Highway safety is a shared concern in Squamish, where many of us rely on Highway 99 for daily commutes, school drop-offs, and weekend trips up and down the corridor. A local resident recently experienced a wrong-way driving incident on the highway, a reminder that even rare events can have serious consequences. It’s prompted new conversations here at home about how we keep drivers on the correct path, how quickly we learn about hazards, and what improvements could further reduce risk.
Wrong-way driving is uncommon, but when it happens, it can be catastrophic because vehicles are suddenly closing distance on each other at highway speeds. While the Sea to Sky corridor has seen extensive safety upgrades over the past decade and a half—wider shoulders in many sections, added median protection in higher-risk stretches, improved signage and lane markings—conditions here change quickly. Darkness, heavy rain, glare, and winter weather can all make it harder to read the road. Complex junctions and divided sections of highway can create confusion for those who are unfamiliar with the area, are fatigued, or are attempting last-minute course corrections.
Highway 99 is managed by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI). The Sea to Sky RCMP detachment leads enforcement in the corridor. The District of Squamish oversees municipal streets and intersections. That division of roles matters for residents who want to report concerns or suggest changes: signage, lane markings, and lighting on the highway are provincial responsibilities, while neighbourhood traffic calming and local intersection visibility fall to the District.
The ministry’s standard toolkit for preventing wrong-way entries and missed cues includes a mix of measures: high-contrast “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs at ramp terminals, pavement arrows to reinforce traffic flow, reflective delineators, rumble strips in select locations, and lighting where warranted. These measures are tailored to site conditions, maintenance needs, and collision history. In the Sea to Sky, MOTI also relies on its maintenance contractor for ongoing checks after storms and throughout the darker months, when sign visibility and reflector performance are most critical.
Local residents who drive the corridor daily often raise practical, experience-based ideas: more prominent directional arrows on the pavement at decision points, larger or lower-mounted signs that are easier to see in heavy rain, and added reflectivity or lighting where the highway geometry changes suddenly. Road-safety advocates also point to LED-enhanced signage used in other jurisdictions, which can help drivers who are drowsy or distracted pick up essential “Wrong Way” or “Do Not Enter” warnings at the right moment. These are all established tools that MOTI can assess when it reviews a location.
Sea to Sky RCMP continues year-round enforcement against high-risk driving behaviours—impaired driving, excessive speed, and distraction—that can contribute to serious crashes. While a wrong-way event can have many causes, those same factors make it harder for any driver to interpret signs and lane markings correctly or to react safely to an unexpected hazard. For residents, that adds weight to the familiar guidance: drive rested, slow to conditions, and give yourself extra time and distance when visibility drops.
If you encounter a vehicle travelling the wrong way, safety officials advise the following steps in general terms. First, do not try to engage or correct the other driver. Slow down, move as far right as it is safe to do so, and pull over if needed. Use your hazard lights to alert vehicles behind you. When you are stopped in a safe place, call 911 and provide your location, direction of travel, and any landmarks or kilometre markers you can see. If you notice a missing sign, a sign knocked down after a storm, or a faded pavement marking on Highway 99, you can also report it to the ministry’s 24-hour maintenance line listed on roadside signs. For municipal roads, contact the District of Squamish’s operations team through the District’s service request channels.
Context helps. Highway 99 has evolved significantly since the upgrades leading into the 2010 Winter Games, when many sections received new alignment, medians, and modern safety features. Over time, traffic volumes and travel patterns have changed as our community has grown and tourism has expanded. The corridor now carries a mix of commuters, service vehicles, visitors new to the route, and commercial traffic. That diversity means safety measures must work for drivers who know every bend and for those seeing a junction for the first time at night or in the rain.
From a community perspective, several constructive next steps are within reach. A joint review by MOTI and the Sea to Sky RCMP of signage and markings at known decision points in and near Squamish could identify quick fixes, such as refreshing pavement arrows or adding additional reflectors. If site conditions warrant, the ministry could explore LED-enhanced “Wrong Way” signage or supplementary “Do Not Enter” signs mounted at driver eye level, which can be more visible in poor weather or under glare. Where geometry or lighting conditions are challenging, an assessment for targeted illumination may be appropriate. On the awareness side, a short, seasonally focused safety message—shared through local channels and employer bulletins—could remind drivers what to do if they encounter a wrong-way vehicle and how to report signage issues promptly.
Residents have a role to play as well. If you notice places where directional signs are regularly obscured by vegetation, snow, or glare, note the location and report it. If lane markings are hard to see at night or after rain, flag that too. These observations help transportation agencies focus maintenance and upgrades where they will have the most impact. For those organizing community or school newsletters, including a brief reminder on highway wayfinding and emergency reporting can be a simple, practical addition.
Squamish Blog has asked the Sea to Sky RCMP and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure whether any signage or marking reviews are underway locally following the recent incident. Official comment was not immediately available at the time of writing. We will share updates as they are confirmed, including any planned safety improvements or public information efforts.
In the meantime, the message is straightforward. Highway 99 is safer than it once was, but it demands our attention—especially at night, in poor weather, and around junctions where quick choices matter. Keeping each other safe is a combination of well-maintained infrastructure, focused enforcement, and everyday driving habits that leave room for the unexpected. If you see a hazard, report it. If you encounter the unthinkable, get to a safe place and call 911. Continued vigilance from all of us, paired with steady, evidence-based improvements from the province, will help keep the corridor moving safely.
For real-time road conditions, check DriveBC. For highway maintenance concerns, use the 24-hour number posted along Highway 99. Municipal road safety questions can be directed to the District of Squamish. We will update readers as MOTI and the Sea to Sky RCMP provide further details on any reviews or safety measures under consideration.
