The Canadian and British Columbia (BC) Governments have announced C$35m ($26.6m) in funding to upgrade and expand Highway 1 near Revelstoke.

With the investment the Trans-Canada Highway will receive important upgrades in the near future, which will increase safety for all drivers and improve the efficiency of the route.

The main improvements of the project include widening 2.5km of road, 40km east of Revelstoke, from two to four lanes, and doubling the capacity of the Illecillewaet brake check station.

"These improvements will ensure truck traffic flows as efficiently as possible along this route."

Work will also include improving safety through the addition of new acceleration and deceleration lanes at the brake check.

The improvements will provide increased passing opportunities to improve safety and mobility along the route, as well as a safe area to store vehicles as part of a strategy to improve how traffic is managed during winter closures for avalanche control operations.

British Columbia member of the Legislative Assembly for Shuswap Greg Kyllo said: "These improvements will ensure truck traffic flows as efficiently as possible along this route, and increased capacity of Highway 1 will ensure the continued movement of goods and people along this important corridor."

For the project, the Canadian Government will contribute C$15.5m ($11.8m), while the BC government will provide C$19.5m ($14.8m).

The project is part of BC On the Move and the New Building Canada Plan, which provides C$53bn ($40.4bn) to support provincial, territorial and municipal infrastructure between 2014 and 2024.

Over this ten-year period, BC will benefit from approximately C$3.9bn ($2.9bn) in dedicated federal funding, including almost C$1.1bn ($839m) under the New Building Canada Fund.