British Columbia Highway 3A - Similkameen To Okanagan - Keremeos-Kaleden Junction-Osoyoos Highway

Keremeos-Kaleden Junction-Osoyoos Highway

A new section of highway through the Richter Pass from Keremeos to Osoyoos was opened in 1965. 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 to Nighthawk, USA, then east over the Richter to Osoyoos. It's a main part of the bike course for the Penticton Subaru Ironman Canada Triathlon each August in the Okanagan Similkameen.

Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km north through Olalla and up the long hill to Yellow Lake, then east past Twin Lakes and through the Marron Valley to Kaleden Junction where it intersects with Highway 97, the North-South Okanagan route. Penticton is 14 km north of the junction; however, Highway 3A goes south at this point, past Okanagan Falls (6 km from the junction) to Oliver and Osoyoos. The distance south from the Kaleden Junction through Okanagan Falls and Oliver to Osoyoos on Highway 97 is about 50 km (30 mi).

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.