Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project

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Opportunity The Sea-to-Sky Highway is a 95-kilometre long section of Highway 99 linking communities from West Vancouver to Whistler. B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation decided to make improvements between West Vancouver and Whistler in order to improve its safety, reliability and capacity. The Ministry of Transportation chose a combination of a P3 and several traditional design-build contracts to deliver the highway improvements. Under the P3 contract, S2S will design and construct highway improvements along approximately two-thirds of the corridor and will operate, maintain and rehabilitate the entire corridor in keeping with performance standards in the contract. Challenges Set in a mountain landscape, the highway presents complex engineering, traffic management, and construction challenges. Innovations The Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project was the first major provincial transportation to be procured as a P3. The contract was designed to protect the public interest by specifying service standards in the contract and using performance payments as financial incentive to meet those standards. Results The project was completed on-time and on-budget, in time for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. The highway now has improved safety, reliability and capacity for residents, commuters and tourists. Over the longer-term, the highway will allow for population growth, economic development in corridor communities and increase demand for travel and movement of goods. Improvements include highway widening and straightening, improved sightlines, additional passing lanes and other design innovations reducing hazards and shorten travel times. Some examples of added value the province obtained using a P3 instead of traditional procurement include: 80 kilometres of passing lanes—20 kilometres more than expected— between Horseshoe Bay and Whistler 36 kilometres of median barrier—16 kilometres more than expected; and Reflective pavement markings along the entire length of the highway instead of only where most needed to enhance safety. The project won the Public-Private Finance Best Global Project to Reach Financial Close (2006). “The Province of British Columbia is proud to be working with S2S Transportation Group in a P3 arrangement to deliver the safety and reliability improvements for residents, commuters, tourists and good movers using the Sea-to-Sky Highway.” Peter Milburn, Executive Project Director, Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project, Ministry of Transportation

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