Mamquam Road sewer, active transportation and paving projects set to begin

The District of Squamish is moving forward with significant sewer and active transportation infrastructure upgrades for the section of Mamquam Road between Government Road and Highway 99, with a small section of sewer upgrade work east of the highway. The upgrades will result in an upgraded sewer line to accommodate community growth, new sidewalk and bike paths and road re-paving. Work on Phase 1 – the sewer upgrade - is set to begin at the end of June. 

“This is a great example of maximizing the opportunity to combine multiple objectives into one big project to inconvenience residents only once, but upgrade aging infrastructure and create safer pedestrian and cycling routes, improving overall neighbourhood connectivity,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “Our focus remains on building walkable and bikeable neighbourhoods and supporting our Safe Routes to School to encourage more Squamish citizens to shift beyond the car.”

Identified as priorities in the District’s Sanitary Sewer Master and Active Transportation Plans, the work will improve safety and active transportation infrastructure along this important east-west connector route, while completing 300 metres of sewer upgrades.

Mamquam Sewer Project (Phases 1 to 4): 
Estimated timeline: End of June through October

Work will include sewer upgrades extending from the west arm of Willow Crescent to Glenalder Place on the east side of Highway 99, and will begin at Willow Crescent and move east, requiring phased road closures due to the depth of the sewer pipe and the size of the excavation required. Pedestrian and cyclist access will be maintained throughout the project, and local vehicle traffic will need to detour depending on where the project excavation is taking place. The total project cost for the first four phases is budgeted at $2.3 million and will be funded through the Sewer Utility Taxation Reserve fund. 

Active Transportation Project:
Estimated Timeline: August through October

Active transportation upgrades will see improvements to the pedestrian and cycling routes along Mamquam Road between Government Road and Highway 99 including completion of a sidewalk on the north side between Willow Park and Highway 99, a protected bike lane on the north side and a new on-street bike lane on the south side. Work is expected to begin in early August and be completed in Fall 2021. This work is budgeted at $750K and is funded by Development Cost Charges (developer contributions) and the Community Works Fund administered by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM).

Please anticipate the following parking and transit impacts during construction:

 Mamquam Sewer Project:

• Phase 1: No parking will be available on either side of Mamquam Road;
• Phases 2-4: Parking will limited to the south side of Mamquam Road;
• Transit Route 2 – Highlands will be re-routed along Highway 99 between Centennial Way and Mamquam Road for the duration of this project. This will require the temporary closure of four bus stops:  

For detailed drawings, transit updates and to track the project as each phase progresses, please visit squamish.ca/mamquam. 

The District of Squamish will invest $43.5 million on critical infrastructure replacement, active transportation, preventative maintenance, flood protection and capacity upgrades across the community in 2021. 

Stay up to date with projects happening throughout the community at squamish.ca/building-our-future.