Highway 97A is a spur route between
Highway 97 near
Vernon and
Highway 1 in
Sicamous. Other communities on Highway 97A include
Spallumcheen,
Armstrong, and
Enderby. The highway is designated as a core route of Canada's
National Highway System for its entire length. Highway 97A's current alignment is not the same as its original route. Originally, when the '97A' designation was first given to the highway in 1953, replacing the
Highway 5 designation, it went from a junction with Highway 97 at Swan Lake, where it starts today, northeast to
Grindrod, and then it followed the modern-day
Highway 97B to
Salmon Arm, then following the
Trans-Canada Highway west to
Monte Creek, where Highway 97 merges onto the Highway 1. Between 1957 and 1962, Highway 97A had the designation of '97E'. Finally, in 1962, Highway 97A was re-routed onto its present alignment, going north from Swan Lake to
Grindrod, and then northeast to Sicamous.
Former alignments There are former alignments of Highway 97A outside of the north Okanagan. ;Prince George Two former alignments of Highway 97A are within
Prince George, connecting the main Highway 97 with the
Yellowhead Highway (
Highway 16). A segment next to the
Prince George Airport, which now carries the name
Old Cariboo Highway; while a segment was in downtown Prince George, following 1st Avenue west of Victoria Avenue to the
Cameron Street Bridge, connecting with Highway 97 north of the
Nechako River. Both are part of the original Highway 97 through Prince George and the designations were dropped in . ;Penticton Highway 97 originally followed Skaha Lake Road, Main Street, and Westminster Avenue through downtown Penticton. In the early 1980s, a bypass was constructed along the Channel Parkway and initially designated as
Highway 97A. Shortly afterwards, Highway 97 was moved to the new bypass while city/business route was removed from the provincial highway system.
Major intersections ==Highway 97B==