Road safety is top of mind in Squamish again after a local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident. While details are limited, the report has prompted fresh conversations about how we keep one another safe on and around Highway 99, and what practical steps—engineering, enforcement, and education—can reduce the chance of a similar event.
Wrong-way driving is uncommon, but when it happens the risk is high. These incidents are typically linked to drivers mistakenly entering an off-ramp, often in low light or poor weather, or when they are unfamiliar with the area. For a growing community that depends on the Sea to Sky corridor for commuting, goods movement, and tourism, even one close call is a reminder that the basics—clear signs, attentive driving, and timely reporting—matter.
Highway 99 through Squamish carries a mix of local and regional traffic, with higher volumes during the commuting peaks and on weekends and holidays. The highway itself is under the jurisdiction of the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (the Ministry), while the District of Squamish manages the local road network that connects to it. That split responsibility means safety relies on coordination: how highway interchanges are signed and lit, how nearby neighbourhood streets are designed, and how law enforcement and road maintenance teams respond when concerns are raised.
Many safety improvements were added to the Sea to Sky in the years leading up to the 2010 Winter Games and in the years since, including wider shoulders, improved sightlines, added barriers in select segments, and extensive use of centreline and shoulder rumble strips. Ramp terminals and intersections feature standardized “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs and directional pavement arrows consistent with the BC Manual of Standard Traffic Signs and Pavement Markings. These measures are designed to reduce confusion and make it harder for a driver to head the wrong direction without immediate visual cues.
Even with those standards in place, Squamish residents who drive the corridor daily know that conditions change. Heavy rain, winter darkness, glare, construction detours, and unfamiliarity can all contribute to momentary errors. Interchanges at Depot Road, Alice Lake Road, Garibaldi Way, and Mamquam Road serve busy neighbourhoods and recreation areas, and they see a mix of local drivers and visitors. When people raise concerns about a specific ramp or intersection—signage height, visibility, lighting, or pavement markings—it’s reasonable to ask whether a fresh look could help.
The role of enforcement is also central. The Sea to Sky RCMP detachment regularly targets high-risk behaviours—speeding, impairment, and distraction—that are known to make any mistake on the road more dangerous. Police urge the public to report immediate hazards by calling 911 when it is safe to do so. For non-urgent traffic concerns, residents can contact the detachment’s non-emergency line to document patterns that may warrant targeted patrols. The RCMP has been asked for comment on whether any additional patrols or advisories are planned following the recent report; we will update readers as information is confirmed.
Data-driven decision-making helps focus improvements where they are needed most. ICBC’s publicly accessible crash maps and the Ministry’s traffic engineering reviews are two tools commonly used to identify hot spots and evaluate whether additional countermeasures—such as larger or lower-mounted “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs, extra pavement arrows, supplemental red retroreflectors facing the wrong-way direction, or improved ramp lighting—could reduce risk. These are standard, evidence-based countermeasures used across North America to deter wrong-way entries and quickly alert drivers who have made an error.
Closer to home, residents can play a part in that data picture. If you encounter confusing signage or visibility issues on Highway 99 or its ramps, the first step is to flag it to the Ministry so it can be logged and assessed. The Ministry accepts reports through its online tools and through DriveBC channels, and the local highway maintenance contractor can be dispatched for sign cleaning, vegetation trimming, or temporary repairs. For concerns on municipal streets that connect to the highway, Service Squamish can route requests to the appropriate District team. When a concern is logged with clear location details and photos, engineers and maintenance crews can verify conditions more quickly.
Education is the third pillar. The BC Road Safety Strategy emphasizes a shared-responsibility approach grounded in the Vision Zero principle that serious crashes are preventable. For drivers, that starts with habits as simple as planning your route before you set off, slowing well in advance of interchanges, and scanning for the standard cues that indicate you are heading the correct direction: white lines on the right and yellow on the left, one-way arrows on the pavement, and red on the back of reflectors. If a driver does find themselves facing oncoming traffic on a divided highway, the safest response is to pull over to the right shoulder immediately, stop, turn on hazard lights, and call 911 for guidance; do not attempt a U-turn across live lanes.
Community members have also suggested steps that could support visitors who are less familiar with local roads. Those include periodic road-safety messaging timed to peak travel seasons, reminders at hotels and trailhead kiosks about safe highway access, and outreach to navigation app providers to ensure ramp naming and guidance are as clear as possible at local interchanges. While such measures are not a substitute for engineering and enforcement, they can complement the core safety tools and meet people where they get their information.
It is worth noting that Squamish has steadily advanced safety improvements on the local network as growth continues—crosswalk upgrades, traffic calming near schools and parks, and cycling connections that reduce conflict points. While these are municipal projects, they work in tandem with provincial highway operations. The District and the Ministry routinely coordinate on plans that touch both systems, and a targeted signage and lighting review at key highway ramp terminals would fit naturally within that ongoing collaboration.
Several practical next steps are on the table. A Ministry-led field review of the Highway 99 ramp terminals that serve Squamish could confirm whether any signage is obscured, whether additional wrong-way deterrents are warranted, and whether lighting levels are sufficient at night and in winter conditions. The RCMP can continue to focus patrols during higher-risk periods and share any trends they observe. And residents can keep reporting near-misses and visibility issues so that maintenance and engineering teams have current, location-specific information.
For now, official comment from the Sea to Sky RCMP and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure on the recent report is pending. We will share updates as they are confirmed, including any scheduled safety audits or interim measures. In the meantime, immediate hazards should be reported to 911 when safe to do so. Non-urgent highway maintenance concerns can be submitted to the Ministry through DriveBC’s “Report a Highway Problem” tools, and municipal road concerns can be sent to Service Squamish. Staying alert, speaking up when something looks off, and supporting evidence-based fixes are the most reliable ways for our community to keep the Sea to Sky corridor safe for everyone.
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is reviewing the area for safety improvements, and this article will be updated with specific actions and timelines as they are confirmed by the Ministry and the Sea to Sky RCMP.
