Crowsnest Highway
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| Crowsnest Highway |
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| Highway 3 | |
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| Length: | 1163 km (723 mi) |
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| Formed: | 1932 |
| West end: |  Highway 1 in Hope, British Columbia |
| East end: | Highway 1 in Medicine Hat, Alberta |
| Major cities: | Hope, Princeton, Castlegar, Cranbrook, Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat |
| System: | AB provincial highway, BC provincial highway, Trans-Canada Highway |
The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is a 1,163 km (722 mile) long principal highway through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest land connection between Vancouver and Medicine Hat. The highway, which is mostly two lanes, was officially incorporated 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 route the highway takes when crossing the Continental Divide between B.C. and Alberta. The highway is designated as Highway 3 for its entire length.
While not officially signed as a branch of the Trans-Canada Highway, it is part of the National Highway System and could be considered a southern route of the Trans-Canada. Individual sections have additional appellations, such as the Hope-Princeton Highway.
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[edit] Route Details
The Crowsnest Highway's total length in British Columbia is 837 km (520 miles), and its total length within Alberta is 326 km (202 miles). The Crowsnest Highway's western terminus is at Hope, B.C., where it branches off from Highway 1. The highway goes east for 7 km (4 miles) to its junction with Highway 5, then through Allison Pass and Manning Provincial Park for 127 km (79 miles) towards the town of Princeton. In this stretch between Hope and Princeton, known locally as the Hope-Princeton Highway, there are several significant ascents. 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 1,342m (4,473 ft). After the summit of Allison Pass, the road descends for 40 km (25 mi) before beginning another long climb up Sunday Summit (1,284m, 4,280 ft). Soon after Sunday Summit is the descent into Princeton, where Highway 5A begins.
After Princeton, the Crowsnest goes southeast for 67 km (42 miles), through Hedley, to the village of Keremeos, where a junction with a length of highway designated as 3A is located. Another 46 km (29 miles) 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.
52 km (32 miles) east of Osoyoos, the Crowsnest reaches its junction with Highway 33 at Rock Creek, then the highway heads east for 70 km (44 miles) to its junction with Highway 41 at a location called Carson. Another 26 km (16 miles) east, passing through Grand Forks en route, the Crowsnest meets Highway 395 at the southern end of Christina Lake.
Further east from Christina Lake, the Crowsnest travels for 47 km (29 miles) through Bonanza Pass to its junction with Highway 3B at Nancy Greene Lake. It is another 26 km (16 miles) east to the junction with Highway 22 at Castlegar, and another 2 km (1¼ miles) 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 miles) east. Highway 6 converges with the Crowsnest at Salmo, 11 km (7 miles) east of the 3B junction, and the two highways proceed south for 14 km (9 miles) to the Burnt Flat Junction, where Highway 6 diverges south.
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 miles) east of Burnt Flat, the Crowsnest reaches the town of Creston, just past junctions with Highways 21 and 3A. 40 km (25 miles) later, at Yahk, Highway 95 merges onto the Crowsnest. The two highways share a common alignment for 72 km (46 miles) northeast along the Moyie River to a junction with Highway 95A at Cranbrook. Another 6 km (4 miles) 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 (32 miles) southeast to Elko, where Highway 93 diverges south. 31 km (19 miles) north of Elko, the Crowsnest reaches Fernie, then it goes north another 30 km (18 miles) to its junction with Highway 43 at Sparwood, and another 19 km (11 miles) east, the highway reaches the boundary with Alberta at Crowsnest Pass.
Once into Alberta, the Crowsnest Highway goes east 16 km (10 miles) to Coleman, then 27 km (17 miles) east to its junction with Alberta Highway 22, another 20 km (12 miles) to its junction with Highway 6, then another 44 km (27 miles) to its junction with Highway 2 north, then proceeding 4 km (2½ miles) east into the city of Fort Macleod and the Crowsnest's junction with Highway 2 south. After Fort Macleod, the Crowsnest goes 27 km (17 miles) east to Monarch, then another 23 km east (14 miles) to the city of Lethbridge, where the Crowsnest's only freeway segment is located. 50 km (31 miles) east of Lethbridge, the Crowsnest arrives at Taber at the Crowsnest's junction with Highway 36, finally ending at the east junction with the Trans-Canada Highway at Medicine Hat, 115 km (72 miles) east-northeast.
[edit] List of exits
The following is a list of exits along the expressway and freeway portions of Highway 3, Crowsnest Highway.
[edit] Hope, British Columbia to Princeton, British Columbia
Exit 170 (Eastbound) Highway 1 north, Water Ave.
Exit 171- (Westbound) 3 Ave.
Exit 173- Old Hope- Princeton Way.
Exit 177- Highway 5, Coquihalla Highway., Highway 3, Crowsnest Highway.
End freeway east of Highway 5.
[edit] Castlegar, British Columbia
Exit- Highway 22, Columbia Ave.
Exit- (Westbound) 20th St., 6th Ave. to 22
Exit- Highway 3A, Castlegar Airport
[edit] Cranbrook, British Columbia
Begin expressway at 22nd Street north
Intersection- 23rd Street N
Intersection- 30th Avenue N
Exit- Highway 95A North, Cranbrook Airport, Kimberley
Exit- Highway 95 North, Highway 93, Fort Steele, Invermere
Begin multiplex with Highway 93 Expressway ends
[edit] Fort Macleod, Alberta, to Lethbridge, Alberta
Begin expressway east of Secondary Route 810.
Exit- Highway 2 North
Begin multiplex with Highway 2.
Intersection- 19 St. W.
Expressway ends and continues as 23 St. and Jerry Potts Blvd.
Begin expressway at railroad crossing at Fort Macleod city limits.
Intersection- Highway 2 South
Intersection- 27 St., Township Road 92
Intersection- Range Road 254
Intersection- Range Road 253
Intersection- Range Road 252/Township Road 94
Intersection- Range Road 251
Intersection- Range Road 250/Pearce Rd.
Intersection- Range Road 245
Intersection- Range Road 244
Intersection- Long Button Rd.
Intersection- Range Road 242
Intersection- Range Road 241/Highway 3A
Intersection- Range Road 234
Exit- (Westbound) Highway 23
Intersection- Range Road 231
Intersection- Highway 509
Intersection- Township Road 94
Intersection- River Ridge Rd.
Expressway ends, freeway begins.
Exit- (Eastbound) Westside Dr. W. (Highway 3A)
Exit- (Eastbound) Highway 25, University Dr. W.
Exit- (Westbound) University Dr. W.
Exit- (Westbound) Highway 25 north
Exit- (Westbound) Highway 25 North
Exit- Bridge Dr. W. (Highway 3A)
Exit- (Westbound) Local Road
Exit- Oldman Rd.
Exit- (Eastbound) 5 Ave. N., Scenic Dr. N., Scenic Dr. S.
Exit- (Eastbound) 1 Ave. S.
Exit- (Westbound) Scenic Dr. S.
Exit- Stafford Dr. S.
Exit- (Westbound) 13 St. N.
Level Crossing- Industrial railway spur serving Ellison Flour Mill
Exit- (Eastbound) 19 St. S., 2 Ave. S. to 3 Ave. S.
Exit- Highway 5, Mayor Magrath Dr. S., 3 Ave. S.
Freeway ends, expressway begins.
intersection- 28 St. S.
Level Crossing- Canadian Pacific Railway branch to Coutts
Intersection- 1 Ave. S., 30 St. N.
Intersection, 34 St. S.
Intersection- 36 St. N., 36 St. S.
Exit (Eastbound)- Secondary Route 512, 1 Ave. S.
Intersection- 43 St. N.
Expressway ends. Continues as a divided highway until just past Taber, where it continues as a two-lane highway before ending at Highway 1.
[edit] See also
- Dewdney Trail
- Kettle Valley Railway (southern mainline of the CPR)
[edit] External links
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