Many major highways in Alberta are predated by historic railway lines for significant portions of their length, including Highways 1, 2, 4, and 12 through 16. The inception of the trail that would become Highway 3 was similar, with the 1898 completion of a main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway spurring development in the Crowsnest Pass region. The railway connected Kootenay Landing near Creston, British Columbia to Lethbridge and was the primary method of transport until a rapid increase of private automobile use in the early 20th century. In 1926, major highways in Alberta began receiving numbers; previously all routes had been identified by coloured bands tied to telephone poles. The Red Trail officially became Highway 3 in 1932.