Squamish residents often balance busy family schedules with regular trips along Highway 99, so anything that threatens safety on our roads quickly becomes a shared concern. A recent report of a wrong-way driving incident in our area has prompted new conversations about how we keep one another safe, especially at highway access points used daily by commuters, service vehicles, and visitors.
While details of the report are still being confirmed, and official comment is pending, the incident is a reminder that a single mistake at highway speed can have serious consequences. Wrong-way events are uncommon, but when they do occur they are high risk. That is why prevention—clear signage, good design, steady enforcement, and public awareness—matters as much as the response in the moment.
On the Sea to Sky corridor, responsibilities are shared. The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure maintains Highway 99, including the interchanges that connect the highway to neighbourhoods in and around Squamish. The District of Squamish manages local roads and works with partners on education and engineering within municipal boundaries. The RCMP’s Sea to Sky Traffic Services is responsible for highway enforcement in the corridor, while the Squamish RCMP detachment supports community safety on local roads. When an incident is reported, these agencies coordinate based on jurisdiction and risk.
The Sea to Sky Highway has seen substantial improvements since the upgrades completed ahead of the 2010 Winter Games, including wider lanes, better sightlines, and safety features such as barriers and rumble strips in higher-risk areas. In recent years, the province has also expanded road-weather monitoring and variable speed limits on parts of Highway 99 north of Squamish to help drivers adjust to changing conditions. Standard entrance and exit controls at ramps—“Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs, pavement arrows, and reflective markers—are part of the provincial toolbox designed to reduce wrong-way movements.
Even with these measures, safety is a moving target. Traffic volumes change with population growth and tourism, lighting conditions shift with the seasons, and snow, rain, or glare can affect how well a driver reads the road. Squamish also has several highway access points that carry a lot of local traffic—such as the connections near Cleveland Avenue, Industrial Way, Mamquam Road, Garibaldi Way, and Depot Road—where residents, delivery vehicles, and visitors converge. When the community hears about a wrong-way event, it is reasonable to ask whether signs, markings, and sightlines at these ramps are as clear and visible as they could be, day and night and in all kinds of weather.
Road-safety advocates typically point to a layered approach: engineering first, enforcement second, and education always. On the engineering side, there are practical steps that can be evaluated without delay. These include audits of ramp signage to confirm placement, reflectivity, and size; reviewing the number and orientation of “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs on off-ramps; checking pavement arrows and stop bars for wear; and assessing whether additional delineators, lighting, or high-visibility treatments could reduce confusion. In winter, ensuring that snowbanks and spray do not obscure critical signs is also important. These are routine practices that can be scheduled or accelerated when concerns are raised.
On enforcement, the RCMP regularly conducts traffic operations along Highway 99, focusing on behaviours that increase risk, such as speed, impairment, and distraction. While wrong-way driving is not a frequent offence, it is an urgent one. If you witness dangerous driving, police typically ask that you call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so and provide a clear location, direction of travel, and vehicle description. Dashcam footage can be helpful to investigators; if you have it, officers can advise how to submit it. What the public should not do is attempt to block or confront a vehicle. Getting accurate information to police is the safest and most effective contribution.
Education is where the community can lead alongside officials. Residents know which ramps can feel busy or confusing at certain times of day, and local feedback often points engineers to the spots where small changes make a big difference. An awareness push timed to spring break, long weekends, and peak visitor seasons could help, particularly for drivers unfamiliar with Squamish access points or those navigating in poor weather or low light. Clear, plain-language reminders about how to safely enter and exit Highway 99, reinforced by maps or visuals businesses can share with visitors, can reduce errors before they happen.
There are also emerging tools worth exploring. Some jurisdictions use enhanced wrong-way countermeasures at selected ramps—such as larger or dual-mounted signs, additional pavement arrows placed further back from the decision point, or lighting aimed specifically at entrance and exit controls. In certain high-risk locations, agencies have piloted detection systems that trigger flashing signs when a vehicle enters the wrong way. Whether any of these measures suit a particular Squamish ramp would depend on site conditions and provincial standards, but a targeted review can help determine if upgrades are warranted.
For its part, the District of Squamish can continue coordinating with the Ministry and the highway maintenance contractor on near-term checks—such as night-time visibility reviews and freshening worn markings—while engaging residents on medium-term needs. A straightforward way to do this is by opening a short public feedback window focused on highway access points that residents use most, and sharing the findings with the Ministry. These kinds of joint reviews are common and help align provincial and local priorities. Where an issue sits on a municipal road approaching the highway, the District can address it directly through signage, markings, lighting, or enforcement in partnership with the RCMP.
Personal responsibility remains part of the solution. Squamish drivers can reduce risk by planning their route before entering the highway, slowing down at unfamiliar ramps to confirm directional arrows and signs, and avoiding last-second lane changes. Visitors and newer drivers, in particular, benefit from taking a moment to scan for “Do Not Enter” messages and red-backed signs, which in Canada typically indicate prohibitions. If something looks off, stopping well back from the ramp and reassessing the approach can prevent a wrong turn.
We have asked the Sea to Sky RCMP and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure whether any signage or marking reviews are planned at local ramps following the recent report. At time of publication, responses are pending. We will share verified updates as soon as they are available, including any short-term maintenance actions or longer-term engineering reviews confirmed by officials.
In the meantime, residents seeking official information about highway conditions can check DriveBC for road advisories and closures. Questions about Highway 99 design, signage standards, or maintenance can be directed to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. For local road safety matters within the District of Squamish, residents can contact the District’s transportation team or submit a service request. For enforcement or to report dangerous driving, call 911 when there is an immediate risk, or contact the RCMP’s non-emergency line for follow-up.
Keeping the Sea to Sky corridor safe is a shared effort. When the community notices a problem, raising it promptly helps engineers and officers focus attention where it is needed most. With routine checks, practical upgrades, steady enforcement, and everyday care from drivers, Squamish can reduce the chance of rare but serious wrong-way incidents on the roads we all rely on.
