British Columbia Highway 5A

Infobox road
state=BC
type=Hwy
route=5a
alternate_name=Princeton-Kamloops Highway
length_km=182
established=1986
direction_a=south
starting_terminus= Hwy 3 in Princeton
junction= Hwy 97C near Merritt
Hwy 5 and Hwy 8 in Merritt
direction_b=north
ending_terminus= Hwy 1/Hwy 5/Hwy 97 in Kamloops
cities=Princeton
Merritt
Kamloops
spur_type=Hwy
spur_of=5
previous_type=Hwy
previous_route=5
next_type=Hwy
next_route=6

Highway 5A, the "Princeton-Kamloops Highway", is Highway 5's pre-1986 alignment south of Kamloops. Unlike the four-lane Highway 5 freeway, the 182 km (113 mi) long Highway 5A is only two lanes.

Route details

Starting in Princeton, Highway 5A goes through 63 km (39 mi) of undeveloped land north to its junction with Highway 97C eastbound at Aspen Grove. Highway 97C westbound from Aspen Grove follows Highway 5A northwest for 23 km (14 mi) to its first crossover of Highway 5 at Merritt. Highway 5A circles around Merritt for 7 km (4 mi) to its second crossover of Highway 5 in the north area of Merritt. Back to the east of Highway 5, Highway 5A goes north northeast for 89 km (55 mi), passing through the community of Quilchena en route, before terminating within Kamloops at its junction with Highways 5, 1 and 97 (which are overlapped at the point where 5A terminates).