Crowsnest Highway

Crowsnest Highway
Highway 3
Route information
Length:	1,161 km (721 mi)
Existed:	1932 – present
British Columbia
Length:	838 km (521 mi)
West end:	BC 1 near Hope
Major junctions:	BC 5 near Hope BC 5A in Princeton BC 97 in Osoyoos BC 22 in Castlegar BC 6 at Salmo BC 95 at Yahk and Cranbrook BC 93 at Cranbrook and Elko
Alberta
Length:	323 km (201 mi)
Major junctions:	Hwy 22 near Lundbreck Hwy 6 near Pincher Creek Hwy 2 in Fort Macleod Hwy 23 near Monarch Hwy 5 in Lethbridge Hwy 4 in Lethbridge Hwy 36 in Taber
East end:	Hwy 1 (TCH) / Hwy 41A in Medicine Hat
Location
Municipalities:	Hope, Sparwood
Specialized and rural municipalities:	Crowsnest Pass, Pincher Creek No. 9 M.D., Willow Creek No. 26 M.D., Lethbridge County, Taber M.D., Forty Mile No. 8 County, Cypress County
Major cities:	Greenwood, Grand Forks, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Fernie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat
Towns:	Princeton, Osoyoos, Creston, Fort Macleod, Coalhurst, Coaldale, Taber, Bow Island
Villages:	Keremeos, Midway, Salmo, Cowley, Barnwell
Highway system
Provincial highways in Alberta ← BC 2 BC BC 3A → ← Hwy 2A AB Hwy 3A →

The Crowsnest Highway is an east-west highway in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. It stretches 1,161 km (721 mi) across the southern portions of both provinces, from Hope, British Columbia to Medicine Hat, Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between the Lower Mainland and southeast Alberta through the Canadian Rockies. The mostly two-lane highway was officially designated in 1932, mainly following a mid-19th century gold rush trail originally traced out by an engineer named Edgar Dewdney. It takes its name from the Crowsnest Pass, the location at which the highway crosses the Continental Divide between British Columbia and Alberta.

In British Columbia, the highway is entirely in mountainous regions and is also known as the Southern Trans-Provincial Highway. The first segment between the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5A is locally known as the Hope-Princeton Highway, and passes by the site of the Hope Slide. In Alberta, terrain is initially mountainous, before smoothing to foothills and eventually generally flat prairie in the vicinity of Pincher Creek. The highway forms part of the Red Coat Trail and the CANAMEX Corridor from Highway 2 near Fort Macleod to Highway 4 in Lethbridge.

Route description

Crowsnest Highway is designated a core route in Canada's National Highway System, and is designated as Highway 3 for its entire length.^[1]

The peak of Allison Pass.

British Columbia

The Crowsnest Highway's total length in British Columbia is 838 km (521 mi), and its total length within Alberta is 323 km (201 mi).^[2] The Crowsnest Highway's western terminus is at Hope, where it branches off from Highway 1. The highway goes east for 7 km (4.3 mi) to its junction with Highway 5, then through Allison Pass and Manning Provincial Park for 127 km (79 mi) towards the Town of Princeton. There are several significant ascents in this stretch between Hope and Princeton. The 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 the Crowsnest crosses from the Fraser Valley Regional District into the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, the road descends for 40 km (25 mi) before beginning another long climb up Sunday Summit (1,284 m (4,213 ft)). Soon after Sunday Summit is the descent into Princeton, where Highway 5A begins.^[3]

Through the Similkameen Valley westwards into the mountains

After Princeton, the Crowsnest goes southeast for 67 km (42 mi), through Hedley, to the Village of Keremeos, where a junction with a length of highway designated as 3A is located, leading towards Penticton and Highway 97. Another 46 km (29 mi) southeast, and the Crowsnest reaches the Town of Osoyoos and a junction with Highway 97. The highway then proceeds to hug the Canada-U.S. border east through a stretch of switchbacks known as Anarchist Mountain, which is also the name of the upland rural community beyond the summit. A few kilometres east of Anarchist Mountain, the Crowsnest enters the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary.^[3]

52 km (32 mi) east of Osoyoos, the Crowsnest reaches its junction with Highway 33 at Rock Creek, then the highway heads east for 70 km (43 mi) to its junction with Highway 41 at a location called Carson, just west of Grand Forks. Another 26 km (16 mi) east, passing through Grand Forks en route, the Crowsnest meets Highway 395 at the southern end of Christina Lake.^[3]

Further east from Christina Lake, the Crowsnest travels for 47 km (29 mi) through Bonanza Pass to its junction with Highway 3B at Nancy Greene Lake, which is the cutoff to the town of Rossland and Red Mountain Resort, shortly thereafter crossing into the Regional District of Central Kootenay. It is another 26 km (16 mi) east from Nancy Greene Lake to the junction with Highway 22 at Castlegar, and another 2 km (1.2 mi) east to a junction with another stretch of Highway designated as 3A, also within Castlegar. Leaving Castlegar, the Crowsnest reaches its eastern junction with Highway 3B 26 km (16 mi) east. Highway 6 converges with the Crowsnest at Salmo, 11 km (6.8 mi) east of the 3B junction, and the two highways proceed south for 14 km (8.7 mi) to the Burnt Flat Junction, where Highway 6 diverges south.^[3]

East of Burnt Flat, the Crowsnest heads through the Kootenay Pass on a stretch known as the Kootenay Skyway, or Salmo-Creston Skyway. 67 km (42 mi) east of Burnt Flat, the Crowsnest reaches the Town of Creston, just past junctions with Highway 21 and Highway 3A. 40 km (25 mi) later, south of Yahk, Highway 95 merges onto the Crowsnest. 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 at Cranbrook. Another 6 km (3.7 mi) east, Highway 95 diverges north from the Crowsnest and Highway 93 merges onto the Crowsnest from the north. Highway 93 and the Crowsnest share a common alignment for the next 53 km (33 mi) southeast to Elko, where Highway 93 diverges south. 31 km (19 mi) north of Elko, the Crowsnest reaches Fernie, then it goes north another 30 km (19 mi) to its junction with Highway 43 at Sparwood, and another 19 km (12 mi) east, the highway reaches the boundary with Alberta at Crowsnest Pass.^[3]

Alberta

Crowsnest Highway in southern Alberta

The Alberta portion of the Crowsnest Highway is designated Alberta Provincial Highway No. 3. In Alberta, the Crowsnest Highway goes east 16 km (9.9 mi) to the Bighorn Highway at Coleman, then 26 km (16 mi) east to its junction with Highway 22, another 20 km (12 mi) to its junction with Highway 6, then another 44 km (27 mi) to its junction with Highway 2 north, then proceeding 5 km (3.1 mi) east into the Town of Fort Macleod and the Crowsnest's junction with Highway 2 south. After Fort Macleod, the Crowsnest goes 27 km (17 mi) east, crossing the Oldman River, to Highway 3A southeast of Monarch, which feeds Highway 23.^[4]

The highway reaches the first access (Westview Drive W) to the City of Lethbridge 13 km (8.1 mi) later.^[4] At this point, the Crowsnest's only freeway segment begins. 2 km (1.2 mi) later, Highway 25 (University Drive W) branches to the north before crossing the Oldman River for the second time. The freeway segment ends at Mayor Magrath Drive, which branches as Highway 5 to the south. The highway intersects Highway 4 at the eastern limits of Lethbridge.^[4]

45 km (28 mi) east of Lethbridge, the highway reaches the Town of Taber.^[4] Within Taber, Highway 36 runs concurrently with the highway for 3 km (1.9 mi). Upon dropping the concurrency, the Crowsnest ends 113 km (70 mi) later at the Trans-Canada Highway in the City of Medicine Hat.

Future

Alberta Transportation has proposed the construction of a Lethbridge bypass to render the CANAMEX Corridor free-flowing through southern Alberta, in combination with proposed bypasses of Fort Macleod, Claresholm and Nanton.^[2][5] The route would split from Crowsnest Highway just prior to Coalhurst, bypassing it, Lethbridge, and Coaldale before rejoining the existing highway.^[5]

Major intersections

British Columbia

The following is a list of major intersections along British Columbia Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway).^[6][7]

Regional district	Location	km[8]	mi	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Continues as BC 1 west (Trans-Canada Highway) to Vancouver
Fraser Valley	Hope	0.00	0.00	170	BC 1 east (Water Avenue) – Cache Creek, Kamloops, Prince George	Hope interchange No westbound exit West end of BC 5 concurrency.
		0.99	0.62	171	To BC 1 east (3 Avenue)	Westbound exit only
		3.08	1.91	173	Old Hope-Princeton Way	Thacker Creek interchange No westbound entrance
	​	6.67	4.14	177	BC 5 north (Coquihalla Highway) – Merritt, Kelowna, Kamloops	Othello interchange East end of BC 5 concurrency.
				BC 3 east to exits freeway using Exit 177.
	E. C. Manning Provincial Park	25.04	15.56	West end of E. C. Manning Provincial Park (Manning Park).
↑ / ↓		58.02	36.05	Allison Pass – el. 1,342 m (4,403 ft)
Okanagan-Similkameen		83.00	51.57	East end of E. C. Manning Provincial Park (Manning Park).
	​	99.77	61.99	Sunday Summit – el. 1,284 m (4,213 ft)
	Princeton	133.56	82.99		Vermillion Avenue, Burton Avenue
		133.93	83.22		BC 5A north (Bridge Street) – Merritt, Kamloops
	Keremeos	200.62	124.66		7 Avenue, 7 Street	BC 3 branches north.
		201.11	124.96		BC 3A north – Apex Mountain Resort, Penticton	BC 3 branches east.
	​	225.63	140.20		Nighthawk Road – Nighthawk (WA)
	Osoyoos	247.11	153.55		BC 97 (Okanagan Highway) to US 97 south – Penticton, Kelowna, U.S. Border, Wenatchee (WA)
		248.23	154.24		Main Street, Spartan Drive, 83 Street	BC 3 branches south, then turns east.
		248.80	154.60	Osoyoos Trestle Bridge across Osoyoos Lake
Kootenay Boundary	Rock Creek	299.12	185.86		BC 33 north (Beaverdell Highway) – Big White Ski Resort, Kelowna
	Midway	318.26	197.76		Florence Street
	Greenwood	331.44	205.95		Greenwood Street
	​	368.53	228.99		BC 41 south to SR 21 south – U.S. Border
	Grand Forks	372.32	231.35		19 Street
		372.97	231.75		Boundary Drive
		373.97	232.37		5 Street
		374.16	232.49		2 Street
	​	392.10	243.64		BC 395 south to US 395 south – U.S. Border, Spokane (WA)
	Christina Lake	394.55	245.16		West Lake Drive, Swanson Road
	​	406.39	252.52	Bonanza Pass – el. 1,535 m (5,036 ft)
	Nancy Greene Provincial Park	441.53	274.35		BC 3B east – Rossland, Trail
Central Kootenay	Castlegar	467.95	290.77		BC 22 south / Columbia Avenue – Rossland, Trail	Kinnaird interchange
		468.15	290.89		20 Street, 6 Avenue to BC 22	Westbound only
		468.78	291.29	Crosses Columbia River
		469.21	291.55		BC 3A east – West Kootenay Regional Airport, Nelson	Ootischenia interchange
	​	495.67	308.00		BC 3B east – Trail, Rossland
	Salmo	506.07	314.46		BC 6 north – Nelson, Nakusp, Vernon	West end of BC 6 concurrency
	​	520.23	323.26		BC 6 south to SR 31 – U.S. Border	East end of BC 6 concurrency.
	​	543.27	337.57	Kootenay Pass – el. 1,774 m (5,820 ft)
	​	582.34	361.85	Crosses Kootenay River
	Creston	585.08	363.55		BC 21 south to SH-1 – U.S. Border
		586.50	364.43		BC 3A north – Kootenay Bay, Kootenay Lake Ferry, Nelson	BC 3 branches south.
		589.30	366.17		10 Avenue N, Cook Street	BC 3 turns east.
		589.80	366.48		16 Avenue
	Yahk	626.59	389.34		BC 95 south to US 95 – U.S. Border, Coeur d'Alene (ID)	West end of BC 95 concurrency
East Kootenay	Cranbrook	695.07	431.90		King Street, 9 Avenue S
		695.89	432.41		6 Street N
		696.80	432.97		Victoria Avenue, Theatre Road
		697.46	433.38		Willowbrook Drive
		698.05	433.75		22 Street N
		698.91	434.28		BC 95A north – Canadian Rockies Int. Airport, Kimberley	Cranbrook interchange
	​	704.34	437.66		BC 93 / BC 95 north – Fort Steele, Invermere, Radium Hot Springs	Fort Steele interchange; east end of BC 95 concurrency; west end of BC 93 concurrency
	​	730.34	453.81	Wardner Bridge across Kootenay River
	Elko	760.08	472.29		BC 93 south to US 93 – U.S. Border, Kalispell (MT)	West end of BC 93 concurrency.
	​	788.75	490.11		Mount Fernie Park Road – Fernie Alpine Resort
	Fernie	791.20	491.63		4 Street
		791.54	491.84		7 Street
		792.20	492.25		13 Street
		792.71	492.57		9 Avenue
	Sparwood	821.32	510.34		Red Cedar Drive
		821.89	510.70		BC 43 north (Elk Valley Highway) – Elkford
	​	841.29	522.75	Alberta – British Columbia border Crowsnest Pass – el. 1,358 m (4,455 ft)
Continues as Alberta Highway 3 east
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Alberta

The following is a list of major intersections along Alberta Highway 3 (Crowsnest Highway) from west to east.^[2][9]

Rural/specialized municipality	Location	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Continues as British Columbia Highway 3 west
Municipality of Crowsnest Pass	​	0	0.0	Alberta – British Columbia border Crowsnest Pass – el. 1,358 m (4,455 ft)
	Coleman	16	9.9	Hwy 40 north (Forestry Trunk Road)
	Blairmore	18	11	20 Avenue east
		21	13	20 Avenue west
	Frank	24	15	153 Street	Passes Frank Slide
	Bellevue	26	16	9 Avenue / 213 Street	Access to Hillcrest
	​	30	19	East Hillcrest Drive	Access to Hillcrest
M. D. of Pincher Creek No. 9	Burmis	35	22	Hwy 507 south – Beaver Mines
	​	40	25	Hwy 3A east
	​	42	26	Hwy 22 north – Longview, Black Diamond, Turner Valley
	Lundbreck	44	27	Breckenridge Avenue
	​	48	30	Hwy 3A west
	Cowley	52	32	Hwy 510 north
	Pincher Station	62	39	Hwy 6 south / 3 Avenue – Pincher Creek, Waterton Lakes National Park, U.S. Border
	​	65	40	Hwy 785
Piikani I.R. 147	Brocket	77	48	Hwy 786 south
M. D. of Willow Creek No. 26	​	102	63	Future Hwy 3X east[2]	Future Fort Macleod bypass (Phase 2)[10]
	​	104	65	Hwy 810 south – Glenwood
	​	105	65	Divided highway begins
	Fort Macleod	106	66	Hwy 2 north (Exit 89) – Claresholm, Calgary	Hwy 2 concurrency begins CANAMEX Corridor concurrency begins
				Future Hwy 2X south[2]	Future Fort Macleod bypass (Phase 1)[10]
		108	67	One-way road pair begins
		109	68	Hwy 811 north (6 Avenue)
		110	68	One-way road pair ends
		111	69	Hwy 2 south – Cardston, U.S. Border	Red Coat Trail concurrency begins Hwy 2 concurrency ends
				Future Hwy 2X north[2]	Future Fort Macleod bypass (Phase 1)[10]
	​	132	82	Hwy 3A east to Hwy 23 north – Monarch, Vulcan	Eastbound access to Hwy 23.
↑ / ↓	​	134	83	Crosses Oldman River
Lethbridge County	​	138	86	Hwy 3A west / Hwy 23 north – Monarch, Vulcan	Partial interchange Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
	​	142	88	Future Hwy 3X east[2]	Future Lethbridge and Coaldale bypass.[11]
	Kipp	146	91	Hwy 509 south / UAR 205 north – Stand Off
	Coalhurst	148	92	51 Avenue	Coalhurst access road
	Freeway begins
City of Lethbridge		151	94	Westside Drive W Hwy 3A east (unsigned highway)	Partial interchange Eastbound exit, westbound entrance.
		153.1	95.1	Hwy 25 north / University Drive W south – Picture Butte	Interchange
		155.0	96.3	Bridge Drive W (Former Hwy 3A west)	Interchange
		155.4	96.6	Crosses Oldman River
		155.6	96.7	Access road to Oldman River valley
		156.1	97.0	5 Avenue N (to Scenic Drive)	Eastbound exit, westbound entrance
		156.3	97.1	1 Avenue S – City Centre To Hwy 4 / Hwy 5	Eastbound exit only
		156.8	97.4	Scenic Drive	Westbound exit, eastbound entrance
		157.7	98.0	Stafford Drive
		158.5	98.5	13 Street	Westbound to northbound exit only
		159.2	98.9	19 Street (to 3 Avenue S)	Eastbound exit/entrance
		159.4	99.0	Mayor Magrath Drive Hwy 5 south – Lethbridge Airport, Magrath, Cardston
		Freeway ends
		161.4	100.3	1 Avenue S To Hwy 4 south / Hwy 512 east	Eastbound exit only
		161.8	100.5	43 Street Hwy 4 south / To I‑15 – Milk River, Coutts, U.S. Border, Great Falls (MT) Hwy 843 north	Red Coat Trail concurrency ends CANAMEX Corridor concurrency ends
Lethbridge County	​	168	104	Future Hwy 4X[2]	Future Lethbridge bypass.[11]
	Coaldale	173	107	Hwy 845 (20 Street) – Lomond, Raymond
	​	184	114	Hwy 512 south Future Hwy 3X west[2]	Future Lethbridge and Coaldale bypass.[11]
M. D. of Taber	​	198	123	Hwy 3A east – Barnwell
	Barnwell	200	120	Heritage Road
	​	202	126	Hwy 3A west – Barnwell
	Taber	207	129	Hwy 855 north (Park Road)
		208	129	Hwy 36 south – Warner	Hwy 36 concurrency begins.
		210	130	Hwy 36 north (64 Street) – Vauxhall, Brooks	Hwy 36 concurrency ends.
		211	131	Divided highway ends
	Grassy Lake	242	150	Hwy 877 south – Skiff
County of Forty Mile No. 8	Burdett	254	158	Main Street	Passes through Burdett
	​	260	160	Hwy 879 – Foremost
	Bow Island	266	165	Centre Street	Passes through Bow Island
	​	285	177	Hwy 885 south – Etzikom
Cypress County	Seven Persons	301	187	Hwy 887 – Orion
	​	312	194	Future Hwy 1X[2]	Future Medicine Hat bypass.[12]
City of Medicine Hat		321	199	Hwy 523 east (Holsom Road SW)
		322	200	Viscount Avenue SW – Medicine Hat Airport
		323	201	Hwy 1 (TCH) – Brooks, Calgary, Swift Current, Regina	Hwy 3 ends.
Continues as Hwy 41A east (Gershaw Drive SW) towards downtown Medicine Hat
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

See also

• Dewdney Trail
• Kettle Valley Railway (southern mainline of the CPR)
• CANAMEX Corridor
• Pan-American Highway
• Red Coat Trail

References

1. "National Highway System". Transport Canada. December 13, 2009. Retrieved March 16, 2011.
2. "Provincial Highways 1 - 216 Progress Chart" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. March 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
3. Google (October 31, 2016). "Crownest Highway in British Columbia" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
4. Google (October 31, 2016). "Crownest Highway in Alberta" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
5. "Highways 3 & 4 - Lethbridge and Area NHS & NTSC Functional Planning Study - Final Report" (PDF). Stantec Consulting Ltd. Alberta Transportation. February 2006. Retrieved October 28, 2016.
6. Super, Natural British Columbia Road Map & Parks Guide (Map) (2010-2011 ed). Davenport Maps Ltd. in co-operation with Tourism British Columbia. § L-9, § L-10, § L-11, and § L-12.
7. British Columbia Road Atlas (2007 ed.). Oshawa, ON: MapArt Publishing Corp. pp. 69-75.
8. Nicol, Matthew; Horel, Steve (July 2015). "Landmark Kilometre Inventory" (PDF). British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. Cypher Consulting. pp. 74–113.
9. Alberta Official Road Map (Map) (2010 ed.). Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation. § N-5, N–6, N-7, N–8.
10. "HIGHWAYS 2 and 3 Fort Macleod Bypass Functional Planning Study" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. McElhanney. Retrieved 20 June 2016.
11. Stantec (February 2006). "Highways 3 & 4 - Lethbridge and Area NHS & NSTC: Functional Planning Study" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
12. Stantec (2008). "Highway 1 & 3 Functional Planning Study" (PDF). Alberta Transportation. Retrieved 28 April 2016.

External links

• Crowsnest Highway tour