Squamish residents value safe, predictable travel on Highway 99 and our local road network. A recent wrong-way driving incident involving a local resident has brought that priority back into focus. While such events are uncommon, they are the type of near-miss that prompts communities to take stock: Are directional signs clear enough at key on-ramps and intersections? Are pavement markings visible in poor weather? Are drivers getting the reminders they need about impairment, speed, and distraction? These are practical questions our community can address together with the agencies responsible for the Sea to Sky corridor.
In British Columbia, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) manages Highway 99, including highway signage and design. The District of Squamish oversees municipal roads and can raise concerns and requests for review where local streets meet or influence the highway. RCMP Sea to Sky Traffic Services and the Squamish RCMP detachment handle highway and local enforcement, supported by prevention programs developed in partnership with ICBC. Each plays a role in reducing the risk of rare but serious wrong-way events, particularly at highway access points and high-traffic commercial areas.
Squamish continues to grow, and familiar routes can feel busier and more complex at certain ramps and intersections along Highway 99. Nighttime travel, precipitation, and construction detours can add to the challenge. The BC Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices outlines standard measures to deter wrong-way movements, including prominent “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs, directional arrows on the pavement, and reflective delineators. These tools are used widely across the province. When a wrong-way incident occurs or is narrowly avoided, it often signals an opportunity to review whether these measures are still performing as intended at a specific location.
Highway 99 already incorporates several safety features introduced across the Sea to Sky over the last decade, from improved intersections and sightlines to variable speed limit systems that adjust to conditions. These upgrades have generally supported safer travel in a corridor known for changing weather and heavy recreational and commuter use. Still, engineering improvements work best when they are refreshed and checked regularly—signs can fade, pavement markings can wear, and traffic patterns can evolve. Local residents are often the first to notice when something doesn’t feel right, and timely reporting helps agencies direct maintenance or review work where it is most needed.
Enforcement and education remain a critical part of this picture. RCMP Sea to Sky Traffic Services conducts regular enforcement on Highway 99 focused on the main causes of serious collisions—impaired and distracted driving, unsafe speeds, and high-risk passing. These priorities are supported by ICBC-led awareness campaigns throughout the year. Local community volunteers sometimes join RCMP and ICBC in Speed Watch initiatives on municipal roads, reminding drivers to slow down. While these efforts are not specific to wrong-way driving, the same behaviours—slowing to conditions, staying focused, and never driving impaired—are the habits that reduce the likelihood of a driver mistakenly entering the wrong lanes to begin with.
There are established engineering steps that can be considered where wrong-way entries are possible. Agencies commonly look at larger and more conspicuous “Do Not Enter” and “Wrong Way” signs at ramp terminals, high-contrast arrows and lane channelization on pavement, and additional reflectors or delineator posts that guide drivers into the correct lanes at night or in rain and snow. In some cases, physical separators, raised medians, or modified accesses reduce the chance of a mistaken left turn that could send a driver into opposing traffic. Where available and appropriate, LED-enhanced signage can draw attention at critical decision points. These are standard tools in the provincial road-safety toolbox.
Reporting is a practical way residents can help target solutions. If you encounter damaged or obscured highway signs, worn pavement arrows, or confusing detour routing near Highway 99, those issues can be reported to the provincial maintenance channels listed on DriveBC/TranBC and through the contractor servicing our area. If the concern is on a municipal street that feeds into the highway, the District of Squamish’s service request system is the right place to start. For immediate hazards—such as observing a driver travelling the wrong way—calling 911 provides dispatchers with the information they need to alert RCMP and, if necessary, temporarily slow or stop traffic until the danger passes.
Local planning can also support prevention. The District’s transportation and engineering teams routinely coordinate with MOTI on projects that touch Highway 99, including active transportation links and signal timing. As the community grows, it is reasonable to ask for a renewed look at high-volume access points where local streets meet the highway, especially near commercial areas and interchanges. A short, joint safety review can confirm that sign placement, lane markings, and nighttime visibility continue to meet provincial standards, and identify simple fixes—such as sign relocation, vegetation trimming, or refreshed paint—before bigger changes are considered.
Education and awareness are equally important. Community groups, schools, and employers can share practical reminders about navigating highway ramps and detours, especially during roadwork season and the darker months. Many residents also travel regularly to the North Shore and back; reinforcing habits like scanning for “Do Not Enter” signs, verifying turn arrows before entering a ramp, and slowing down for unfamiliar access points helps in Squamish and well beyond our boundaries. These are straightforward steps that can make the difference when a sign is partially obscured or when weather reduces visibility.
Squamish Blog has asked the Squamish RCMP and RCMP Sea to Sky Traffic Services about any recent enforcement or prevention steps related to wrong-way driving, and whether a targeted review is underway at local Highway 99 access points. We have also asked the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure if a signage and pavement-marking check is planned for the corridor through Squamish, and whether additional measures—such as enhanced signage or physical channelization—are being considered at locations where drivers can become disoriented. We will share any confirmed updates from these agencies as soon as they are available.
In the meantime, a few practical next steps are clear. Residents can continue to report maintenance issues and near-miss locations on or adjacent to Highway 99 through the official provincial and District channels. Community associations and parent groups may wish to gather feedback on locations that feel confusing at night or during bad weather and pass those notes to the District for discussion with MOTI. Employers with commuting staff can include quick reminders in safety talks about navigating on-ramps and avoiding distracted driving. And all of us, as everyday drivers, can recommit to the basics that prevent a wrong-way entry: stay sober and alert, reduce speed when visibility is limited, follow directional arrows, and take extra care when a route has changed.
Squamish is a community that pays attention to safety and follows through with practical improvements. When a wrong-way incident occurs, it is a prompt to check our systems—not to point fingers. If a sign has faded or moved out of drivers’ sightlines, it can be replaced or relocated. If lane markings need a refresh, that can be scheduled. If a ramp or junction would benefit from added channelization, that can be explored with the province. With a coordinated approach that blends engineering, enforcement, and education, we can keep travel on Highway 99 and our local roads moving in the right direction.
Official updates will be posted here as they are confirmed. For highway safety and maintenance information, residents can consult the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and DriveBC. For enforcement and incident response, RCMP Sea to Sky Traffic Services and the Squamish RCMP detachment remain the primary contacts. We have asked MOTI to review the area for safety improvements, and will share the ministry’s response when available.
