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This page contains photographs of British Columbia's Highway 3A arranged by location from Nelson westerly to Castlegar. All
photographs displayed on this page were taken by the Webmaster (Cameron Bevers). To view photos of other British Columbia Highways, please select a highway number
listed on the British Columbia Photograph Index Page. Click on any thumbnail to see a larger
image!
Please note that all photographs displayed on this website are protected by copyright. These photographs must not be
reproduced, published, electronically stored or copied, distributed, or posted onto other websites without my written permission. If you want to use photos from this
website, please email me first for permission. Thank-you!
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Page 3: BC Highway 3A Photographs: Nelson to Castlegar
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Left - Green guide sign on eastbound Hwy 3A showing the various exit ramps to Downtown Nelson. Although traffic is directed to use the second exit (Baker
Street) for Downtown Nelson, all three streets do in fact connect to the city centre. Trucks are directed to stay on Hwy 3A throughout the city, however, as many of
Nelson's historic streets are quite narrow and are really not suitable for trucks. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Approaching Downtown Nelson on Hwy 3A, facing east towards the Victoria Street Exit. There are actually three eastbound lanes on Hwy 3A approaching Downtown Nelson, with only the left-most lane intended for longer-distance through traffic via Hwy 3A. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing west along Hwy 3A from the Victoria Street Exit. This is a force-off exit lane from eastbound Hwy 3A, but it is rather well signed. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Approaching Baker Street on Hwy 3A, facing east towards Downtown Nelson. Traffic can either access the City Centre via Baker Street or Hwy 3A (Vernon Avenue). See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Green guide sign on westbound Hwy 3A approaching the Hwy 6 Interchange. At this interchange, traffic can either continue straight ahead towards Salmo
and the United States Border via Hwy 6 South, or exit via Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 North to Castlegar. Hwy 3A and Hwy 6 share an overlapped, concurrent route for about
21 km west of Nelson. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - A large overhead sign over the highway indicates that the through route is Hwy 6. At Salmo, traffic can follow the Crowsnest Highway (Hwy 3) easterly to Creston. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Green guide sign facing westbound traffic marking the Hwy 3A West & Hwy 6 North Exit to Castlegar and Trail. Although the signed route to Trail is
via Hwy 3A, it is not too much further to reach Trail via an alternate route offered by Hwy 6, Hwy 3 and Hwy 3B. This latter route via Salmo is about 13 km longer
than the signed route via Hwy 3A through Castlegar. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - View of the Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 Interchange in Nelson, facing south. Eastbound traffic enters Nelson from Castlegar at left, while at right, traffic exits towards Castlegar. Interestingly, this interchange seems to favour the through move to Salmo via Hwy 6 South. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - The western approach to the Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 Interchange in Nelson terminates in a "trumpet" ramp configuration. The interchange is nicely landscaped,
so it forms a rather scenic, park-like gateway features for motorists arriving in Nelson from the west of from the south. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Facing south along Hwy 6 at the Hwy 3A Underpass in Nelson. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - View of Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 North facing west towards Castlegar from the Nelson Interchange. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Facing east along Hwy 3A towards Downtown Nelson from the Hwy 6 Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing north along Hwy 6 at the Hwy 3A Underpass in Nelson. Just beyond the structure, Hwy 6 exits at right and heads north to New Denver and Nakusp.
See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - View of the Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 Interchange, facing north towards Downtown Nelson. The ramp entering the highway at left carries traffic to Hwy 6 South. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Green guide sign facing northbound traffic marking the upcoming exit ramp to the overlapped route of Hwy 6 North and Hwy 3A West. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Bridge-mounted guide signs for the Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 Interchange on the Observatory Street Overpass in Nelson. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing north along Hwy 6 towards the Nelson Interchange (Junction of Hwy 3A & Hwy 6) from the Observatory Street Overpass. The highway is situated
down in a deep earth cut approaching this interchange. On the north side of the lake, the mountains form a wall through which very few roads have been constructed.
Apart from Hwy 31A which passes across these mountains some 50 km further north, only a few crude logging roads service the area away from the lakeshore. Although it
isn't visible from here, the Kokanee Glacier covers several square kilometres of the mountains lying to the north of Nelson. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Route marker assembly at the Nelson Interchange, showing the exit of Hwy 3A to Castlegar. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Due to the ramp's geometry, the exit to Hwy 3A West and Hwy 6 North is a little inconspicuous. Overall though, the interchange is very well-signed. See
an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Green guide sign facing eastbound traffic marking the upcoming split between Hwy 6 North and Hwy 3A East. Since the routes of Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 are already overlapped on this approach, the motorists' route decision here is much simpler than on the other two approaches to the Nelson Interchange. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Approaching the Nelson Interchange on Hwy 3A & Hwy 6, facing east. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Overhead Changeable Message Sign (CMS) on Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 approaching Nelson, which provides motorists with closure information for Kootenay Pass on the Crowsnest Highway (Hwy 3) between Salmo and Creston. In the event that Kootenay Pass is closed, Hwy 3A serves as a viable alternate route to Hwy 3. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - A scenic view of Nelson from Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 on the eastern approach to the city. Even though it is located about 3 km away, the massive scale of the
Nelson Bridge on Hwy 3A at the eastern approach to Nelson is rather apparent in this photo. It really is quite the structure! See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Route marker assembly departing from Nelson indicating the overlapped routes of Hwy 3A & Hwy 6. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Departing from Nelson on Hwy 3A & Hwy 6, facing west. Apart from a few small communities and villages along the way, there are no other major towns
situated along Hwy 3A until Castlegar. The overlapped route with Hwy 6 comes to an end long before Hwy 3A reaches Castlegar. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Distance guide sign facing westbound traffic on Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 departing from Nelson. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing east along Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 approaching the western entrance to Nelson. A large decorative wooden sign greets motorists to the city. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Green guide sign facing eastbound traffic marking the upcoming interchange at Hwy 3A & Hwy 6. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 12, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing west along Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 at the Kootenay River Bridge, located about 5 km west of Nelson. There is a vertical crest curve on this bridge, as
the bridge also spans the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) at the western end of the structure. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - View of Hwy 3A & Hwy 6, facing east towards Nelson from the Kootenay River Bridge. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - View of the Kootenay River Bridge and CPR Overhead on Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 west of Nelson. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Northern side of the South Slocan Railway Overhead on Hwy 3A & Hwy 6. This interesting steel beam structure crosses a former railway line which once passed below the highway at a considerable skew. The railway was spanned by a large steel plate girder pier, which was aligned perpendicular to the highway. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing east towards Nelson across the South Slocan Railway Overhead on Hwy 3A & Hwy 6. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Date stamp (1962) on the South Slocan Railway Overhead. With the railway abandoned, the structure was removed from service and demolished shortly after this photo was taken. Construction can be seen underway at right on a new highway diversion to bypass the redundant overhead structure. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing west along Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 towards Playmor Junction at the South Slocan Railway Overhead. Although it is subtle, there is a spiral alignment
built into the eastern end of the bridge deck, due to the close proximity of a horizontal curve immediately east of the railway overhead. Bridges with spirals are
somewhat uncommon, as they are much more challenging to design and construct than a bridge with a constant radius and superelevation. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Route marker assembly indicating the upcoming Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 Junction at Playmor Junction. After sharing a common route together for just over 20 km west of Nelson, Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 part ways again at Playmor Junction. Hwy 6 resumes its route north towards Nakusp and Vernon, while Hwy 3A continues west to reconnect with the Crowsnest Highway (Hwy 3) in Castlegar. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing east along Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 towards Nelson from Playmor Junction. Although Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 do share an overlapped route between Playmor
Junction and Nelson, only a single Hwy 3A route marker exists on this leg of the intersection facing eastbound traffic. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Junction sign assembly facing westbound traffic approaching the Hwy 6 turn-off at Playmor Junction. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Overhead destination guide sign facing westbound traffic at Playmor Junction indicating destinations along Hwy 6. Motorists who turn north here can also
connect to the Trans-Canada Highway (Hwy 1) at Revelstoke by using Hwy 6 & Hwy 23 via Nakusp. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Junction sign assembly on southbound Hwy 6 approaching the Hwy 3A Junction at Playmor Junction. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Overhead destination guide sign facing southbound traffic on Hwy 6 approaching Playmor Junction. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Facing north along Hwy 6 from the Hwy 3A Junction at Playmor Junction. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]()
Above - Route marker assembly facing eastbound traffic indicating the upcoming Hwy 3A & Hwy 6 Junction at Playmor Junction. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing east along Hwy 3A towards Nelson approaching the Hwy 6 Junction at Playmor Junction. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Distance guide sign on westbound Hwy 3A at the Hwy 6 Junction at Playmor Junction. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing west towards Castlegar at the Slocan River Bridge on Hwy 3A at Shoreacres. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Northern side of the Shoreacres Bridge over the Slocan River on Hwy 3A. This three-span haunched steel plate girder structure was completed in 1962. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing east along Hwy 3A towards Nelson at the Slocan River Bridge at Shoreacres. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Plaque commemorating the completion of the Shoreacres Bridge on Hwy 3A in 1962. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Distance guide sign on eastbound Hwy 3A east of Castlegar. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Facing east along Hwy 3A towards Nelson from the Brilliant Bridge near Castlegar. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - The old and new Brilliant Bridges stand beside each other as they span the Kootenay River east of Castlegar. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Western side of the Old Brilliant Bridge over the Kootenay River. This historical suspension bridge was built in 1913. Although the bridge is now closed to motor vehicle traffic, it is still open to pedestrians and cyclists. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Eastern side of the Old Brilliant Bridge east of Castlegar. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - The Old Brilliant Bridge is a National Historic Site. Although this bridge is situated immediately upstream of the New Brilliant Bridge which carries Hwy 3A traffic today, the old bridge was never a part of Hwy 3A. Prior to the completion of the New Brilliant Bridge in the 1960s, traffic on Hwy 3A continued east to Robson where the highway crossed over the Columbia River into Castlegar via a ferry service. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Eastern side of the New Brilliant Bridge on Hwy 3A. This bridge was constructed as part of a new bypass highway around the eastern side of Castlegar.
See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Close-up of the New Brilliant Bridge's superstructure. This bridge consists of an impressive steel deck arch main span across the Kootenay River and several steel beam approach spans which carry the highway over the CPR and Robson Road (Old Hwy 3A). See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing south across the New Brilliant Bridge on Hwy 3A. This complicated structure was completed in 1966 and features a superelevated curve and a
spiral designed into the north end of the bridge deck. Although the name "Brilliant Bridge" was inspired by the name of a nearby village of the same name, the design
of both this arch bridge and the historical suspension bridge adjacent to it are indeed brilliant! See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Western side of the New Brilliant Bridge on Hwy 3A. The completion of the new bridge in 1966 allowed through traffic to bypass the old Columbia River Ferry and Downtown Castlegar altogether. From the Brilliant Bridge, Hwy 3A heads south and connects with the Crowsnest Highway (Hwy 3) just east of Castlegar. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Plaque commemorating the completion of the New Brilliant Bridge on Hwy 3A in 1966. See an
Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Facing north along Hwy 3A across the New Brilliant Bridge. Just north of the structure, Robson Road exits from Hwy 3A and continues west towards Robson and Castlegar. Traffic can also enter Castlegar via Hwy 3, which intersects with Hwy 3A a short distance east of Castlegar. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) ![]() ![]()
Left - Facing south along Hwy 3A from the New Brilliant Bridge. This section of Hwy 3A forms an eastern bypass around Castlegar and is quite heavily
trafficked. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers) Right - Approaching the New Brilliant Bridge on Hwy 3A near Castlegar, facing north. See an Enlarged Photo Here. (Photograph taken on June 11, 2017 - © Cameron Bevers)
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