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Highways in Australia
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This is a list of highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with its route number and location. Note that some highways service more than one state or territory.
Route numbering systems
Australia is a vast and sparsely populated country. Its earliest highways radiate in a spoke-like pattern from capital cities in each State. These highways link major country towns to the capital cities. Intercapital transport was initially mainly by sea and rail.
As the population increased, roads connecting the towns located on different highways were constructed.
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Encyclopedia
This is a list of highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with its route number and location. Note that some highways service more than one state or territory.
Route numbering systems
Australia is a vast and sparsely populated country. Its earliest highways radiate in a spoke-like pattern from capital cities in each State. These highways link major country towns to the capital cities. Intercapital transport was initially mainly by sea and rail.
As the population increased, roads connecting the towns located on different highways were constructed. Victoria, for example, has the largest highway network, with every major town linked directly to every other major town in the state. Increased demand for freight and passenger transport led to construction of intercity highways, although much freight still goes by rail.
National Route Numbering System
In 1955, the Australian National Route Numbering System was introduced to simplify navigation across Australia. The National Route Numbers are marked by white shields which are present in directional signs, distance signs or trailblazers. The general rule is that odd-numbered highways travel in north-south directions and even-numbered highways in east-west directions, with only a few exceptions. National Route 1 was assigned to a network of highways and roads which together linked all capital cities and coastal towns circumnavigating the mainland.
In the 1970s the National Highway scheme was introduced. It is made up of highways that give the most direct point-to-point route between capitals. These highways are federally funded. They are recognised by their distinct green and gold shields.
The National Route system initially linked the centres of towns and cities and terminated at the junction of other national routes. The growth of bypasses around towns and cities changes the situation somewhat. National Routes often terminate at the metropolitan city limits rather than the individual city centres.
State Route Numbering System
Important urban and inter-regional routes not covered by the National Highway or National Route systems were marked under the State Route system. They are recognised by blue shield markers. They were practically adopted in all states by the end of the 1980s. In some states, some less important National Routes had been downgraded to State Routes.
In New South Wales, they are also adopted in metropolitan areas of Wollongong and Newcastle using three-digit numbers instead of two-digit found elsewhere. In regional Victoria and South Australia, the blue shield state route numbers were superseded in the late 1990s with the alphanumeric system, which is also used in Tasmania. See below.
Alphanumeric Route Numbering System
In the 1990s there was a major change to the route marking systems. Victoria and South Australia had completely overhauled their systems. They discarded the National and State Route Numbering Systems and introduced the alphanumeric marking scheme following the example set by Tasmania in the late 1970s.
The route numbers inherited from the original National Route Numbering System remains with a few exceptions, however they are now prefixed with letters denoting their grade. For example, Western Freeway is M8 until Ballarat and continues beyond as A8 Western Highway.They are not used in the Melbourne metropolitan area where the blue-shield metropolitan route system is retained.
New South Wales is slowly preparing to introduce the alphanumeric system with new road signs being fitted with such numbers and then being "coverplated" with the existing route number. It has not been announced when this system will officially be introduced.
There are no plans to introduce such a system in Western Australia.
"M" Routes
Primary highways. These are typically dual carriageway motorway standard highways. They connect capital cities to each other or to bigger rural cities and also applicable to major city freeways. Interchanges may either be graded or level. They carry high volumes of traffic and bypass settlements, towns and sometimes cities.
"A" Routes
Single carriageway interstate or interregional primary highways. Traffic volume less than "M" routes but with ample overtaking lanes, sealed shoulders and markings. They may pass through or bypass town centres.
"B" Routes
Secondary highways linking together major towns on different "A" routes including certain lesser important former national routes. In addition, they may include major bypassed sections of former "A" or "M" routes and significant tourist routes. They are reasonably good quality sealed roads with shoulders either sealed or not.
"C" Routes
Roads linking smaller settlements and towns to "A", "B" or "M" routes. May also be applied to short bypassed sections of former "A" routes. Fully sealed surface but of moderate to poor quality and may or may not have shoulders.
"D" Routes
Unsealed roads linking very small remote towns. Only used in South Australia at present. Generally applied to unsealed roads & tracks or unsealed extensions of "B" or "C" routes. Roads/tracks are of various quality for an unsealed road. Use of 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended for some "D" Routes. Alternatively, in New South Wales, "D" routes refer to detour routes. An example of this is the D5 which provides motorists with an alternate route when the M5 tunnel is closed.
Metropolitan Route Numbering System
In the 1990s in Sydney and Brisbane, urban route numbering system were streamlined in the new Metroad scheme. They are recognised by distinctive hexagonal shields and superseded the state route, freeway and National Route schemes along their path. Metroads radiate in a spoke pattern from city centres to highways outside metropolitan limits. In addition, Metroads also cover major city ring roads. Metroads are made of urban highways, main roads and urban freeways.
Non-Metroads retain the earlier state route system.
Australian highways
Below is the listing of National highways (and their destination routes), followed by highways sorted by states and territories and their corresponding routes. This list has over 100 entries. To view these highways alphabetically click here.
National highways
*Great Eastern Highway Perth to Redcliffe
*Eyre Highway Norseman to Eucla
*Eyre Highway Eucla to Port Augusta
*Roe Highway Midvale (Perth) to Middle Swan (Perth)
*Great Northern Highway Port Hedland to Wyndham
*Barkly Highway Camooweal to Tennant Creek
*Stuart Highway Tennant Creek to Daly Waters
*Stuart Highway Daly Waters to Darwin
*Brooker Highway Hobart to Granton
- Midland Highway Granton to Launceston
- Bass Highway Launceston to Burnie
State Highways
- **Gateway Motorway, Queensland
- Southern Expressway, South Australia
- Princes Highway, South Australia; Victoria
- Princes Highway, South Australia
- **Brand Highway, Western Australia
- Canning Highway, Western Australia
- Carpentaria Highway, Northern Territory
- Captain Cook Highway, Queensland
- Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, Western Australia
- Great Eastern Highway, Western Australia
- Great Northern Highway, Western Australia
- Gulf Developmental Road, Queensland
- Kennedy Highway, Queensland
- Kwinana Freeway, Western Australia
- Leach Highway, Western Australia
- North West Coastal Highway, Western Australia
- Old Coast Road, Western Australia
- Pacific Highway, New South Wales; Queensland
- Princes Highway, New South Wales
- Savannah Way, Northern Territory; Queensland
- South Coast Highway, Western Australia
- South Western Highway, Western Australia
- Bass Highway, Tasmania
- Gold Coast Highway, Queensland
- Tasman Highway, Tasmania
- **Burnett Highway, Queensland
- **Reid Highway, Western Australia
- Isis Highway, Queensland
- Esk Highway, Tasmania
- Capricorn Highway, Queensland
- **Lasseter Highway, Northern Territory
- **Anzac Highway, South Australia
- Leichhardt Highway, Queensland
- Stirling Highway, Western Australia
- **Davey Street, Tasmania
- Flinders Highway, Queensland
- Canning Highway, Western Australia
- West Tamar Highway, Tasmania
- **Carnarvon Highway, Queensland
- Leach Highway, Western Australia
- East Tamar Highway, Tasmania
- Port River Expressway, South Australia
- Arthur Highway, Tasmania
- **Lyell Highway, Tasmania
- **Brockman Highway, Western Australia
- Tablelands Highway, Northern Territory
- Mallee Highway, South Australia; Victoria
- Plenty Highway, Northern Territory
- Salisbury Highway, South Australia
- Mount Lindesay Highway, Queensland
- Sandover Highway, Northern Territory
- **Brisbane Valley Highway, Queensland
- Barossa Valley Highway, South Australia
- **Roper Highway, Northern Territory
- Kakadu Highway, Northern Territory
- Monaro Highway, Victoria
- Monaro Highway, New South Wales
- Mid-Western Highway, New South Wales
- Palmerston Highway, Queensland
- Albany Highway, Western Australia
- **Barrier Highway, South Australia
- **Barrier Highway, New South Wales
- Oxley Highway, New South Wales
- Arnhem Highway, Northern Territory
- Kamilaroi Highway, New South Wales
- Gwydir Highway, New South Wales
- Brookton Highway, Western Australia
- Olympic Highway, New South Wales
- Cunningham Highway, Queensland
- Bruxner Highway, New South Wales
- Captain Cook Highway, Queensland
- Carnarvon Highway, New South Wales; Queensland
- Illawarra Highway, New South Wales
- Kings Highway, New South Wales
- Isis Highway, Queensland
- Castlereagh Highway, Queensland
- Castlereagh Highway, New South Wales
- Riverina Highway, New South Wales
- Dawson Highway, Queensland
- Kennedy Highway, Queensland
- Gregory Highway, Queensland
- Riddoch Highway, South Australia
- Peak Downs Highway, Queensland
- Mitchell Highway, Queensland
- Mitchell Highway, New South Wales
- West Coast Highway, Western Australia
- Northern Highway, Victoria
- Cobb Highway, New South Wales
- Calder Highway, Victoria
- Silver City Highway, New South Wales
- Buchanan Highway, Northern Territory
- Mulligan Highway, Queensland
- Tod Highway, South Australia
- **Goldfields Highway, Western Australia
- D'Aguilar Highway, Queensland
- **Flinders Highway, South Australia
- Southern Ports Highway, South Australia
- Muirs Highway, Western Australia
- Vasse Highway, Western Australia
- Great Southern Highway, Western Australia
- Henty Highway, Victoria
- Midland Highway, Victoria
- **South Gippsland Highway, Victoria
- Bass Highway, Victoria
- South Gippsland Highway, Victoria
- Western Port Highway, Victoria
- Western Port Highway, Victoria
Major Arterial Roads
- Nepean Highway, Victoria
- Great Western Highway, New South Wales
- Pacific Highway, New South Wales
- Adelaide-Mannum Road, South Australia
- Boyer Road, Tasmania
- Marlborough Highway, Tasmania
- Moorooduc Highway, Victoria
- Mole Creek Road, Tasmania
- **South Road, South Australia
- Sheffield Road, Tasmania
- Castra Road, Tasmania
- Kindred Road, Tasmania
- **Gawler Road, Tasmania
- Preston Road, Tasmania
- Gunns Plains Road, Tasmania
- S Riana Road, Tasmania
- Pine Road, Tasmania
- W Pine Road, Tasmania
- Ridgley Highway, Tasmania
- Forth Road, Tasmania
- South Road, South Australia
- Lyell Highway, Tasmania
- Henty Road, Tasmania
- Richmond Road, Tasmania
- Colebrook Road, Tasmania
- Mud Walls Road, Tasmania
- **Great Western Highway, New South Wales
- East Derwent Highway, Tasmania
- South Arm Highway, Tasmania
- Lake Leake Highway, Tasmania
- Whitehorse Road, Victoria
- Goodwood Road, Tasmania
- Domain Highway, Tasmania
- Bell's Line of Road, New South Wales
- Great Western Highway, New South Wales
- Great Eastern Highway, Western Australia
- Meander Valley Highway, Tasmania
- Princes Highway, New South Wales
- **Main North Road, South Australia
- **Princes Highway, New South Wales
- Gordon River Road, Tasmania
- Glenora Road, Tasmania
- Huon Road, Tasmania
- **Appin Road, New South Wales
- Frankford Road, Tasmania
- Biralee Road, Tasmania
- Batman Highway, Tasmania
- Waterfall Way, New South Wales
- Wilmington-Ucolta Road, South Australia
- Lachlan Valley Way, New South Wales
- Main North Road, South Australia
- **Central Coast Highway, New South Wales
- Golden Highway, New South Wales
- Goldfields Way, New South Wales
- Castlereagh Highway, New South Wales
- Kidman Way, New South Wales
- Picton Road, New South Wales
- Camden Valley Way, New South Wales
- Escort Way, New South Wales
- Summerland Way, New South Wales
- Burley Griffin Way, New South Wales
- Fossickers Way, New South Wales
- Surf Coast Highway, Victoria
- **Bellarine Highway, Victoria
- Pacific Highway, New South Wales
- Hopkins Highway, Victoria
- Geraldton-Mount Magnet Road, Western Australia
- Hamilton Highway, Victoria
- Glenelg Highway, Victoria
- Pyrenees Highway, Victoria
- Henty Highway, Victoria
- Sunraysia Highway, Victoria
- Wimmera Highway, Victoria
- Loddon Valley Highway, Victoria
- McIvor Highway, Victoria
- **Goulburn Valley Highway, Victoria
- Maroondah Highway, Victoria
- **Goulburn Valley Highway, Victoria
- Maroondah Highway, Victoria
- Warburton Highway, Victoria
- **Bass Highway, Victoria
- Gillies Highway, Queensland
- Perth-Bunbury Highway (proposed), Western Australia
Minor Arterial Roads
- Alpine Way, New South Wales
- Barry Way, New South Wales
- Bathurst-Ilford Road, New South Wales
- Bucketts Way, New South Wales
- Bylong Valley Way, New South Wales
- Derby Highway, Western Australia
- Dampier Highway, Western Australia
- Goldfields Highway, Western Australia
- Goulburn-Oberon Road, New South Wales
- Henry Lawson Way, New South Wales
- Irrigation Way, New South Wales
- Lachlan Valley Way, New South Wales
- O'Connell Road, New South Wales
- Thunderbolts Way, New South Wales
- Wombeyan Caves Road, New South Wales
Outback Tracks
- Anne Beadell Highway, South Australia; Western Australia
- Birdsville Track, Queensland; South Australia
- Canning Stock Route, Western Australia
- Cape Leveque Road, Western Australia
- Connie Sue Highway, Western Australia
- Duncan Road, Northern Territory
- Gary Highway, Western Australia
- Gibb River Road, Western Australia
- Great Central Road, Western Australia
- Gunbarrel Highway, Northern Territory; South Australia; Western Australia
- Kalumburu Road, Western Australia
- Oodnadatta Track, South Australia
- Strzelecki Track, South Australia
- Tanami Road, Western Australia
- Tanami Track, Northern Territory
Tourist Roads
State listing
For state listings see:
See also
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