NSW Roads
New South Wales
This is the most populated state in the country, and it should ideally have a fantastic road system. Unfortunately, that is not the case because the government has been reluctant about spending on freeways projects. The also has a Not In My Back Yard approach to road construction which has led to great traffic in the capital city of Sydney.
Highways
There are about 30 highways in New South Wales at the moment, with 27 of them designated as Highways by the Roads Act 1993. Three were designated as ‘Main Roads’, but they are still called highways nonetheless. These roads are the major transport routes throughout the state with support from other routes known as Ways such as Summerland Way or Kidman Way. The highways serve freight links with regions and major centres while the Ways are mostly for tourist use.
Highways in NSW include;
National Route
Princes Highway (NSW)
Length: 554km
Southern Terminus: VIC/NSW Border, 48km south of Eden
Northern Terminus: Broadway (Gt Western Hwy) & City Rd (Princes Hwy), Glebe
Route Markers: State Route 54 (Broadway to Enmore Rd), Metroid 1 (Kogarah to Waterfall), State Route 60 (Waterfall to Yallah), National Route 1 (Yallah to VIC Border)
Interstate Continuation: Continues west to Adelaide via Melbourne and the coast
RTA Internal Classification: State Highway No. 1
Designated a State Highway: 8 August 1928
Named: October 1920
Overview
It is a major section of Highway One, which stretches along the southern and eastern coastlines of Australia from Sydney to Adelaide. For most of its part in NSW, it carries the National Route 1 shield, and there are also shorter sections with Metroid and State Route 60 shields. These sections are mostly in Sydney and Wollongong. It also has the State Route 54 shield by its northern terminus. From Newton to Kogarah, it is unnumbered. This Highway is the most important on the NSW south coast as it is the only road on the south reaching Nowra and Wollongong.
National Highway 23
Federal Highway (NSW Section)
Length: 70km
Southern Terminus: NSW/ACT border, Ginns Gap
Northern Terminus: Hume Hwy & Federal Hwy interchange, 17km S Goulburn
Route Names: Federal Highway
Focal Points: Goulburn, Canberra
Interstate Continuation: Federal Highway goes further south, entering Canberra. NH23 loses the National Highway status, returning to New South Wales as the Monaro Highway
Designated a state highway: 8 August 1928
It was named in July 1928
Notable events in the history of Federal Hwy
September 1927 - The Federal Highway route was chosen to replace the previous access routes to the Canberra area, which was via Gunning or Tarago
1928 – It was designed State Highway 3
July 1928 – proclaimed as Federal Highway
November 1930 – it was opened to traffic in New South Wales
February 1931 - Opened to traffic in the Australian Capital Territory
1936 – completion of Bituminous sealing
February 1954 - Federal Highway was given the 'Remembrance Driveway' subtitle
May 1972 – separation of Hume Highway interchange grade separation
1974 – Designated a National Highway
1977 – Construction of 17-22km Dual carriageways south of Goulburn
1981/2 – Construction of 22-30km Dual carriageways south of Goulburn
1986 – Grade-separation of Sutton interchange
1987 – Construction of dual carriageways from Bungendore Rd to Sutton Interchange
June 1988 - Collector Bypass
1988 – deviation o Sutton Interchange to ACT
March 1990 – deviation of Brooks Creeks
December 1993 – Construction of the dual carriageways from Collector Bypass to Lake George
August 1999 - Construction of the dual carriageways Lake George dual carriageways (started 1996)
September 2000 - Construction of the dual carriageways from Sutton interchange to Antill St
Mitchell Highway (NSW)
Length: 713km
South-eastern Terminus: Great Western Hwy & Mid-Western Hwy & Brilliant St, Bathurst
North-western Terminus: NSW/QLD border, Barringun
Interstate Continuation: Mitchell Highway continues north into Queensland, to the Landsborough Highway near Augathella, via Cunnamulla and Charleville
Focal Points: Bathurst, Orange, Wellington, Dubbo, Nyngan, Bourke, Cunnamulla
RTA Internal Classification: State Highway No. 7
Designated as a State Highway: 7 August 1928
The state was originally known as North Western Highway and was renamed in October 1936
Overview
It is the north-western section of the Great Western Highway that goes from Sydney to Bathurst. Thus, transporting passengers from Bathurst to Wellington, Dubbo, Orange, Narromine, Bourke, Nyngan, and further north. The Highway extends into Queensland, ending at Landsborough Highway close to Augathella.
It is also a section of the Highway 32 corridor stretching from Sydney into Adelaide through Dubbo and Broken Hill. Mitchell Highway is part of National Route 71 to the North of Nyngan, and this goes further into Queensland, ending at Warrego Highway in Charleville. It also forms a part of the route between Sydney and Darwin, through Mt Isa and Bourke.
New England Highway (Nsw)
National Highway 15
Length: 590km
Southern Terminus: Pacific Hwy, Hexham (NH15 terminates 4km west of here where NR1 joins the Highway)
Northern Terminus: NSW/QLD Border, Wallangarra
Route Markers: National Highway 15 (Beresfield to QLD) and National Route 1 (southern 4km)
Interstate Continuation
The New England Highway continues north to Warwick as National Highway 15 and then turns into NR42 to Toowoomba, before becoming SR85 and SR61 to Yarraman. The National Highway 15 further heads north-east.
Focal Points: Newcastle, Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Tamworth, Armidale, Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Warwick (QLD)
RTA Internal Classification: State Highway No. 9
It was designated as a State Highway by 8 August 1928
It was named in March 1933
Overview
The New England Highway is a section of the Sydney-Brisbane link of the former National Highway system. The Highway still receives federal funding under the AusLink programme. The New England Highway also has the national highway 15 shield mark for the most part except on the furthest part south-eastern where the 4km has the National Route 1 shield.
