Many Squamish residents drive Highway 99 every day—getting to work, school, and the mountains—so any report of a driver heading the wrong way is more than a close call. It’s a reminder that small design details, clear rules of the road, and day‑to‑day driving habits all add up to community safety. A local resident recently experienced a wrong‑way driving incident. While this account is still being reviewed by authorities, it has already sparked questions that matter here: Are signs and markings clear enough where the highway meets our town streets? Do drivers have the guidance they need at night and in poor weather? And what steps can we take, together, to lower the risk of rare but high‑consequence events on the Sea to Sky corridor?
Sea to Sky RCMP have been asked for information about any recent wrong‑way calls in the Squamish area and whether enforcement patterns or collision data show specific hot spots. The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (the Ministry) has also been asked whether crews or contractors have received recent reports about confusing approaches or faded markings in and around Squamish. Official responses are pending; we will update readers as soon as details are confirmed.
In the meantime, there is relevant context about how Highway 99 functions through Squamish and why wayfinding can challenge even attentive drivers. The highway is provincial, but it behaves like a main street through several parts of town: multiple signalized intersections, a mix of divided and undivided sections, frequent left‑turn pockets, and high seasonal traffic from visitors unfamiliar with local turns. Add winter wear on paint, dark and wet shoulder seasons, and glare on rainy nights, and the basic cues drivers rely on—arrows, edge lines, and signs—can sometimes be harder to read. Those are common conditions across B.C., and they put a premium on clear, consistent road design.
The Ministry has implemented a range of safety improvements on the Sea to Sky in recent years that are relevant to wrong‑way risk. These include centreline and shoulder rumble strips on rural stretches to reduce drift‑over incidents, reflective sign upgrades, and ongoing pavement marking programs that emphasize high‑visibility materials. Barriers and delineators have been added in places where geometry and speed can combine to increase the chance of serious outcomes. Dynamic message signs and roadside warnings help flag weather and incident conditions. The Ministry also conducts regular safety reviews and responds to site‑specific concerns with targeted enhancements, such as larger “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs where needed, added lighting, or revisited lane marking layouts.
Law enforcement and education are the other side of the equation. Across B.C., police and ICBC run seasonal campaigns that matter in our corridor. High‑Risk Driving month in May targets behaviours like failing to yield, unsafe passing, and tailgating. CounterAttack campaigns run in summer and winter to deter impaired driving. Year‑round, Sea to Sky RCMP traffic services and general duty members conduct speed enforcement, check for impairment and distracted driving, and respond to public complaints. Local Speed Watch volunteers, supported by ICBC and police, also set up in neighbourhoods to calm driving in real time and help gather data for targeted enforcement.
Wrong‑way incidents are uncommon, but they demand attention because they can quickly become head‑on collisions. Experts point to a set of practical measures that reduce the risk. Many are already standard practice in B.C.; others are tools that can be applied when a location shows added risk because of road layout, lighting, or traffic volumes. For Squamish, the conversation now is about where those tools would be most effective and whether any sites need a closer look after the recent report.
Residents have been raising the same handful of locations for years when it comes to clarity and comfort: the Highway 99 junctions at Cleveland Avenue, Mamquam Road, Garibaldi Way, and other busy turn‑offs that combine local trips with through traffic. While each intersection has its own design history and constraints, the issues people mention are fairly consistent—whether turn pockets are intuitive, whether night‑time cues are strong enough in wet weather, and how long paint and reflectors hold up through winter. Those are practical questions the Ministry and the District of Squamish can address together, because most of the safety payoffs come from basic, visible elements that help drivers choose correctly the first time.
Based on proven practices used elsewhere in B.C., a focused review in and around Squamish could consider steps such as refreshing and widening directional arrows in advance of major turn‑offs; ensuring “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs are placed where they meet a driver’s eyes at the right moment; adding highly retroreflective sign sheeting and supplemental plaques where needed; improving night‑time lighting at complex approaches; installing flexible delineators to reinforce the intended path through channelized turns; deploying raised reflective pavement markers to maintain lane guidance in heavy rain; trimming vegetation that obscures sign faces; and checking that overhead signal heads and lane‑use arrows are visible from the typical driver viewpoint in SUVs, pickup trucks, and buses that are common on the corridor.
Education can reinforce this design work. Seasonal reminders about navigating the Sea to Sky—especially for visitors unfamiliar with our intersections—can run through local tourism channels, rental agencies, and event organizers. For residents, RCMP and the District can expand Speed Watch and neighbourhood sign programs during the spring shoulder season, when darker commutes and variable weather test visibility. ICBC’s safety materials on night driving, distracted driving, and how to report dangerous situations are widely available and align well with what we see on Highway 99.
On the immediate, practical front, there are a few steps drivers can take if they come across a wrong‑way situation. Safety experts advise slowing down, moving well to the right, and creating space from other vehicles so there is room to react. Use hazard lights and the horn only if it helps alert the other driver without creating additional confusion. When safe to do so, call 911 with the location, direction of travel, vehicle description, and any landmarks. Dispatchers can alert local police and the Ministry’s maintenance contractor, who may be able to place warning messages on signs or assist with traffic control if needed. Non‑urgent concerns about confusing approaches, worn markings, or obscured signs on Highway 99 can be sent to the Ministry via its Report a Problem channels; concerns on District‑managed streets go through the District of Squamish service request system.
Ultimately, the goal is straightforward: help every driver make the correct choice, every time, even in poor light or bad weather. That means strong markings under the tires, simple visual cues at eye level, and a roadway that “reads” the same day and night. It also means consistent enforcement against the behaviours that drive serious collisions across B.C.—impairment, speed, and distraction—plus steady public reminders that courtesy and patience are more than good manners on a mixed‑use corridor like ours; they are a safety system, too.
We will share updates once Sea to Sky RCMP confirm whether they have logged recent wrong‑way reports in the Squamish area and whether any charges or fines were issued. We have also asked the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure if a signage and markings review is planned at key Highway 99 junctions within the District. In the meantime, residents can find road condition updates through DriveBC, report urgent hazards to 911, and submit non‑urgent highway concerns to the Ministry’s maintenance contractor through provincial reporting channels. If a review is initiated, we will publish timelines and contact information so community members can provide input on locations they find confusing or uncomfortable to navigate.
Squamish Blog will continue to follow this issue and share confirmed information from the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, Sea to Sky RCMP, ICBC, and the District of Squamish. If you have observations about signage or markings that would help a focused safety review, please send them to our newsroom, and we will include them in our request to the relevant agency. Building safer roads is a shared effort, and practical feedback from people who drive these routes every day is often where the best solutions start.
