Pacific Highway (Australia)
Template:Short description Template:Distinguish Template:For Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Australian road
The Pacific Highway is a national highway and major transport route of Template:Convert<ref name="gmaps" /> along the east coast of Australia from Sydney to Brisbane.<ref name="gmaps" /> It is an integral part of Highway 1 which circumnavigates the Australian continent. At its inception, the highway was a single carriageway between Sydney and Brisbane. In Australian culture and as a tourist drive, it remains so.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Over time, segments of the highway have been upgraded, realigned, or renamed. Between 1996 and 2020, sections of the highway were upgraded to controlled-access highway (motorway) standards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Location
The Pacific Highway is divided into the following sections:
- Brisbane to the New South Wales–Queensland border: This section has been completely replaced by the Pacific Motorway.
- Queensland border to Brunswick Heads: Upgraded to motorway standard under the 1996 Upgrade Masterplan and renamed the Pacific Motorway in 2013.
- Brunswick Heads to Hexham: Converted to dual carriageway or freeway standard, with works completed in 2020 as part of the 1996 Upgrade Masterplan.
- Hexham to Wahroonga: Replaced as the main national route by the Pacific Motorway (also known as the Sydney–Newcastle Freeway and formerly the F3 Freeway). This occurred progressively between 1965 and 1993.
- Wahroonga to Sydney CBD: Remains a divided metropolitan road, formerly part of the Metroad system. A motorway alternative is provided via the M2 route, incorporating the Lane Cove Tunnel, M2 Hills Motorway, and NorthConnex.
Gazette definition
Since the most recent declaration of the highway in the April 2010 gazette, the New South Wales section of the highway is officially made up of four separate sections: Warringah Freeway, North Sydney to Gosford Interchange near Kariong; Henry Parry Drive, Wyoming to Pacific Motorway at Ourimbah Interchange; Wyong Road, Tuggerah to Hunter Street, Wickham; and Maitland Road, Warabrook to the state border with Queensland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Since February 2013, the freeway section of the highway north of Brunswick Heads is also concurrently gazetted and is named and signposted Pacific Motorway. South of here, the section between Brunswick Heads and Bruxner Highway near Ballina is also signposted Pacific Motorway, however, it was not declared as such in the gazette as of February 2019, therefore it remains as only Pacific Highway in the gazette. Former sections of the highway removed from the gazette, such as between Gosford and Tuggerah, are still signposted as Pacific Highway.
Major cities and towns along Pacific Highway include: Gosford, Wyong, Newcastle, Taree, Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Ballina and Byron Bay, all in New South Wales; and Gold Coast in Queensland.
Major river crossings include the Hawkesbury, Hunter, Myall (east of Bulahdelah), Manning (south of Coopernook), Hastings (west of Port Macquarie), Macleay (east of Frederickton), Nambucca (near Macksville), Bellinger (near Raleigh), Clarence (via the Harwood Bridge near Maclean), Richmond (at Ballina), Brunswick, and Tweed rivers.
Sydney to Kariong
From Sydney, Pacific Highway starts as the continuation of Bradfield Highway at the northern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, immediately north of the Sydney central business district, and is the main route as far as the suburb of Wahroonga. Between the Harbour Bridge and the Gore Hill Freeway at Artarmon, the highway has no route number. From Gore Hill Freeway to Wahroonga, it is designated as route A1. When the Warringah Freeway was constructed in the late 1960s, southbound traffic was diverted through North Sydney via Mount Street, and in October 1985 it was redirected via Berry Street.<ref>North Sydney Traffic Management Scheme Daily Telegraph 24 September 1985 page 14</ref>
From Wahroonga Kariong, the Pacific Highway runs mostly parallel to the freeway, before diverting through the Central Coast via Gosford and Wyong. The section from Cowan to Kariong follows a winding scenic route with speed limits of 60 or 70 km/h (37 or 43 mph).
Kariong to Hexham
The section of the former Pacific Highway from the Wiseman’s Ferry Road junction at Kariong to the Gosford exit near Brian McGowan Bridge was redesignated as the Central Coast Highway, A49. North of Gosford, the highway continues without a route number through the Central Coast suburbs of Ourimbah and Wyong, before connecting with a spur of the Pacific Motorway near Doyalson, signed as route A43. At this point, the Pacific Highway is signed as route A43 for most of its length, forming a four- to six-lane regional highway that passes Lake Macquarie and continues through the suburbs of Lake Macquarie and Newcastle before rejoining route A1 at Hexham.
From Bennetts Green to Sandgate, the highway is paralleled by the Newcastle Inner City Bypass, which runs through New Lambton and Jesmond.
North of Hexham
From Hexham, the Pacific Highway passes through the Mid North Coast and Northern Rivers region to Brunswick Heads<ref name="nswgovgaz13-may" /> where it becomes the Pacific Motorway continuing to Brisbane.
Former sections
Former sections of the Pacific Highway were created when parts of the route were removed from the gazette definition or bypassed by new alignments. Some former sections of the Pacific Highway that were removed from the gazette definition continue to be referred to and signposted as Pacific Highway.
Removed from gazette definition
Between Sydney and Hexham, some sections of the highway were re-gazetted as other roads or are no longer included in the gazette definition of the Pacific Highway. However, as of January 2019, many of these roads are still referred to and signposted as the Pacific Highway.
The first two sections of the highway to be removed from the gazette was the Calga to Kariong section and a section in Gosford between Racecourse Road/Etna Street and Brian McGowan Bridge in November 1996.<ref name="nswgovgaz96">Template:Cite news</ref> The remaining section within Gosford, between Kariong and Brian McGowan Bridge, was re-gazetted and renamed Central Coast Highway in August 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> These changes resulted in the previously undivided section between Ourimbah and Sydney to be split into two: Kariong to Sydney, and Ourimbah to Wyoming.
The April 2010 gazette removed the sections between Racecourse Road/Etta Street and Henry Parry Drive/Pemmel Street in Gosford, between Ourimbah and Tuggerah, and between Hunter Street and Industrial Drive in Newcastle from the existing declaration of the highway, but redeclared the section between Calga and Kariong.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:As of, this is the most recent gazette to redefine the declaration of Pacific Highway. Even though these three removed sections are not gazetted as part of Pacific Highway anymore, street signage continues to show "Pacific Highway" and maps often show both the current road name and "Pacific Highway" together.
In Queensland, Pacific Highway used to go into Brisbane, however, most sections have been renamed to other roads or highways. For example, the section of Pacific Highway between Coolangatta and Currumbin is now part of Gold Coast Highway.
Bypassed
Sections of the highway between Hexham and the Queensland/NSW border that were bypassed and replaced by new sections of Pacific Highway, were renamed and downgraded to local roads, and are no longer part of Pacific Highway. As the new sections are just bypasses, this meant that the section between Hexham and Queensland border is still a continuous route. Prominent bypassed sections of the highway between Hexham and the border include:
- The former Template:Convert section Twelve Mile Creek and Taree through Stroud and Gloucester, with the new route over mostly dirt roads gazetted in 1952.<ref name="nswgovgaz52">Template:Cite news</ref> The affected roads were upgraded over a number of years, including the construction of major bridges to replace the low-level crossing at Nabiac and the ferry at Karuah. The upgrading of the northern section was completed first and through traffic ran temporarily over the road between Bulahdelah and Booral. The southern part from Bulahdelah to Twelve Mile Creek via Karuah was completed about 1960.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The old section was later renamed Bucketts Way.
- The former Template:Convert section through Kempsey and Frederickton which included the site of the Kempsey bus crash. This section was replaced by a new freeway bypass and bridge over the Macleay River in 2013 and 2016, and was renamed the Macleay Valley Way.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- The former Template:Convert between Eungai Creek and Raleigh via Macksville and Nambucca Way. This section was bypassed in 2016 and 2018 and was renamed Giinagay Way
- The former Template:Convert section between Glenugie and Maclean via Grafton which included the site of the Grafton bus crash. This section was replaced by a new alignment of the highway in 2020 and was renamed Big River Way.
In May 2009, the portion of the Tugun Bypass (newly opened in June 2008) within New South Wales boundaries was declared as the new alignment of Pacific Highway between Tweed Heads interchange and the Queensland border. The Template:Convert older bypassed alignment along Tweed Heads Bypass (opened 1992) towards the border at Coolangatta was gazetted as Gold Coast Highway instead, extending the already existing Gold Coast Highway in Queensland, into New South Wales.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Tugun Bypass was handed over to the NSW government in June 2018.<ref name=tugun2018>Template:Cite web</ref> The section of the bypassed highway within Queensland borders between Stewart Road and Gold Coast Highway was officially renamed Tugun-Currumbin Road, but is signposted as Stewart Road.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
History
Initially, the primary mode of transport connecting the coastal areas between Sydney and Brisbane was by boat. However, a continuous inland route from Newcastle to Brisbane via the Northern Tablelands had been in existence since the 1840s. A direct coastal route between Sydney and Newcastle was not completed until 1930, and completion of the sealing of the Pacific Highway did not occur until 1958 (at Koorainghat, south of Taree). The last of the many ferries across the coastal rivers was not superseded by a bridge until 1966 (the Harwood Bridge across the south channel of the Clarence River, the north channel having been bridged in 1931).
Between 1925 and 1930 the Main Roads Board of New South Wales reconstructed and sealed a route between Hornsby and Calga that had been abandoned some forty years earlier, to provide a direct road link between Sydney and Newcastle. In addition, a replacement route from Calga into the gorge of Mooney Mooney Creek and up to the ridge at Kariong above Gosford was also required. This new Sydney–Newcastle route via Calga and Gosford was some Template:Convert shorter than the previous route via Parramatta, McGraths Hill, Maroota, Wisemans Ferry, Wollombi and Cessnock. At first, the old Peats Ferry was reinstated to cross the Hawkesbury River, with construction of the bridge not beginning until 1938, due to the Great Depression. Due to the onset of the Second World War, the Peats Ferry Bridge was not completed until May 1945.
The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924<ref>State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Template:Webarchive 10 November 1924</ref> through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). Great Northern Highway was declared (as Main Road No. 9), running from North Sydney via Hornsby, Peat's Ferry, Gosford, Swansea and Newcastle to Hexham<ref name="nswgovgaz28" /> (still under construction), and North Coast Highway was declared (as Main Road No. 10), running from Hexham, Stroud, Gloucester, Taree, Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, South Grafton, Ballina, Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, and Murwillumbah to Tweed Heads,<ref name="nswgovgaz28" /> on the same day, 8 August 1928. With the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929<ref>State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924–1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Template:Webarchive 8 April 1929</ref> to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, these were amended to State Highways 9 and 10 on 8 April 1929.
In Queensland, there existed a series of local roads, which could be used by early motor vehicle owners to drive from Brisbane to the state border at Tweed Heads, but these roads were not designed for cars, and hence the journey was more like an adventure, only undertaken by the experienced motorist. The railway line to Southport and Tweed Heads was the preferred mode of transport. It wasn't until 1920 when Queensland's Main Roads Board was formed that the Main South Coast Road was declared. It was declared as the Pacific Highway in December 1930, although the final part of the highway (the Logan River bridge) wasn't opened until July of the next year.<ref name="qldtmr" /> In New South Wales, a section of State Highway 9 (Great Northern Highway) from Hexham to Sydney, was re-declared as part of as State Highway 10; its entire length (including North Coast Highway from Hexham to the state border with Queensland, and the newly added section of Great Northern Highway) was renamed Pacific Highway to match Queensland's declaration on 26 May 1931;<ref name="nswgovgaz31">Template:Cite news</ref> The Great Northern Highway was truncated to meet the Pacific Highway at Hexham<ref name="nswgovgaz31" /> (and was later renamed to New England Highway in 1933<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="nswgovgaz33">Template:Cite news</ref>).
Until the 1990s most road freight between Sydney and Brisbane passed along the New England Highway instead, due to the easier topography of the Northern Tablelands it traverses. Between 1950 and 1967, traffic on Pacific Highway quadrupled due to the attraction of coastal towns between Sydney and Brisbane for retirement living and tourism.
1989 Grafton and Kempsey bus crashes
Two major coach accidents on Pacific Highway in 1989 near Grafton (in which 21 people died) and at Clybucca near Kempsey (in which 35 people died) resulted in a public outcry over the poor quality of the road and its high fatality rate.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pacific Highway was never part of the federally funded system of National Highways. This appears to be because when the federal government funding of the 'national highway' system began in 1974, the longer New England Highway was chosen rather than Pacific Highway as the Sydney–Brisbane link, due to its easier topography and consequent lower upgrade costs.
1990s
In 1994, the Roads and Traffic Authority considered the environmental impact statement of a proposal for a toll road between Coolongolook and Possum Brush.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The proposal was from Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation Ltd and Travers Morgan Pty Ltd.
Until December 1997, a short Template:Convert section of the highway between Ourimbah and Kangy Angy was used by Sydney–Newcastle Freeway traffic as there was no freeway alternative.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This section of Pacific Highway was designated as part of National Route 1 and subsequently National Highway 1. It was also upgraded to dual carriageway in the early 1970s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Due to the shared freeway and highway traffic, the at-grade interchanges between the freeway and the highway at Ourimbah and Kangy Angy became bottlenecks during peak times. In December 1997, the Ourimbah Creek Road to Kangy Angy stage of the freeway, located 150 m west of the highway, opened to traffic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The new freeway section was one of the last sections of the freeway to be completed and was referred to as the "missing link" of the freeway.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pacific Highway was bypassed and reduced to one lane per direction, and the northbound carriageway and bridge over Ourimbah Creek north of Palmdale Road were removed. The at-grade interchange between the freeway and the highway at Kangy Angy was also removed.
The section of the highway from Cowan to Kariong follows a scenic winding route with varying speed limits, typically Template:Convert. This section was damaged quite severely during severe weather in June 2007. Five people died when a bridge over Piles Creek collapsed and the entire section was closed due to subsidence Template:Convert further south. The road was reopened in 2009 when the Holt-Bragg Bridge was opened, named after the family that had perished.
The New South Wales section of Pacific Highway from Brunswick Heads to the state border with Queensland was re-declared as part of Pacific Motorway in February 2013.<ref name="nswgovgaz13-feb">Template:Cite web</ref>
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993<ref>State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Template:Webarchive 10 November 1924</ref> through the Parliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this Act, Pacific Highway today retains its declaration as Highway 10, across all four of its gazetted sections, from the state border with Queensland (via Pacific Motorway) to North Sydney.<ref name="nswroadsched">Template:Cite web</ref>
2000s and beyond
Pacific Highway was signed National Route 1 across its entire length in 1955. With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, this was replaced with route M1 for sections classified as a motorway,<ref name="nswgovgaz13-may">Template:Cite web</ref> and route A1 for sections classified as a highway (except between Hexham and Wahroonga, where it is designated route A43 through most of the Central Coast between Hexham and Doyalson, and route B83 between Kariong and Wahroonga).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1996 upgrade masterplan
Four lane dual carriageway standard
The highway was heavily used by interstate traffic and its upgrade was beyond the resources of the New South Wales government alone.Template:Citation needed The NSW and federal governments argued for years about how the responsibility for funding the highway's upgrade should be divided between themselves, only coming up with a mutually acceptable upgrade package just after the 1996/97 financial year.
As part of a joint New South Wales and federal funding arrangement and upgrade masterplan, single carriageway sections from Tweed Heads to Hexham were progressively converted to freeway or dual carriageway standards commencing in 1996. At the time, the plan targeted to have Pacific Highway upgraded to dual carriageway by 2016. The strategy divided the remaining sections into three levels of priority:<ref name="RMS2">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Priority 1: Tweed Heads to Ballina, Port Macquarie to Hexham, Woolgoolga to Raleigh
- Priority 2: Raleigh to Port Macquarie
- Priority 3: Ballina to Woolgoolga
In the meantime, numerous sections of existing single carriageway road were upgraded by re-alignments and safety improvement work including the addition of overtaking lanes, pavement widening and median barriers. Overall the highway became safer and travelling times were substantially reduced, particularly during holiday periods.Template:Citation needed.
The four-lane dual carriageway upgrade of the highway was completed in December 2020.<ref name=completed>Template:Cite web</ref> Continuous dual carriageway, much of it freeway standard, now extends from Template:NSWcity in Newcastle to the Queensland border. As of completion, about Template:AUD15 billion have been invested in the upgrade by the federal and state governments, and fatalities have dropped by more than 75% since the upgrade started in 1996.<ref name=completed2>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Section<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Total length (km) | Completion date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before Upgrade | After Upgrade | ||
| Tweed Heads to Ballina (Bruxner Highway)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> including part of Pacific Motorway |
90.5 | 91 | December 2015 |
| Ballina to Coffs Harbour<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 206.5 | 204 | December 2020 |
| Coffs Harbour to Port Macquarie (Oxley Highway)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 151 | 145 | June 2018 |
| Port Macquarie to Mayfield West (Newcastle)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 221 | 217 | 2013 |
| Totals | 666 | 657 | December 2020 |
Coffs Harbour Bypass
The Coffs Harbour Bypass is a Template:Convert realignment of Pacific Highway that will bypass the city of Coffs Harbour, including up to 12 sets of traffic lights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is being built as a four-lane motorway with three tunnels.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is the last section of the Pacific Highway Upgrade, and is being funded by the state and federal governments. The project was granted planning approval by the state government in November 2020 and the federal government in December 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Tenders for its construction were let in June 2022, with major construction commencing in early 2023. It is expected to be open to traffic in late 2026.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Motorway standard upgrade
The highway was upgraded to dual carriageway that is either an arterial standard (Class A) or a motorway standard (Class M). The Class M sections between Woolgoolga and Ballina are:<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Thrumster to Eungai Rail
- Congarinni to Boambee
- Woolgoolga to Halfway Creek
- Glenugie to Harwood
- Woodburn to Pimlico
Following the dual carriageway upgrade, the only remaining project of the Pacific Highway Upgrade is the Coffs Harbour Bypass.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, the M1 to Raymond Terrace project, which is classified as a separate project, will be a motorway extending and connecting the Pacific Motorway (Sydney to Newcastle section) to the upgraded Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Construction formally commenced in January 2024 and is expected to be completed by 2028.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Projects
| Project | Length (km) | Construction dates | Value | Status | Description | Distance from Sydney (km) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | End | ||||||
| Ballina to border | |||||||
| Tugun Bypass | 7 | June 2006<ref name=Tugun >Template:Cite web</ref> | 3 June 2008<ref name=Tugun/> | $543 million<ref name=Tugun/> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway, partly in Queensland. Upgrade not part of the program. Funded by the Queensland Government and Federal Government<ref name=tugun2018/> | 823 |
| Banora Point | 2.5<ref name=Banora>Template:Cite web</ref> | December 2009<ref name=Banora/> | 22 September 2012<ref name=Banora/> | $359 million<ref name=Banora/> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway | 817 |
| Chinderah bypass | 5.8<ref name=Chinderah>Template:Cite web</ref> | 1993<ref name="Ozroads Chinderah">Template:Cite web</ref> | 29 November 1996<ref name=Chinderah /> | $67 million<ref name=Chinderah /> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway | 812 |
| Yelgun to Chinderah | 28.6<ref name=Y2C>Template:Cite web</ref> | May 2000<ref name=Y2C/> | 6 August 2002<ref name=Y2C/> | $348 million<ref name=Y2C/> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway, includes 3 interchanges | 784 |
| Brunswick Heads Bypass (stage 1) | 3.4<ref name=BHP>Template:Cite web</ref> | 12 September 1996<ref name=BHP/> | 5 June 1998<ref name=BHP/> | $17 million<ref name=BHP/> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway, first 2 lanes | 774 |
| Brunswick Heads to Yelgun | 8.6<ref name=BH2Y>Template:Cite web</ref> | July 2005<ref name="Ozroads Chinderah"/> | 11 July 2007<ref name=BH2Y/> | $219 million<ref name=AbiGroup>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway, duplication | 777 |
| Tandy's Lane realignment | 5.5<ref name=TLR>Template:Cite web</ref> | October 1999<ref name=Baulderstone/> | 19 December 2001<ref name=OzroadsE2BH>Template:Cite web</ref> | $44 million<ref name=Baulderstone>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway | 773 |
| Ewingsdale to Tyagarah realignment | 4.3<ref name=E2T>Template:Cite web</ref> | Late 1996<ref name=OzroadsE2BH/> | 16 October 1998<ref name=E2T/> | $22 million<ref name=E2T/> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway | 765 |
| Ewingsdale interchange | 1.9<ref name=EI>Template:Cite web</ref> | February 1999<ref name=EI/> | 20 December 2000<ref name=EI/> | $22.5 million<ref name=EI/> | Complete | Part of the Pacific Motorway | 764 |
| Tintenbar to Ewingsdale | 17<ref name=T2E>Template:Cite web</ref> | May 2012<ref name=T2E/> | 18 December 2015<ref name=T2E/> | $862 million<ref name=T2E/> | Complete | Four lane motorway (limited access), new alignment, 110 km/h speed limit, twin-tube road tunnel under St Helena Hill. | 749 |
| Ballina Bypass | 12<ref name=BB>Template:Cite web</ref> | May 2008<ref name=BB/> | March 2011 (Cumbalum Interchange to Ross Lane Interchange) 29 November 2011 (Teven Road to Cumbalum Interchange) 20 December 2011 (southbound lanes from Teven Road to Bruxner Highway) 11 February 2012 (northbound lanes from Teven Road to Bruxner Highway) 28 April 2012 (Pacific Highway to the Bruxner Highway)<ref name=BB/> |
$640 million<ref name=BB/> | Complete | New alignment | 737 |
| Woolgoolga to Ballina<ref>Woolgoolga to Ballina Template:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore. Roads and Maritime Services</ref><ref>Pacific Highway upgrade continues Template:Webarchive. The Land</ref><ref>Green Light for The Woolgoolga to Ballina Upgrade Template:Webarchive. NBN News</ref> | |||||||
| Pimlico to Ballina Bypass | 6 | December 2019<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Duplication of existing highway. New bridge over Emigrant Creek | |||
| Pimlico to Teven | 2.3<ref name=P2T>Template:Cite web</ref> | November 2013<ref name=P2T/> | 5 May 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | $92 million<ref name=P2T/> | Stage 2 complete | Duplication, rebuilding of old carriageway, stage 3 completed in December 2019 as part of Woolgoolga to Ballina project | 733 |
| Woodburn to Pimlico | 34 | 17 September 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | New alignment, bypasses Woodburn, Wardell, and Broadwater. Bridge over the Richmond River at Wardell was the last bridge to open for the Pacific Highway Upgrade<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
| Devils Pulpit to Woodburn | 15 | 11 December 2020<ref name=completed/><ref name=completed2/> | Complete | Duplication of existing highway | |||
| Devils Pulpit | 7.3<ref name=DP>Template:Cite web</ref> | December 2011<ref name=DP/> | 20 March 2014<ref name=DP/> | $77 million<ref name=DP/> | Complete | Four lanes, partly new alignment | 678 |
| Mororo to Devils Pulpit | 15 | 27 August 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Duplication of existing highway | |||
| Maclean to Mororo | 9 | 22 September 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Duplication of existing highway. New bridge over the Clarence River at Harwood opened 6 December 2019<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | |||
| Tyndale to Maclean | 12 | 1 April 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | New alignment. Maclean Interchange fully opened on 5 August 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | |||
| Glenugie to Tyndale | 36 | 19 May 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Four lane divided highway, new alignment, also known as Grafton Bypass.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Old bypassed alignment renamed Big River Way | |||
| Glenugie upgrade | 2.5<ref name=GU>Template:Cite web</ref> | 2010 | 9 February 2012<ref name=GU/> | $60 million<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Four lanes, new alignment for southbound traffic. New northbound carriageway opened adjacent to southbound carriageway on 26 November 2020 as part of Woolgoolga to Ballina project<ref name=nov2020/> | 590 |
| Wells Crossing to Glenugie | 8 | 26 November 2020<ref name=nov2020>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | New two-lane alignment for northbound traffic, adjacent to the existing southbound carriageway that was built as part of Glenugie Upgrade | |||
| Halfway Creek to Glenugie | 12 | 23 August 2017<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Duplication of existing highway between Grays Road and Franklin Road (Glenugie upgrade) | |||
| Halfway Creek | 3.4<ref name=HC>Template:Cite web</ref> | Late 2002<ref name=OzroadsHC>Template:Cite web</ref> | June 2004 | Template:N/a | Complete | Partly new alignment. | 583 |
| Woolgoolga to Halfway Creek | 14<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | July 2015<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | December 2017 | Complete | Duplication of existing highway, partly new alignment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 10 km Corindi Beach bypass opened to traffic on 24 October 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Old bypassed alignment renamed Solitary Islands Way | 561 | |
| Sapphire to Woolgoolga | 25<ref name=S2W>Template:Cite web</ref> | August 2010<ref name=S2W/> | 30 July 2014<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | $850 million<ref name=S2W/> | Complete | Four lane divided highway, partly new alignment, 10 km Woolgoolga bypass opened to traffic on 16 December 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Old bypassed alignment renamed Solitary Islands Way | 535 |
| Korora Hill Reconstruction | 1.5<ref name=KHR>Template:Cite web</ref> | January 1997<ref name=KHR/> | 15 December 1997<ref name=KHR/> | $6 million<ref name=KHR/> | Complete | Duplication and reconstruction | 533 |
| Coffs Harbour | |||||||
| Coffs Harbour Bypass | 12<ref name=CHB>Template:Cite web</ref> | 2021<ref name=CHB/> | 2024<ref name=CHB/> | $1.2 billion<ref name=CHB/> | Construction | four lane freeway with 3 interchanges, new alignment, 2 tunnels and a cut and cover tunnel | 524 |
| Port Macquarie to Coffs Harbour | |||||||
| Lyons Rd to Englands Rd | 5.3<ref name=LR2ER>Template:Cite web</ref> | October 1997<ref name=OzroadsLR2ER>Template:Cite web</ref> | 25 May 2001<ref name=OzroadsLR2ER/> | $73m<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Duplication and reconstruction | 520 |
| Bonville upgrade | 9.6<ref name=BVU>Template:Cite web</ref> | November 2006<ref name=Ozroads-Bonville>Template:Cite web</ref> | 16 September 2008<ref name=Ozroads-Bonville/> | $245m<ref name=BVU/> | Complete | Duplication and reconstruction, covered tunnel for koalas | 514 |
| Raleigh Deviation | 8<ref name=RalD>Template:Cite web</ref> | January 1995<ref name=RalD/> | 24 September 1998<ref name=RalD/> | $72m<ref name=RalD/> | Complete | Duplication and reconstruction | 506 |
| Nambucca Heads to Urunga | 22<ref name="WC2NH">Template:Cite web</ref> | November 2013<ref name="UpgradeOctober2014">Pacific Highway Upgrade Template:Webarchive. Roads and Maritime Services</ref> | 22 July 2016<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | $780 million<ref name="WC2NH"/> | Complete | Four lane limited access motorway, 110 km/h, 3 interchanges, bypasses Urunga. Old bypass alignment renamed Giinagay Way | 484 |
| Warrell Creek to Nambucca Heads | 20<ref name="RMS2"/> | December 2014<ref name="RMS2"/> | 18 December 2017 (Nambucca and Macksville bypass)
Warrell Creek bypass opened 29 June 2018<ref name=":0" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> |
$830 million<ref name="RMS2"/> | Complete | Four lane limited access motorway, 110 km/h, 2 interchanges, including bypasses of Warrell Creek, Macksville and Nambucca Heads. Old bypass alignment renamed Giinagay Way | 464 |
| Eungai Duplication | 4.2<ref name=EungaiD>Template:Cite web</ref> | January 1998<ref name=RalD/> | March 1999<ref name=RalD/> | $15m<ref name=EungaiD/> | Complete | Duplication of first carriageway, which was opened on 23 February 1994<ref name=Ozroads-Eungai>Template:Cite web</ref> | 455 |
| Frederickton to Eungai | 26.5<ref name=F2E>Template:Cite web</ref> | August 2013<ref name=F2E/> | 16 May 2016<ref name=F2E/> | $675 million | Complete | Four lane divided highway. Freeway from Stuarts Point interchange to South Kempsey. 110 km/h speed limit | 427 |
| Kempsey Bypass | 14.5<ref name=KBP>Template:Cite web</ref> | June 2010<ref name=KBP/> | 27 March 2013<ref name=KBP/> | $618 million<ref name=KBP/> | Complete | Dual carriageway motorway with Template:Convert bridge over Macleay River, new alignment. Old bypassed alignment renamed Macleay Valley Way | 413 |
| Kundabung to Kempsey | 14<ref name="RMS2"/> | November 2014<ref name="RMS2"/> | 6 September 2017 (Opened to 2 lanes each way on 1 November 2017)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="RMS2"/> | $230 million<ref name="RMS2"/> | Complete | Upgrade of current road to four lanes, partially limited-access (One lane opened in each carriageway. Other lanes are open end of October 2017) | 398 |
| Oxley Highway to Kundabung<ref name="RMS2"/> | 23<ref name="RMS2"/> | October 2014<ref name="RMS2"/> | 17 November 2017<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> | $820 million<ref name="RMS2"/> | Complete | Four lane divided road (freeway south of Haydon's Wharf Road interchange), bridges over the Hastings and Wilson rivers, 2 interchanges, deep cutting through Cooperabung range. | 373 |
| Newcastle to Port Macquarie | |||||||
| Herons Creek Deviation Duplication | 14<ref name=HCDD>Template:Cite web</ref> | November 1997<ref name=Ozroads-Herons>Template:Cite web</ref> | 3 July 1998<ref name=HCDD/> | $19m<ref name=HCDD/> | Complete | Duplication of the first carriageway, which was opened in 2 stages: the northern stage from Ryans Road to the Oxley Highway in December 1990 and the southern stage in November 1993.<ref name=HCDD/> | 359 |
| Herons Creek to Stills Road Upgrade | 3.5<ref name=HC2SRU>Template:Cite web</ref> | March 2011<ref name=HC2SRU/> | 25 October 2013<ref>[1] Template:Webarchive Pacific Highway Achievement Report October 2013</ref> | $60m<ref name=HC2SRU/> | Complete | Replacement of substandard carriageway (part of the old highway) to raise the road to freeway standard. | 356 |
| Coopernook to Herons Creek | 33<ref name=C2HC>Template:Cite web</ref> | November 2007<ref name=C2HC/> | 23 July 2010<ref name=C2HC/> | $555m<ref name=Besseling>Template:Cite press release</ref> | Complete | Upgrade of highway to four lanes including a western bypass of Moorland, Johns River and an eastern bypass of Kew. | 325 |
| Coopernook Bypass | 4.2<ref name=CoopernookBP>Template:Cite web</ref> | February 2004<ref name="Ozroads-Coopernook">Template:Cite web</ref> | 22 March 2006<ref name=CoopernookBP/> | $44m<ref name=Ozroads-Coopernook/> | Complete | Four lane bypass. | 321 |
| Taree to Coopernook | 7.5<ref name=T2CN>Template:Cite web</ref> | November 2001<ref name="Ozroads-Coopernook"/> | 4 August 2005<ref name=T2CN/> | $59m<ref name=T2CN/> | Complete | Upgrade to four lanes, two new bridges over Ghinni Ghinni Creek and two cattle underpasses. Some upgrading, including four-lane sections had commenced in September 1996 and was completed in 1998. | 312 |
| Taree Bypass | 14.5<ref name=TareeBP>Template:Cite web</ref> | July 1993 (first carriageway)<ref name=Ozroads-Taree>Template:Cite web</ref> | 14 December 1997 (first carriageway); 12 April 2000 (second carriageway)<ref name=Ozroads-Taree/> | $126m<ref name=TareeBrochure>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Four lane highway, new alignment | 303 |
| Possum Brush to Taree | 17<ref name=Ozroads-PB2T>Template:Cite web</ref> | 1990<ref name=Ozroads-PB2T/> | 19 August 1991 (Possum Brush Deviation); 24 May 1994 (Rainbow Flat Deviation)<ref name=Ozroads-PB2T/> | Template:N/a | Complete | Four lane highway, old road used for northbound carriageway between Failford Road and Bonvale Close, planned to be replaced as part of Failford Road to Tritton Road upgrade | 294 |
| Failford Road to Tritton Road upgrade | 3<ref name=FR2TR>Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:N/a | Template:N/a | Template:N/a | In planning | New carriageway and interchange with Failford Road | 293 |
| Bundacree Creek to Possum Brush | 9.7<ref name=BC2PB>Template:Cite web</ref> | September 2004<ref name=Ozroads-Nabiac>Template:Cite web</ref> | 4 November 2006<ref name=NabiacBrochure/> | $115m<ref name=NabiacBrochure>Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Four lanes generally along old alignment, including upgrade of existing Nabiac bypass, new interchange and bridges. | 277 |
| Wang Wauk to Bundacree Creek | 4.8<ref name=WW2BC>Template:Cite web</ref> | August 1997<ref name=WW2BC/> | 10 December 1998<ref name=WW2BC/> | $21m<ref name=WW2BC/> | Complete | Four lanes generally along old alignment. | 272 |
| Coolongolook to Wang Wauk | 11.7<ref name=C2WW>Template:Cite web</ref> | December 1999<ref name=Ozroads-C2WW>Template:Cite web</ref> | 29 July 2001<ref name=C2WW/> | $49m<ref name="C2WWBrochure">Template:Cite web</ref> | Complete | Four lanes generally along old alignment, 80 km/h zone through Coolongolook. | 263 |
| Bulahdelah to Coolongolook | 23<ref name=Bul2Cool>Template:Cite web</ref> | April 1997<ref name=Ozroads-C2WW/> | 27 October 1999<ref name=Ozroads-C2WW/> | $130m<ref name="C2WWBrochure"/> | Complete | Four lanes freeway on new alignment. Replaces the original winding highway which is now called Wootton Way. | 236 |
| Bulahdelah upgrade | 8.6<ref name="RMSbulahdelah">Template:Cite web</ref> | August 2010<ref name=RMSbulahdelah/> | 27 June 2013<ref name=RMSbulahdelah/> | $315 million<ref name=RMSbulahdelah/> | Complete | Four lane highway, new alignment. Initial earthworks began in 2007.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | 232 |
| Template:NSWcity to Bulahdelah | 11 (section 1),<ref name=K2B1>Template:Cite web</ref> 23 (section 2 and 3)<ref name=K2B2&3>Template:Cite web</ref> | June 2005 (section 1)<ref name=Ozroads-K2B>Template:Cite web</ref> February 2007 (sections 2 and 3) | 15 December 2006 (section 1),<ref name=Ozroads-K2B/> 2 October 2009 (sections 2 and 3)<ref name=Ozroads-K2B/> | $114m (section 1),<ref name=K2B1/> – (sections 2 and 3) | Complete | Four lane highway (section 1 from Karuah to Template:Convert north of Myall Way and sections 2 and 3 further north) | 193 |
| Karuah bypass | 9.8<ref name=KaruahBP>Template:Cite web</ref> | June 2002<ref name=Ozroads-KaruahBP>Template:Cite web</ref> | 22 September 2004<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | $117m<ref name=Ozroads-KaruahBP/> | Complete | Four lane freeway, bridge over Karuah River and interchanges at either end. | 187 |
| Raymond Terrace to Karuah | 18<ref name=RT2K>Template:Cite web</ref> | August 1998<ref name=RT2K/> | 1 December 2000<ref name=RT2K/> | $86m<ref name=RT2K/> | Complete | Four lane highway, consisting of new 2-lane northbound carriageway and upgrade of old road as southbound carriageway | 165 |
| Raymond Terrace Bypass | 7.6<ref name=RTBP>Template:Cite web</ref> | November 1993<ref name=RTBP/> | 17 December 1998<ref name=RTBP/> | $78m<ref name=RTBP/> | Complete | Four lane freeway, including 1 interchange and pairs of bridges at three other places | 162 |
| Newcastle | |||||||
| M1 to Raymond Terrace | 15<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref> | Template:N/a | Template:N/a | Template:N/a | In planning | Four lane freeway connecting the M1 to Pacific Highway, four interchanges, 2.6 km bridge over the Hunter River, bypasses Hexham, Tarro and Beresfield while replacing the existing route through Heatherbrae | 147 |
Funding issues
In 2007 mounting pressure was placed on the federal government to provide additional funding for the highway.Template:Citation needed On 10 October 2007 the Federal Minister for Transport and Regional Services pledged $2.4 billion in funding for the highway, subject to dollar for dollar funding by the NSW state government. However, the NSW state government refused to match funding. In the lead up to the 2007 federal election, then opposition leader Kevin Rudd pledged $1.5 billion in funding.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> As part of AusLink 2 (Nation Building Program), the federal government announced in its 2009 federal budget that $3.1 billion would be spent on the highway up until 2014<ref>(12 May 2009). Federal Road Investment Program Steps Up A Gear Template:Webarchive. Media Release. Minister for Infrastructure and Transport.</ref> at which time just 63% of the highway would be duplicated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The NSW government will spend just $500 million over that same period, with $300 million cut as a result of the 2008 mini budget.<ref name=rta1>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
From time to time, there are proposals in the media for the private sector to build a fully controlled-access high-speed tollway between Newcastle and the Queensland border, possibly using the BOT system of infrastructure provision. Nothing eventuated from these proposals.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Other upgrades
Other sections of Pacific Highway (between Hexham and Sydney) have been upgraded or proposed to be upgraded:
- The section of Pacific Highway between Ourimbah Street and Parsons Road at Template:NSWcity is being duplicated Template:As of, including a rail bridge over the Sydney to Newcastle rail line.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Since December 2020, the Template:Convert section (Maitland Road) between Newcastle Inner City Bypass and New England Highway is being proposed to be widened from four lanes to six lanes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Former route numbers
Pacific Highway was signed National Route 1 along its entire length in 1955. Over time, as road projects reallocated the route, or bypassed it entirely, these remaining sections were replaced with others. Former road routes of Pacific Highway have included:<ref>Highway One – NSW Section Template:Webarchive, Ozroads Website. Retrieved on 15 May 2013Template:Self-published source</ref>
- Template:AUshield National Route 1 (1955–2013): Template:NSWcity–Template:NSWcity
- Template:AUshield National Route 1 (1955–1988) / Template:AUshield State Route 111 (1988–2013):<ref>NSW State Route 111 Template:Webarchive, Ozroads, Retrieved on 1 June 2013.Template:Self-published source</ref> Template:NSWcity–Template:NSWcity
- Template:AUshield National Route 1 (1955–1979) / Template:AUshield State Route 83 (1979–2013):<ref>NSW State Route 83 Template:Webarchive, Ozroads, Retrieved on 1 June 2013.Template:Self-published source</ref> Template:NSWcity–Template:NSWcity
- Template:AUshield National Route 1 (1955–1993) / Template:AUshield Metroad 1 (1993–2013):<ref>Metroad 1 Template:Webarchive, Ozroads, Retrieved on 1 June 2013.Template:Self-published source</ref> Template:NSWcity–Template:NSWcity
- Template:AUshield National Route 1 (1955–1992) / Template:AUshield State Route 14 (1992–1998)<ref>NSW State Route 14 Template:Webarchive, Ozroads, Retrieved on 3 June 2013.Template:Self-published source</ref> / Template:AUshield Metroad 10 (1998–2007):<ref>Metroad 10 Template:Webarchive, Ozroads, Retrieved on 1 June 2013.Template:Self-published source</ref> Template:NSWcity–Template:NSWcity
- Template:AUshield National Route 1 (1955–1992): Template:NSWcity–Template:NSWcity
Safety
The Pacific Highway was one of the most dangerous and deadly stretches of road in Australia, partly due to its high traffic levels. Between 1995 and 2009, over 400 people died on the highway. In 1989, two separate bus crashes, the Grafton bus crash (in which 21 people died) and the Kempsey bus crash (in which 35 died) on the highway were two of the worst road accidents in Australia's history.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2010, 38 people died on Pacific Highway, and in 2011, 25 people.<ref name="nsw.gov">Template:Cite web</ref> Over the past 15 years, the New South Wales Roads & Traffic Authority reports that about 1,200 people have been injured each year.<ref name="nsw.gov" />
In January 2012, a ute swerved into the path of a B-double truck, which then veered off-road and crashed into two houses at Urunga. 11-year-old boy Max McGregor, who was sleeping in one of the houses, and the ute driver died from the incident. Another seven people were taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was found that the ute driver had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.245, five times over the limit, equal to more than 25 standard drinks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The section of the highway through Urunga was bypassed in 2016.
Much of the danger of Pacific Highway lay in the fact that it contained long stretches of undivided road along which all types of vehicles, including private automobiles, buses, vans and trucks, simultaneously travelled at speeds approaching and in excess of Template:Convert. The undivided sections carried a high risk of head-on collisions. This was relieved to an extent by the provision of regular passing lanes, but these did not fully cope with the high level of traffic during holiday periods. After the 1989 crashes, the investigating coroner, Kevin Waller, recommended that the highway be fully divided along its entire length.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Motorists surveyed by the National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) voted Pacific Highway the worst road in New South Wales in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>
Major intersections
Template:Further The major intersections of Pacific Highway, spread over Template:Convert on the eastern seaboard of New South Wales comprise a mix of freeway grade-separated conditions, suburban and urban roads. Between Pacific Motorway at Brunswick Heads in the north, and the highway's southern terminus at Bradfield Highway and Cahill Expressway in North Sydney, major intersections include:
- Template:AUshield Ewingsdale Road (B62)
- Template:AUshield Bruxner Highway (B60)
- Template:AUshield Big River Way (B76) – towards Gwydir Highway
- Template:AUshield Big River Way (B91) – towards Summerland Way
- Template:AUshield Waterfall Way (B78)
- Template:AUshield Oxley Highway (B56)
- Template:AUshield New England Highway (A43)
- Template:AUshield Nelsons Bay Road (B63)
- Template:AUshield Parry Street (A15)
- Template:AUshield Newcastle Inner City Bypass (A37)
- Template:AUshield Sparks Road (B70)
- Template:AUshield Central Coast Highway (A49)
- Template:AUshield Motorway Link (A43)
- Template:AUshield Cumberland Highway (Pennant Hills Road) (A28)
- Template:AUshield Mona Vale Road / Ryde Road (A3)
- Template:AUshield Gore Hill Freeway (M1)
- Template:AUshield Lane Cove Tunnel (M2)
- Template:AUshield Gore Hill Freeway (M1)
- Template:AUshield Warringah Freeway (M1)
See also
References
External links
Template:Road infrastructure in Sydney Template:Road infrastructure in Newcastle Template:Road infrastructure in New South Wales Template:Hunter Region places and items of interest