British Columbia Highway 93

Highway 93
Kootenay Highway Banff-Windermere Parkway
Route information
Length:	317 km (197 mi)
Existed:	1958 – present
Major junctions
South end:	US 93 at Canada-US border
	BC 3 in Elko BC 3 / BC 95 near Fort Steele BC 95A in Wasa Junction BC 95 at Radium Hot Springs
North end:	Hwy 93 at Vermilion Pass
Highway system
British Columbia provincial highways ← BC 91A BC 95 →

Highway 93 (Kootenay Highway, Banff-Windermere Parkway), is a north-south route through the southeastern part of the province, in the Regional District of East Kootenay. Like Highway 95, Highway 93 takes its number from a U.S. Highway that it connects with at the Canada-U.S. boundary. The Highway first opened in 1953 from the international border to Elko, on the Crowsnest Highway, but it did not follow its current route from the border until 1958. In 1959, Highway 93 was extended from Elko along the Crowsnest and Highway 95 to its current length through Radium Hot Springs to where it crosses the Continental Divide into Alberta at Vermilion Pass, where it continues as Alberta Highway 93 until its terminus at the junction with the Yellowhead Highway in Jasper. Before 1959, the stretch of Highway 93 east of Radium had a designation of '1B', reflecting its connection to the Trans-Canada Highway within Alberta at Castle Junction. This section is also called The Banff-Windermere Parkway.

Route details

Highway 93 southbound, north of Radium Hot Springs, exit from Kootenay National Park

From the international border crossing at Roosville, the 317 km (197 mi) long Highway 93 parallels the eastern shore of Lake Koocanusa for 36 km (22 mi) to where it meets the Crowsnest Highway at Elko. The Crowsnest carries Highway 93 west for 53 km (33 mi) to where it is handed off to Highway 95 just south of Fort Steele. Highway 95 carries Highway 93 north for another 134 km (83 mi) along the Columbia River and the Kootenay River passing through Wasa, Canal Flats, Fairmont Hot Springs and Invermere to Radium Hot Springs, where Highway 95 diverges north towards Golden. Highway 93 leaves the concurrence and proceeds east from Radium Hot Springs for 1 km (about ½ mi) to the western gate of Kootenay National Park. Through the park, the highway, known as the Banff-Windermere Parkway, travels northeast along the Kootenay and Vermilion rivers for 93 km (58 mi) to Vermilion Pass and the Alberta border, where it is continued as Alberta Highway 93.

After crossing the border, the highway continues for another 11 km (7 mi) to meet the Trans-Canada Highway near Castle Mountain.

Castle Mountain, in Banff National Park, as seen from Highway 93 near the Alberta border.

Further reading

• Parfit, Michael; Chris Johns (Dec 1992). "The Hard Ride of Route 93". National Geographic (National Geographic Society) 182 (6): 42–69.