Highway 99 is the daily thread that ties Squamish to the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, and most of us travel it often enough to know its strengths and its stress points. A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident, and while details of that encounter are limited, the concern it raises is familiar: in a corridor that moves commuters, visitors, and ferry traffic, even rare mistakes can carry serious risk. The question for our community is how to reduce the chances of these situations and respond well when they do happen.
In a separate but related reminder of how quickly transportation issues ripple through the corridor, an emergency response at the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal recently led to a temporary closure and sailing delays. Police said one person was apprehended under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital for assessment. Although that matter was not a traffic incident, it affected thousands of drivers and underscored how closely Highway 99 and terminal operations are linked. When something goes wrong at a junction, the effects extend up the Sea to Sky in minutes.
Wrong-way driving on a divided highway is uncommon, yet it is widely recognized by road-safety professionals as high-risk because it can lead to head-on collisions at speed. These events are more likely to occur near interchanges and ramps where a driver becomes disoriented, especially at night, in poor weather, or when impairment or distraction is a factor. No two locations are identical, but anywhere multiple decision points and heavy volumes meet—such as ferry approaches, complex off-ramps, or areas frequented by visitors unfamiliar with the road—requires extra attention to signage, lighting, and driver awareness.
Squamish residents know the Sea to Sky has changed substantially since the upgrades completed ahead of the 2010 Winter Games. The corridor now includes more median barriers, improved alignments, and a Variable Speed Limit System between Squamish and Whistler that adjusts posted speeds in response to road and weather conditions. Those measures, led by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI), have improved overall consistency and safety on many sections. Still, traffic peaks on holidays and weekends, and the mix of local and tourist travel adds complexity at interchanges and key access points. ICBC and the RCMP regularly identify speed, impairment, and distraction as leading contributors to serious crashes across B.C., and the Sea to Sky is not exempt from those patterns.
With that context, what should our community focus on when concerns arise about wrong-way incidents? First, timely reporting helps. If you encounter a dangerous situation on Highway 99—whether a suspected impaired driver, a vehicle travelling the wrong way, or debris in a live lane—the RCMP ask that you call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so and be prepared to share your location, direction of travel, and a brief vehicle description. Quick, specific information supports an immediate response from local detachments and regional traffic services.
Second, small design details can make a meaningful difference. Transportation engineers typically use a combination of tools to reduce wrong-way entries: high-visibility “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs at off-ramps; pavement arrows and directional markings; red retroreflective markers that show a red face to wrong-way drivers; rumble strips and channelization that guide vehicles into the correct lane; and, at locations with recurring issues, LED-enhanced warning signs or additional lighting. These are standard measures that can be tailored to local geometry and sightlines.
Because Highway 99 serves both local trips and provincial ferry travel, a regular review of signage and markings near interchanges, including the approaches that connect to Horseshoe Bay, is a reasonable step to keep pace with changing traffic patterns. Squamish Blog has asked the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure if any additional countermeasures or audits are planned for ramps and decision points on the Highway 99 corridor between Squamish and Horseshoe Bay. We have also asked Squamish RCMP whether they have noted any trend in wrong-way calls in our area this year. We will share any confirmed updates when they are available.
Education and awareness complement engineering and enforcement. Districts across B.C. have partnered with ICBC on local campaigns that highlight safe speeds, the effects of impairment and fatigue, and the importance of planning your route—particularly when you are unfamiliar with a complex interchange or facing a nighttime drive after a long day. Similar outreach here before peak travel seasons could help reduce the kinds of mistakes that begin as momentary confusion and escalate into dangerous situations. In a community where many residents host visiting family and friends, a simple reminder to review key exits and merge areas before setting out can go a long way.
For individual drivers, a few habits add extra layers of safety at the places where confusion is most likely. Approaching a ramp, check lane guidance and arrows early, and scan for red-backed reflectors or “Do Not Enter” signs that may indicate you are facing against traffic. If you ever suspect you are entering a roadway the wrong way, reduce speed immediately, pull over to a safe spot if possible, turn on your hazard lights, and correct your direction only when it is safe. If you see a vehicle coming toward you in your lane on a divided highway, slow down, move as far right as safely possible, and be prepared to stop while you call 911 to report the location and direction.
As Squamish continues to grow, so does the need to keep our local voice present in regional transportation decisions. The District’s transportation planning and traffic-calming work inside town complements provincial responsibility on Highway 99, but the two are connected through our daily experience. Resident feedback—whether through council correspondence, transportation plan surveys, or neighbourhood associations—helps highlight where signs are obscured, where pavement markings have faded, or where an off-ramp might benefit from clearer cues.
It is also worth recognizing the wider network of responders who act when things go wrong. The recent situation at Horseshoe Bay, which saw multiple agencies work together and resulted in one person being taken for medical assessment, is a reminder that some disruptions stem from health and welfare calls rather than traffic alone. Those events still affect highway flow, but the primary focus is safe resolution and support for the person in crisis. Patience from drivers, attention to direction from officers at the scene, and checking ferry and road advisories before departure all help keep people safe and traffic moving.
In the weeks ahead, we will continue to track any confirmed information on wrong-way driving reports in our area and ask whether signage or marking reviews are planned before the busy summer period. If you have observed a specific location where guidance is unclear—such as a faded arrow at a ramp or a sign partially blocked by vegetation—consider reporting it to the appropriate authority. For ramps and Highway 99 interchanges, that is the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. For local roads, contact the District of Squamish. Clear, detailed reports help maintenance crews prioritize work.
For travel planning and updates, DriveBC provides real-time highway conditions and incident reports for Highway 99. Squamish RCMP share enforcement and safety messages on their official channels. West Vancouver Police and BC Ferries advisories are the best sources for any confirmed updates related to Horseshoe Bay operations. Squamish Blog has requested comment from MOTI and Squamish RCMP regarding any corridor reviews tied to wrong-way concerns, and we will update readers as soon as responses are received.
