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 Highway 3A | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Highway 3A highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by theMinistry of Transportation and Infrastructure | ||||
| Existed | 1964–present | |||
| Tourist routes | Part of theInternational Selkirk Loop | |||
| Castlegar-Nelson-Creston Highway | ||||
| Length | 154 km (96 mi) | |||
| West end |  Highway 3 inCastlegar | |||
| Major intersections |  Highway 6 north atSouth SlocanHighway 6 south atNelson Highway 31 atBalfour Kootenay Lake Ferry | |||
| East end | Highway 3 inCreston | |||
| Keremeos-Kaleden Junction Highway | ||||
| Length | 32 km (20 mi) | |||
| West end | Highway 3 inKeremeos | |||
| East end |  Highway 97 nearKaleden | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | British Columbia | |||
| Major cities | Castlegar,Nelson | |||
| Towns | Creston | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Highway 3A is the designation of two segments of highway in the southern part ofBritish Columbia.
This was the first segment of highway in British Columbia to receive the '3A' designation. It acquired this designation when theCrowsnest Highway was routed into theKootenay Pass area in 1964. Originally, a ferry was used to route Highway 3A over theColumbia River nearCastlegar, which was replaced by a bridge in 1967.
The 154 km (96 mi) long Kootenay section of Highway 3A begins atCastlegar, where it leavesHighway 3 and travels 20 km (12 mi) northeast toSouth Slocan, whereHighway 6 merges onto Highway 3A. The two highways proceed east for 22 km (14 mi) toNelson, where Highway 6 diverges south. 34 km (21 mi) northeast of Nelson, Highway 3A reachesBalfour, on the western shore ofKootenay Lake. Aferry takes Highway 3A across Kootenay Lake toKootenay Bay. Highway 3A then follows the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake for 78 km (48 mi) south throughCrawford Bay,Boswell, andWynndel toCreston, where it rejoins Highway 3.[1]
The 3A marker in Creston at the junction with the Kootenay pass route falsely advertises it as a northbound highway rather than a westbound highway although all other 3A markers properly describe it as west and eastbound just as the 3 main.
The Kootenay pass is prone to closures especially during avalanche season and when it is closed Highway 3A and the Kootenay Lake ferry once again becomes a vital link for all traffic on the Crowsnest highway which would otherwise completely cease to function. The ferry will operate on a 24h basis until the pass re opens.
Even when the pass is open and despite the pass route being shorter some Kootenay locals still personally prefer to drive the Kootenay Lake route rather than the Salmo Creston route viewing the ferry route as a safer option especially if the weather is bad or at risk of turning bad or if there are construction delays on the pass. It's possible for example for the entirety of 3A from Creston to Castlegar to be bare and dry while the pass is still covered in snow and ice. 3A is also a far easier bicycle route than the Kootenay pass. This combined with people who simply wish to experience a more relaxed drive means a significant minority of ferry users in a given week are using the ferry as part of a trip all the way to or from the coast just as it was used for before the pass route was built.
The entire route is inCentral Kootenay Regional District.
| Location | km[2] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castlegar | 0.00 | 0.00 | Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway) –Grand Forks,Trail,Salmo,Creston | Ootischenia Interchange Highway 3A western terminus | |
| | 3.22 | 2.00 | Brilliant Bridge crosses theKootenay River | ||
| 3.60 | 2.24 | Robson Road –Castlegar City Centre,Robson | Partially grade separated | ||
| 19.90 | 12.37 | Highway 6 north –New Denver,Nakusp,Vernon | West end of Highway 6 concurrency | ||
| 34.45 | 21.41 | Taghum Bridge crosses theKootenay River | |||
| Nelson | 41.25 | 25.63 | Highway 6 south toHighway 3 –Salmo | Cottonwood Creek Interchange Highway 3A branches north; east end of Highway 6 concurrency | |
| 41.71 | 25.92 | Victoria Street | Eastbound exit only | ||
| 45.07– 45.70 | 28.01– 28.40 | Nelson Bridge crossesKootenay Lake (West Arm) | |||
| Balfour | 75.92 | 47.17 | Highway 31 north –Ainsworth Hot Springs,Kaslo | Highway 3A branches south into ferry terminal | |
| | 76.08 | 47.27 | Kootenay Lake Ferry crossesKootenay Lake Kilometrage does not include ferry | ||
| Creston | 154.26 | 95.85 | Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway) –Cranbrook,Salmo,Castlegar | Highway 3A eastern terminus | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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A new section of highway through theRichter Pass fromKeremeos toOsoyoos was opened in 1965.[3] The 2-lane Crowsnest Highway was re-routed through this area in 1967, and the segment between Keremeos and Osoyoos was given the Highway 3 Southern Trans-Canada designation. This 45 km (28 mi) long segment of Highway 3 runs south from Keremeos, past the turnoff toNighthawk, USA, then east over Richter Pass to Osoyoos. It's a main part of the bike course for theSubaru Ironman held each August in theOkanagan-Similkameen. The event was known as ChallengePentictonTriathlon between 2013 and 2019 when Subaru withdrew its sponsorship and moved the event toWhistler.[4] The event was reinstated to Penticton beginning in 2022.[5]
Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km (22 mi) north throughOlalla and up the long hill to Yellow Lake, then east past Twin Lakes and through theMarron Valley toKaleden Junction where it intersects withHighway 97, the North-South Okanagan route, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Penticton.[6] Highway 3A used to continue south along Highway 97, pastOkanagan Falls andOliver to Osoyoos, but the Highway 3A/97 concurrency has since been decommissioned.[7] Signage at Kaleden junction and in Okanagan falls remains and a new 3A sign was installed as part of the reworking of the junction. The "Yellow Lake route" from Keremeos to Osoyoos is still considered a core part of highway 3 if the Richter highway closes and the route has seen renewed importance with the washouts and the Osoyoos wildfire leading to increased essential travel along what was long considered an obsolete legacy route used mostly by local traffic.
Extra driving time should be allowed for traffic congestion (tourism) in the Okanagan in summer. There is also some agricultural traffic in both valleys. There is limited 3 and 4 laning.
The entire route is inOkanagan-Similkameen Regional District.
| Location | km[2] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keremeos | 0.00 | 0.00 | Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway) –Osoyoos,Princeton,Vancouver | Highway 3A western terminus | |
| Kaleden | 31.65 | 19.67 | Highway 97 north –Penticton | Highway 3A eastern terminus; former Highway 97 concurrency | |
| Osoyoos | 78.82 | 48.98 | Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway) –Grand Forks,Castlegar,Hope,VancouverHighway 97 south –U.S. Border (Osoyoos) | Former Highway 3A eastern terminus; toUS 97 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Highway 3A | |
|---|---|
| Location | Keremeos,Osoyoos |
| Length | 46.0 km (28.6 mi) |
| Existed | 1965–c.1967 |
For a time between 1965 and about 1967, the section of what is nowHighway 3 was designated as Highway 3A[8][9][10]
The highway through Richter Pass itself opened on July 7, 1965[11]
Media related toBritish Columbia Highway 3A at Wikimedia Commons