Originally, a ferry was used to route Highway 3A over the Columbia River near Castlegar, which was replaced by a bridge in 1967.

34 km (21 mi) northeast of Nelson, Highway 3A reaches Balfour, on the western shore of Kootenay Lake.

It's possible for example for the entirety of 3A from Creston to Castlegar to be bare and dry while the pass is still covered in snow and ice.

This 45 km (28 mi) long segment of Highway 3 runs south from Keremeos, past the turnoff to Nighthawk, USA, then east over Richter Pass to Osoyoos.

[5] Highway 3A runs from Keremeos 35 km (22 mi) 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, 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Penticton.

Extra driving time should be allowed for traffic congestion (tourism) in the Okanagan in summer.