Vancouver and Sea-To-Sky road closures due to GranFondo ride this Saturday

The annual GranFondo bike ride from Vancouver to Whistler will take place this Saturday, showcasing some amazing feats of human endurance – both on the bike and in the car.

More than 4,500 cyclists are expected to take part in the ride up the Sea-To-Sky Highway, which will inevitably bring road closures and delays along the entire route.

The 122 km ride will start in Stanley Park at Brockton Point, with corrals open from 5:30 am. It will end at Day Lot 4 in Whistler, with the finish line closing at 4 pm.

Drivers should expect possible delays on Highway 99 (the Sea-To-Sky) of up to three hours from West Vancouver to Whistler between 5:30 am and 4:30 pm.

Below are all the road closures and detours that will be in place, from Vancouver to Whistler, according to the province.

For further details and maps, head to the GranFondo website.

Stanley Park Causeway and Lions Gate Bridge

• Closed to northbound traffic from 5:30 am to 8 am. Drivers should use the Ironworker’s Memorial Second Narrows Bridge.
• One southbound lane will remain open on the Lions Gate Bridge and Causeway.
• Access to Stanley Park Drive, from Georgia Street, will be closed to traffic from 3 am to 8 am.

North and West Vancouver

• Marine Drive westbound closed between Capilano Road to Taylor Way; Marine Drive westbound will be closed with the exception of buses destined for Lions Gate Bridge.
• For access to the Lions Gate Bridge and West Vancouver, there will be a detour to Lower Capilano Road, Welch Street, Wardance Street and Taylor Way between 5:30 am to 8 am.
• Access to the Lions Gate Bridge southbound will remain open via Marine Drive eastbound from West Vancouver.

West Vancouver – Taylor Way

• Access to Taylor Way between Marine Drive and Highway 1 will be closed to traffic from 5:30 am to 8:30 am. Use local residential streets as alternate routes.
• Residents of Taylor Place will be restricted from accessing Taylor Way until re-opening. Expect some delays in this area.

West Vancouver – Cypress Bowl Road

• 500 event cyclists will travel along Cypress Bowl Road with police escorts, up and down the hill.
• Cypress Bowl Road will be closed from Highway 1 from 5:30 am – 8:30 am. Local traffic only from 5:30 am to 8:30 am.
• Cypress Bowl Road will be closed to southbound traffic from 7:15 am to 8:15 am. Expect delays in this area.

Highway 1

• Two eastbound lanes of Highway 1 will be closed between Taylor Way and Horseshoe Bay from 5:30 am to 10 am.
• Use Marine Drive eastbound as the alternate route. Expect some minor delays along Marine Drive.
• Eastbound ferry traffic and local traffic exiting from Horseshoe Bay eastbound will be re-routed to the Marine Drive detour route through West Vancouver from 5:30 am to 10 am.

Ferry traffic and local Horseshoe Bay traffic

• Eastbound heavy truck traffic travelling between Horseshoe Bay and Taylor Way and Highway 99 southbound will be redirected to a temporary storage location at Horseshoe Bay between 6 am and 10 am.
• Heavy truck traffic will re-enter Highway 1 when the eastbound highway lanes are re-opened.
• Heavy truck traffic will be restricted from the Marine Drive detour route through West Vancouver during this period.

Horseshoe Bay at Highway 99 Junction

• Eastbound heavy truck traffic travelling between Horseshoe Bay and Taylor Way and Highway 99 southbound will be redirected to a temporary storage location at Horseshoe Bay between 6 am and 10 am.
• Heavy truck traffic will re-enter Highway 1 when the eastbound highway lanes are re-opened.
• Heavy truck traffic will be restricted from the Marine Drive detour route through West Vancouver during this period.

Highway 99 southbound (4km north of Horseshoe Bay) – at Pasco Road

• Southbound Highway 99 traffic will be detoured at the Pasco Road exit via the Old Highway 99 route (Horseshoe Bay Drive), to the Marine Drive detour in West Vancouver. This detour will be in effect between 5 am and 11 am.

Highway 1 westbound – at Exit 2 (Horseshoe Bay)

• Detour for westbound Highway 1 traffic and northbound Highway 99 traffic, routed via Exit 2 to Old Hwy 99 (Horseshoe Bay Drive).
• Traffic will enter Highway 99 northbound at the Pasco Road Highway 99 access. Detour will be in effect between 5:30 am and 11 am.

Highway 99 northbound – Horseshoe Bay to Tunnel Point

• Single lane alternating traffic will be in effect for 2.6km until 11 am. Expect delays in this area.

Highway 99 – at Porteau Cove Provincial Park

• Single lane alternating traffic will be in effect for 1.3km until 11 am. Expect delays in this area.

Highway 99 – at Furry Creek

• Local Furry Creek traffic re-routing via internal roads to access Highway 99 northbound and southbound.
• Local Furry Creek traffic to obey signs and traffic control persons. Expect delays in this area.

Highway 99 – at Britannia Beach

• Single-lane alternating traffic will be in effect for 1km, with no northbound right turn permitted at Main Street (Copper Drive) until noon. Expect delays in this area.

Highway 99 – Murrin Lake Park to Squamish

• Traffic signals along this section will be flashing with traffic control persons on site.

Highway 99 – Valley Drive to Depot Road, Squamish

• Traffic signals will be flashing and traffic movements to and from the east side of Highway 99 will be restricted and/or closed between 8:30 am and 10:30 am.
• No right turns northbound from the highway will be permitted and no left turns southbound from the highway until after 10:30 am.
• The following Highway 99 intersections will be closed between 8:30 am and 10:30 am, with intermittent delays expected between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm.
  • Valley Drive
  • Scott Crescent
  • Mamquam Road
  • Garibaldi Way
  • Dowad Drive
  • Depot Road
  • Alice Lake Road

Highway 99 from Alta Lake Road to Function Junction (6km south of Whistler)

• Expect counter flow traffic adjacent to cyclists through this area.
• Cyclists will occupy the northbound slow lane.
• One lane northbound and one lane southbound will be available for motorists.
• Counter flow will remain in effect until 4 pm.

Highway 99 – Function Junction to Village Gate Boulevard, Whistler

• Signals will be flashing and traffic will be stopped intermittently at the entrances and exits to key Whistler destinations.
• Expect major delays entering and exiting the east side of Highway 99 in Whistler.

Alta Lake Road – alternate route to Highway 99, Whistler

• Alta Lake Road will be available as an alternate traffic route from Highway 99, Whistler.

Whistler cross-street intersections with Highway 99

• Blackcomb Way West will be closed in both directions
• Village Gate Blvd. will be closed to northbound and southbound traffic from Highway 99
• Lorimer Road and Whistler Way will be open as alternate routes to Village Gate

Whistler Way – Northlands Boulevard at Village Gate

• Expect delays
• Traffic signal will be flashing
• Traffic control persons will be on site until 4:30 pm.