In 1986, when the Coquihalla was built, the traffic along Hwy #3 decreased, seriously affecting the economy of South Central BC, between Hope and the Kootenays.

In 2013 the Kettle Valley Express was created and published as the first yearly, all seasons travel guide for South Central BC using BC’s rail trails connecting Hope to the Kootenays. Six issues of the guide were published till the 2018 floods in Grand Forks.