapping up in Chilliwack on the Valley Rail Trail expansion
READ MORE: Rail Trail North expanding over the highway in Chilliwack
“We are pleased to see this project reach completion,” said Mayor Popove. “The Valley Rail Trail extension is an important part of the vision for Chilliwack’s cycling network and it was made possible thanks to the hard work of many committee members, councillors and community stakeholders over the years.”
Entrance points to the new section of trail can be found at Kerr Avenue, Airport Road and Luckakuck Way.
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