View source for British Columbia Highway 31

{{Short description|Highway in British Columbia, Canada}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox road
 | province          = BC
 | type              = BC
 | route             = 31
 | maint             = 
 | map               = 
 | length_round      = 
 | length_ref        = 
 | alternate_name    = Balfour-Kaslo-Galena Bay Highway
 | established       = 1973
 | section1          = Highway 31
 | length_km1        = 175
 | length_ref1       = <ref name=length>{{cite report
 |title=Landmark Kilometre Inventory
 |url=http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/transportation-infrastructure/engineering-standards-and-guidelines/traffic-engineering-and-safety/highway-safety/lki/lki_bc_201607.pdf
 |pages=357–363
 |website=British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure
 |publisher=Cypher Consulting
 |date=July 2016
 |access-date=2017-03-29
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311044605/http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/transportation-infrastructure/engineering-standards-and-guidelines/traffic-engineering-and-safety/highway-safety/lki/lki_bc_201607.pdf
 |archivedate=2017-03-11
 |url-status=dead
 }}</ref>
 | direction_a1      = South
 | terminus_a1       = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|3A}} in [[Balfour, British Columbia|Balfour]]
 | junction1         = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|31A|nolink1=yes}} in [[Kaslo, British Columbia|Kaslo]]
 | direction_b1      = North
 | terminus_b1       = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|23}} in [[Galena Bay, British Columbia|Galena Bay]]
 | section2          = Highway 31A
 | length_km2        = 47
 | length_ref2       = <ref name=length/>
 | direction_a2      = West
 | terminus_a2       = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|6}} in [[New Denver, British Columbia|New Denver]]
 | direction_b2      = East
 | terminus_b2       = {{jct|state=BC|Hwy|31|nolink1=yes}} in [[Kaslo, British Columbia|Kaslo]]
 | previous_type     = Hwy
 | previous_route    = 30
 | next_type         = Hwy
 | next_route        = 33
}}

'''Highway 31''' is a minor north–south highway through the [[Selkirk Mountains]] in [[British Columbia]], Canada. The highway first gained its number in 1973, and it is one of the few numbered highways in the province that is not fully paved. Highway 31 has a total distance of {{convert|175|km|mi|abbr=on}} — {{convert|37|km|mi|abbr=on}} along [[Kootenay Lake]] between [[Balfour, British Columbia|Balfour]] (a junction with [[British Columbia Highway 3A|Highway 3A]]) and [[Kaslo, British Columbia|Kaslo]] (a junction with Highway 31A), {{convert|106|km|mi|abbr=on}} north along Kootenay Lake north of Kaslo, then the Duncan and Lardeau Rivers and the north shore of Trout Lake, and {{convert|32|km|mi|abbr=on}} between the northwest end of Trout Lake and [[Galena Bay, British Columbia|Galena Bay]], where it ends at [[British Columbia Highway 23|Highway 23]].

The highway is a gravel road between Meadow Creek at the north end of Kootenay Lake and [[Trout Lake (British Columbia)|Trout Lake]]. Care should be taken when driving the route as it is narrow and has drop offs into Trout Lake north of Gerrard.

The section between Lardeau and Gerrard was possibly a part of a railway. The railway was converted into a highway in 1942 or early 1943 as part of a rail-to-road conversion project. The work took only two months to complete.<ref>{{cite report
 |url=https://open.library.ubc.ca/viewer/bcsessional/1.0319035
 |title=Report of the Minister of Public Works for the Fiscal Year 1942/43
 |last=British Columbia Ministry of Public Works
 |date=1944
 |publisher=Government of British Columbia
 |id=
 |doi=
 |access-date=21 Feb 2022
 |location=Victoria
 |language=EN}}
|page=32
</ref>

==Major intersections==
{{BCinttop|length_ref=<ref name=length/>}}
{{BCint
|division=Central Kootenay
|dspan=2
|location=Balfour
|km=0.00
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|3A|city1=Nelson|city2=Creston}}
|notes=Southern terminus
}}
{{BCint
|location=Kaslo
|km=35.79
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|31A|nolink=yes|dir1=west|city1=New Denver}}
}}
{{BCint
|division=Columbia-Shuswap
|location=Galena Bay
|km=175.37
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|23|city1=Nakusp|city2=Shelter Bay|city3=Revelstoke}}
|notes=Northern terminus
}}
{{jctbtm}}

==Highway 31A==
Highway 31's main spur, '''Highway 31A''', which also opened in 1973, is {{convert|47|km|mi|abbr=on}} long, connecting Highway 31 at [[Kaslo, British Columbia|Kaslo]] to [[British Columbia Highway 6|Highway 6]] at [[New Denver, British Columbia|New Denver]].

===Major intersections===
{{BCinttop|division=Central Kootenay|length_ref=<ref name=length/>}}
{{BCint
|location=New Denver
|km=0.00
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|6|city1=Nelson|city2=Vernon|city3=Nakusp}}
|notes=Western terminus; road continues as 6th&nbsp;Avenue
}}
{{BCint
|location=Kaslo
|km=46.50
|road={{jct|state=BC|Hwy|31|nolink=yes|city1=Nelson|city2=Meadow Creek|city3=Trout Lake}}
|notes=Eastern terminus; road continues as Highway&nbsp;31
}}
{{jctbtm}}

==External links==
* [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/transportation-reports-and-reference/reference-information/numbered-routes Official Numbered Routes in British Columbia] by [[British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{BCHighways}}

[[Category:British Columbia provincial highways|031]]


{{BritishColumbia-road-stub}}