Many of us drive Highway 99 several times a week, often with kids in the back or tools for work in the trunk. When something goes wrong out there, it hits close to home. A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident on the Sea to Sky corridor near Squamish. While wrong-way events are uncommon, they carry a high risk when they occur. This report looks at what this means for road safety in our community, what’s already in place to prevent it, and where residents can help shape the next steps.
First, a note on facts. We have asked Squamish RCMP and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure for details about the reported incident and whether any immediate actions are being considered. Official comment is pending. We will update readers as soon as information is confirmed by those agencies. In the meantime, there is value in using this moment to review what’s known about safety on Highway 99 and what tools are available to reduce the chances of wrong-way driving in and around Squamish.
Highway 99 through the Sea to Sky is one of the most travelled corridors in the province, carrying local commuters, commercial traffic, and visitors year-round. The highway saw a significant safety upgrade program in the years leading up to the 2010 Winter Games, overseen by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Those improvements focused on widening in select areas, better sightlines, updated signage and barriers in higher-risk zones, and changes at key intersections and interchanges. The Ministry also uses dynamic roadside messaging and seasonal maintenance to keep signs, markings, and shoulders visible in changing weather. On some segments of Highway 99 in the corridor, variable speed limit systems adjust posted speeds to match conditions such as traffic volume, pavement temperature, and visibility. Together, these measures aim to cut down on serious collisions and clarify lane direction for drivers who may be unfamiliar with the road.
Local law enforcement plays a parallel role. Squamish RCMP regularly target dangerous driving behaviours that raise the risk of wrong-way events, including impaired driving and excessive speed. These efforts include seasonal CounterAttack campaigns and routine traffic enforcement under the Motor Vehicle Act, which provides for vehicle impoundment in cases of excessive speeding. While wrong-way driving is typically rare, it is often linked to a combination of factors like impairment, distraction, unfamiliarity with the area, and poor visibility. Enforcement and education are meant to address those root causes before they lead to a serious incident.
Still, every community has locations that can be confusing at night, in heavy rain, or for motorists new to the area. Ramps and intersections near major access points—such as the entrances that connect neighbourhoods to Highway 99—are often where residents ask for extra attention. Those calls commonly involve clearer “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signage at off-ramps, refreshed pavement arrows, improved street lighting, and vegetation trimming to ensure signs are easy to see. In other jurisdictions, road agencies also consider adding reflective treatments to sign posts, enhanced road-edge markers, and wrong-way detection systems that trigger flashing alerts if a driver enters a ramp in the wrong direction. While these systems are not universal, they provide a menu of options that engineers evaluate based on the site.
In Squamish, the highway corridor is managed by the Province, while the District of Squamish oversees municipal roads that connect to it. That split means safety questions often involve both levels of government. When residents raise concerns about signage or confusing geometry near an interchange or ramp, the typical pathway is for the District to work with the Ministry to review the site and coordinate any changes. If an issue is on a purely municipal road, Service Squamish can direct it to the appropriate District team. If it is on the highway or a ramp, the Ministry’s regional office handles the request, sometimes with input from local RCMP based on collision or complaint data.
The community conversation following a wrong-way report tends to centre on three practical themes. The first is engineering: are signs, markings, and lighting doing their job in all seasons, including dark, wet winter evenings or summer weekends with peak volumes? The second is enforcement: do police have the information and resources to address high-risk behaviours at key times and locations? The third is education: are we giving locals and visitors the cues they need—on maps, at trailheads, in hotels and campgrounds—to enter and exit Highway 99 safely?
On the engineering front, residents can help by reporting specific trouble spots with as much detail as possible: the direction of travel, the time of day, whether glare or darkness played a role, and any sign or pavement marking that seemed hard to spot. That information makes it easier for road managers to decide whether to reposition a sign, upgrade to a larger size, refresh paint, trim vegetation, or adjust lighting. Regular maintenance cycles typically handle many of these items, but a timely report can move a concern higher on the list, especially if more than one person flags the same location.
On enforcement, Squamish RCMP encourages drivers to call 911 when it is safe to do so if they see a vehicle travelling the wrong way or driving in a way that could lead to a head-on collision. The goal is rapid intervention. If you encounter a possible wrong-way situation on a divided highway, safety advice commonly shared by police in Canada is to slow down, move to the right as far as it is safe, avoid sudden swerves into other lanes, and allow the other driver space to correct. When the immediate hazard has passed, pull over safely and call 911 with as many details as you can provide. Even when the vehicle is no longer in sight, timely information helps police locate it before anyone is hurt.
On education, there is an opportunity for local groups—schools, employers, tourism operators, and sports organizations—to share simple reminders during busy seasons. A short note in a staff bulletin or visitor booking confirmation about correct highway entry, paying attention to directional arrows, and never driving impaired can make a difference. For Squamish residents, small habits help: pause at the top of a ramp to scan for signage, turn down the music and eliminate distractions before merging, and use headlights early as the light fades. If you are guiding visiting friends to your home, consider offering simple route tips to and from Highway 99, especially if the trip will be at night or in a storm.
Looking ahead, we will share any confirmed updates from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and Squamish RCMP regarding the reported wrong-way incident and any near-term reviews of signage or lighting at nearby ramps. If a formal review is initiated, residents can expect it to focus on whether existing signs meet current standards, whether placement or size should change, and whether pavement markings need refreshing. In certain locations, engineers may also assess the benefits of additional reflective devices or lighting adjustments to improve night-time visibility.
For those wishing to raise a specific concern now, the Ministry’s regional office for the Sea to Sky corridor accepts reports about highway signage, lighting, and line markings. Service Squamish can direct municipal road safety questions to the District’s transportation team. For enforcement matters and in-progress hazards, call 911. DriveBC remains the official source for real-time highway advisories and conditions.
Squamish has made steady progress on road safety over the past decade, and the Sea to Sky Highway has seen major investments aimed at reducing severe collisions. Even so, our growing population and visitor traffic mean we have to keep tuning the system, and wrong-way reports are a clear prompt to double-check the basics: visible signs, readable markings, good lighting, strong enforcement, and shared awareness. We will continue to follow this file and keep readers informed as agencies provide updates. If the Ministry confirms that the area will be reviewed for safety improvements, we will publish those details along with any timelines for changes.
Editor’s note: Official comment from Squamish RCMP and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is pending. Squamish Blog will update this story as soon as agencies confirm details or announce next steps.
