British Columbia Highway 3
Hwy 3 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Highway 3 highlighted in red. | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 838 km (521 mi) | |||
| Existed | 1941–present | |||
| Component highways | (1) Crowsnest Highway | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  Hwy 1 (TCH) in Hope | |||
| East end |  Hwy 3 at Alberta border at Crowsnest Pass | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | Canada | |||
| Province | British Columbia | |||
| Major cities | Greenwood, Grand Forks, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Fernie | |||
| Towns | Princeton, Osoyoos, Creston | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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British Columbia Highway 3, officially named the Crowsnest Highway, is an 838-kilometre (521 mi) highway that traverses southern British Columbia, Canada. It travels from the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1) at Hope to Crowsnest Pass at the Alberta border and forms the western portion of the interprovincial Crowsnest Highway that runs from Hope to Medicine Hat, Alberta. The highway is considered a Core Route of the National Highway System.
Route description[change | change source]
Highway 3 begins in Hope. From Vancouver, the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) enters Hope from the west as a four-lane freeway; however at Exit 170, Highway 1 exits the freeway and continues north along the Fraser River. The freeway continues east along the Coquihalla River, designated as Highway 3 and Highway 5, for 7 km (4 mi) to Exit 177. There, the freeway turns north and continues as the Coquihalla Highway (Highway 5) towards Merritt while Highway 3 takes the exit and continues east through Manning Provincial Park for 126 km (78 mi) towards the town of Princeton. Known as the Hope–Princeton Highway, it begins several significant ascents through the Cascade Mountains; first is the steep climb to the Hope Slide, followed later by the remainder of the climb up to Allison Pass at an elevation of 1,342 m (4,403 ft). After the summit of Allison Pass, where Highway 3 crosses from the Fraser Valley Regional District into the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the road goes down for 40 mi (64 km) along the Similkameen River before beginning another long climb up Sunday Summit (1,284 m (4,213 ft)). Soon after Sunday Summit is the descent into Princeton, where it meets Highway 5A.
Beyond Princeton, Highway 3 continues for 67 km (42 mi) to the southeast through Hedley to the Village of Keremeos, where it meets Highway 3A, leading towards Penticton and Highway 97. Prior to the opening of Highway 97C in 1990, this was the primary link between the Lower Mainland and the Okanagan Valley, and still functions as the main alternative route. 46 km (29 mi) southeast of Keremeos, through Richter Pass, and Highway 3 reaches the Town of Osoyoos and a junction with Highway 97. On the east end of Osoyoos, Highway 3 crosses Osoyoos Lake before entering the Monashee Mountains, ascending Anarchist Mountain through a stretch of switchbacks. Beyond the summit of Anarchist Mountain, in the upland rural community which shares the same name, Highway 3 enters the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary and proceeds to hug the Canada–United States border.
Highway 3 reaches its junction with Highway 33 at Rock Creek, 52 km (32 mi) east of Osoyoos. The highway follows the Kettle River to Midway before continuing east through Greenwood and intersecting Highway 41 at the locality of Carson, approximately 5 km (3 mi) west of Grand Forks. 21 km (13 mi) east of Grand Forks, Highway 3 meets Highway 395 at Christina Lake. East from Christina Lake, Highway 3 travels for 47 km (29 mi) through Bonanza Pass to its junction with Highway 3B at Nancy Greene Provincial Park, which is the cutoff to Rossland and Trail, passing Red Mountain Resort en route. East of Nancy Greene Lake, Highway 3 travels for 26 km (16 mi) east, crossing into the Regional District of Central Kootenay, to the City of Castlegar where Highway 3 intersects Highway 22, crosses the Columbia River, and intersects Highway 3A leading towards Nelson. 28 km (17 mi) east of Castlegar, Highway 3 reaches its eastern junction with Highway 3B. Highway 6 converges with the Highway 3 at Salmo, 11 km (7 mi) east of the Highway 3B junction, and the two highways proceed south for 14 km (9 mi) to the Burnt Flat Junction, where Highway 6 goes south.
East of Burnt Flat, Highway 3 heads into the Selkirk Mountains and passes through the Kootenay Pass, at 1,774 m (5,820 ft) it is the highest point on the Crowsnest Highway, on a stretch known as the Kootenay Skyway, or Salmo-Creston Skyway. 69 km (43 mi) east of Burnt Flat, Highway 3 reaches the town of Creston in the Kootenay River valley, just past junctions with Highway 21 and Highway 3A. East of Creston, Highway 3 passes through the Purcell Mountains and 38 km (24 mi) later, intersects Highway 95 near Yahk. The two highways share a common alignment for 72 km (45 mi) northeast along the Moyie River, crossing into the Regional District of East Kootenay along the way, to a junction with Highway 95A in the city of Cranbrook. Another 6 km (4 mi) east is the interchange with the Highway 93 / Highway 95 concurrency, where Highway 95 diverges north and Highway 93 merges onto the Highway 3 from the north. Highway 93 and Highway 3 share a common alignment for the next 55 km (34 mi), passing through the Rocky Mountain Trench, crosses the Kootenay River, and enters the Rocky Mountains, where at Elko Highway 93 diverges south. From Elko, Highway 3 follows the Elk River for 32 km (20 mi) to Fernie, then it goes north another 29 km (18 mi) to its junction with Highway 43 at Sparwood. East of Sparwood, Highway 3 leaves the Elk River valley and travels for another 19 km (12 mi) east to Crowsnest Pass (1,382 m (4,534 ft)) on the Continental Divide, and crosses into Alberta.