The province has made no commitment to design or deliver improvements at the Highway 99 and Mamquam Road intersection despite identified safety and capacity problems, according to a District of Squamish capital project report.
“The intersection is currently the second highest collision location within the District behind only Cleveland Avenue and Highway 99,” the report states.
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Staff warn that without improvements, safety risks will remain and driving delays will continue to increase as infill development advances in Garibaldi Estates. The safety improvement work would add a second westbound left-turn lane and convert the northbound and westbound channelized right-turn lanes to “smart channelized” designs intended to improve safety for people crossing on the Corridor Trail.
The project has been identified in the District’s Transportation Master Plan, the Garibaldi Estates Transportation Study and Ministry of Transportation and Transit studies.
However, the intersection is under provincial jurisdiction, and the ministry has made no commitment to advance either design or construction. The District’s proposed capital plan includes an unfunded placeholder for a potential cost-sharing arrangement. According to the report, the District has been told it must contribute for the project to proceed.
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Staff say the placeholder signals the District’s willingness to contribute and supports future financial planning, but does not obligate the ministry to advance the project.
Meanwhile, staff recommend using alternative transportation and Community Works reserves to advance Government Road active transportation improvements between Depot Road and Eagle Run Boulevard in 2028.
Design work has advanced, and staff say the first phase will be ready for delivery that year. Their recommended funding approach would allow construction without directly impacting taxation while preserving development cost charge funds for other transportation priorities.
Using development cost charge reserves instead could create funding challenges for the Pemberton–Laurelwood bridge and potentially delay that project, according to the report. The recommended approach also carries a tradeoff: less Community Works funding would remain available for future projects, including recreation.
A third option would delay Government Road construction until the District collects more development cost charge funding and completes its funding strategy. Staff warn that postponement could increase project costs.
The recommendations are before council at its October 6 special meeting.
