Sea to Sky Highway improvements

2005-2009 | Whistler to Vancouver, BC – The Sea to Sky Highway links communities from Whistler to Vancouver. The highway was first paved in 1966 and for many years had only a single lane of traffic in each direction. As populations grew and the economy developed, collisions and accidents increased along the corridor. In the late 1990s, The BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure committed to highway improvements that would increase safety and reliability for residents, commuters, and visitors. This commitment was intensified when it was announced Vancouver and Whistler would host the 2010 Winter Olympics.

McElhanney was a subconsultant to Hatch Mott MacDonald, and the lead designer for the southern 15KM portion of the improvement project. We were responsible for the preliminary and detailed design for the four-lane widening of the existing highway. This involved planning, survey and mapping/quantity take-offs, highway design, road safety audit, debris torrent structure design, contract documentation preparation, construction supervision, construction specifications, and site inspection. Work began in 2005, and continued to 2009.

The upgraded Highway featured 48 new bridges and interchanges, 219 MSE retaining walls, 20KM of passing lanes, 16KM of new medians, and 10KM of widened shoulders. This improved safety and reliability for drivers, and for cyclists.

This project won:

• the 2009 Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Excellence from ACEC-BC.
• the 2006 Award of Merit in the Transportation Division, from ACEC-BC.