View source for Metroad

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2015}}
{{refimprove|date=January 2017}}
'''Metroads''' were the primary [[road]] routes serving the [[Sydney]] and [[Brisbane]] metropolitan areas from the 1990s to the early 2010s. The Metroads formed a network of radial and circumferential routes throughout the cities, simplifying navigation. Metroads have been progressively phased out in both Sydney and Brisbane, replaced by alphanumeric route numbers. Brisbane is the only city currently retaining the Metroad system.

==History==

[[File:NR1-Metroad1.jpg|frame|right|Former National Route 1 and Metroad 1 route markers at Waterfall, NSW in 2005.]]

Historically, [[Highways in Australia|National Routes]] passed through city centres and formed some of the main thoroughfares within Australia's largest cities. However urban growth led to massive congestion in the inner city areas. To bypass these centres, new roads were either constructed or main suburban roads were linked together to form [[ring road]]s linking one National Route to the other. The earliest scheme was adopted in Sydney in 1964, the Ring Road scheme. They had special markers for identification.

Intra-urban navigation was made increasingly difficult by [[urban sprawl]]. Many States introduced [[Route number#State Routes|State Route]] systems in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and many roads within metropolitan areas were included. This scheme was adopted by most major cities. In Sydney the State Routes superseded the Ring Road scheme. Urban freeways in Sydney and Brisbane had their own route marking scheme.

However, it was later realised that the multiplicity of urban route marking schemes led to confusion. In the 1990s, these were streamlined in the new Metroad scheme. This scheme ensures that main priority routes are clearly identified and marked. As far as possible, urban freeways are absorbed into the system. It was adopted in Sydney in 1993 and Brisbane in 1996. Metroads usually completely replaced the State Routes and National Routes along their routes; however, State Routes not on designated Metroads were usually left untampered.

Metroad routes in both Sydney and Brisbane are being replaced by alphanumeric routes. Brisbane Metroads began to be phased out around 2010, with Sydney Metroads completely phased out at the end of 2013.

As of 2015, the [[Department of Main Roads (Queensland)|Department of Main Roads]] in Queensland have no plans to convert/decommission the remaining Metroad sections within Brisbane.

==List of Metroads==

===Sydney Metroads===
The Metroad navigation system was introduced to Sydney in 1992, with six routes (Metroads 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7). The scheme was extended in 1998-1999 with the signposting of Metroads 6, 9 and 10 (there was never a Metroad 8).<ref>[http://www.ozroads.com.au/NSW/RouteNumbering/Metroads/metroads.htm] OzRoads: Metroads</ref>  All Metroads in Sydney were completely replaced in 2013 with equivalent alphanumeric road markers.

====Former Metroads====
[[File:Sydney Metroads.svg|right|thumb|Map of Major Sydney arterial routes (before 2013)]]
*{{AUshield|Met|1}} Metroad 1 – [[Wahroonga, New South Wales|Wahroonga]] to [[Waterfall, New South Wales|Waterfall]] via the M1 [[Eastern Distributor]] and the city of [[Sydney]] – Replaced by [[Highway 1 (New South Wales)|M1 and A1]]
*{{AUshield|Met|2}} Metroad 2 – [[Artarmon, New South Wales|Artarmon]] to [[Windsor, New South Wales|Windsor]] via the [[Lane Cove Tunnel]] and [[M2 Hills Motorway|M2]] – Replaced by M2 and A2
*{{AUshield|Met|3}} Metroad 3 – [[Blakehurst, New South Wales|Blakehurst]] to [[Mona Vale, New South Wales|Mona Vale]] via [[Hurstville, New South Wales|Hurstville]], [[Sydney Olympic Park|Olympic Park]], [[Ryde, New South Wales|Ryde]], [[Macquarie Park, New South Wales|Macquarie Park]] and [[St Ives, New South Wales|St Ives]] – Replaced by the [[A3 (Sydney)|A3]]
*{{AUshield|Met|4}} Metroad 4 – [[Sydney]] to [[Lapstone, New South Wales|Lapstone]] via [[Parramatta Road]] and the [[M4 Motorway (Sydney)|M4]] – Replaced by the M4 and [[A4/M4 (Sydney)|A4]]
*{{AUshield|Met|5}} Metroad 5 – [[Sydney Airport]] to [[Campbelltown, New South Wales|Campbelltown]] via the [[M5 Motorway (Sydney)|M5]] – Replaced by the M5 and [[Hume Highway|M31 Hume Motorway]]
*{{AUshield|Met|6}} Metroad 6 – [[Heathcote, New South Wales|Heathcote]] to [[Carlingford, New South Wales|Carlingford]] via [[Bankstown]], [[Lidcombe]] and [[Silverwater]] – Replaced by the [[A6 (Sydney)|A6]]
*{{AUshield|Met|7}} Metroad 7 – [[Casula, New South Wales|Casula]] to [[Wahroonga, New South Wales|Wahroonga]] via the [[Cumberland Highway]] – Replaced by [[Cumberland Highway|A28]] and [[Westlink M7|M7]]
*{{AUshield|Met|9}} Metroad 9 – [[Campbelltown, New South Wales|Campbelltown]] to [[Windsor, New South Wales|Windsor]] – Replaced by the [[A9 (Sydney)|A9]]
*{{AUshield|Met|10}} Metroad 10 – [[North Sydney, New South Wales|North Sydney]] to [[Mona Vale, New South Wales|Mona Vale]] via [[Mosman, New South Wales|Mosman]] and [[Dee Why]]. – Replaced by [[A8 (Sydney)|A8]]
Sections of Metroads 1, 2, 5, and 7 formed the [[Sydney Orbital Network]] circumnavigating the Sydney metropolitan area.

===Brisbane Metroads===
Brisbane's Metroad system employed odd numbers for north-to-south alignments and even numbers for east-to-west alignments. Most Metroads have since been completely or partially replaced with equivalent alphanumeric road markers. Brisbane is the only city currently retaining the Metroad system.

====Current Metroads====
*{{AUshield|Met|2}} Metroad 2 – [[Rocklea, Queensland|Rocklea]] to [[Mackenzie, Queensland|Mackenzie]] via Granard Road, Riawena Road, Kessels Road, and Mt Gravatt–Capalaba Road
*{{AUshield|Met|5}} Metroad 5 – [[Toowong]] to [[Kedron, Queensland|Kedron]] via Mount Coot–Tha Road, Frederick Street, Rouen Road, Boundary Road, Macgregor Terrace, Jubilee Terrace, Elimatta Drive, Stewart Road, Wardell Street, [[South Pine Road]], and Stafford Road

====Former Metroads====
*{{AUshield|Met|1}} Metroad 1 – [[M1 (Queensland)|M1]] - End of [[Pacific Motorway (Brisbane–Brunswick Heads)|Pacific Motorway]] ([[Tugun, Queensland|Tugun]]) to [[Cooroy, Queensland|Cooroy]]
*{{AUshield|Met|2}} Metroad 2 – [[Cunningham Highway]] (National Highway 15)/[[Warrego Highway]] (National Highway A2) Junction to [[Gateway Motorway]] (Metroad 1)
*{{AUshield|Met|3}} Metroad 3 – [[Pacific Motorway (Brisbane–Brunswick Heads)|Pacific]]/[[Gateway Motorway]] Junction (Metroad 1) to [[Gympie Arterial Road]]/[[Gateway Motorway]] Junction (Metroad 1)
*{{AUshield|Met|4}} Metroad 4 – [[Ipswich Motorway|Ipswich]]/[[Logan Motorway]] Junction (Metroad 2) to [[Pacific Motorway (Brisbane–Brunswick Heads)|Pacific]]/[[Gateway Motorway]] Junction (Metroad 1)
*{{AUshield|Met|5}} Metroad 5 – [[Ipswich Motorway]] (Metroad 2) to [[Gympie Road]] (Metroad 3)
*{{AUshield|Met|6}} Metroad 6 – [[Logan Motorway|Logan]]/[[Gateway Motorway]] Junction (Metroad 4) to [[Pacific Motorway (Brisbane–Brunswick Heads)|Pacific Motorway]] (Metroad 1)

==See also==
{{Portal|Australian Roads}}
* [[Highways in Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.qldmotorways.com.au Queensland Motorways]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20091027103349/http://geocities.com/humehwy31/metroad.html  Information on Sydney's Metroads]

{{Road infrastructure in Sydney}}
{{Road infrastructure in Brisbane}}

[[Category:Highways in Australia]]
[[Category:Brisbane Metroads]]