The A3 is a route designation of a major metropolitan arterial route through suburban Sydney, connecting the A8 at Mona Vale at its northern end, to Princes Highway at Blakehurst at its southern end. This name covers a few consecutive roads and is widely known to most drivers, but the entire allocation is also known – and signposted – by the names of its constituent parts: Mona Vale Road, Ryde Road, Lane Cove Road, Devlin Street, Church Street, Concord Road, Homebush Bay Drive, Centenary Drive, Roberts Road, Wiley Avenue and King Georges Road.
It is a major connector between most of the major radial routes emanating from central Sydney, and a major link between the northern and southern parts of the Sydney tolled orbital freeway. It is the most direct, although not necessarily the quickest, route across Sydney between the South Coast and the North Coast. It is one of only three road connections between the Northern Beaches region of Sydney and the rest of Sydney (the other two being routes A38 and A8.
Route
A3 (King Georges Road) in Beverly Hills
The A3 commences at the intersection of Pittwater Road at Mona Vale and heads in a southwesterly direction as Mona Vale Road as a two-lane, single carriageway road, widening to a four-lane, dual-carriageway road at Terrey Hills and to a six-lane, dual-carriageway road at St Ives, before running under Pacific Highway at an interchange at Pymble. It changes name to Ryde Road and continues in a southwesterly direction, crossing the Lane Cove River over De Burghs Bridge and changing names to Lane Cove Road, before crossing M2 Hills Motorway at Macquarie Park and then Epping Road in North Ryde shortly afterwards. It changes name again to Devlin Street at the intersection with Blaxland Road at Ryde, and then runs under Victoria Road at an interchange shortly after, before changing name again to Church Street, crossing Parramatta River over Ryde Bridge, and changing name to Concord Road.
Just south of Rhodes, it changes name to Homebush Bay Drive and heads in a southerly direction, crossing M4 Western Motorway and changing name again to Centenary Drive, then over Great Western Highway in a short distance just south of Sydney Olympic Park. Marlborough Road, which serves as an on-off ramp on both sides of the main roadway in the vicinity of the Flemington markets, and the associated loop road, is part of the route designation.[3]
Much of the route becomes very congested in peak hour. The highest speed limit on the A3 is 90km/h (56mph) on Mona Vale Road.
History
Ryde Bridge is part of the A3 route
The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[4] 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). Main Road No. 139 was declared along Devlin Street between Gladesville Road (today Blaxland Road) in Ryde (and continuing northwards via Eastwood and Epping to the intersection with Pennant Hills Road in Pennant Hills),[2] Main Road No. 162 was declared along Wicks, Pittwater and Lane Cove Roads through Ryde, Ryde Road through Gordon, then via St. Ives to the intersection with Pittwater Road in Mona Vale,[2] and Main Road No. 200 was declared from the intersection of Great Western Highway and Concord Road in Concord, along Concord Road to Parramatta River (using the punt service between Rhodes and Meadowbanks) then along Bowden Street to Parramatta Road (today Victoria Road),[2] on the same day, 8 August 1928, and Main Road 315 was declared on 19 February 1929, from the intersection with Great Western Highway south along Concord Road through Strathfield, The Boulevard, Punchbowl Road, Wiley Avenue, Canary Road and Belmore Road to Hurstville (and continuing south along Woniora Road to meet Princes Highway at Blakehurst);[5] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[6] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, these was amended to Main Roads 139 and 162 and 200 and 315 on 8 April 1929.
The punt service across Parramatta River was replaced by Ryde Bridge in 1935, changing the alignment to today's route along Church Street to meet Devlin Street in Ryde on 19 March 1935.[7]
Main Road 162 was officially named Mona Vale Road, between Pittwater Road in Mona Vale and Pacific Highway Pymble, on 10 January 1951,[8] and Ryde Road, between Pacific Highway and De Burghs Bridge in West Pymble (previously known as The Broadway), on 27 February 1952.[9] Main Road 315 was officially named King Georges Road, between Punchbowl Road in Lakemba and Princes Highway in Blakehurst (previously known as Wiley Avenue, Canary Road, Dumbleton Road and Belmore Road), on 24 September 1952,[10] and Main Road 200 was officially named Church Street, between Devlin Street in Ryde and Ryde Bridge, on 6 May 1953.[11] Ryde Council later constructed a new alignment through Ryde, changing from Wicks and Pittwater Roads to today's Lane Cove Road in September 1961. The southern end of Main Road 315 between Hurstville and Blakeville was re-aligned to follow the entire length of King Georges Road (and terminate at Princes Highway some distance south than its previous intersection at Woniora Road) on 11 November 1964.[12]
What is now called A3 was initially designated to become a major north–south metropolitan arterial route in 1964, when the route incorporating the existing local arterial roads above was designated Ring Road 3.[13] After 1964, upgrading projects were commenced, with the construction of new De Burghs Bridges over the Lane Cove River between Pymble and Ryde (1967). A grade-separated crossing was constructed at Epping Road at North Ryde (1978).[14]
Prior to 1983, the route passed through the Strathfield town centre, proceeding along (north to south) Concord Road, The Boulevarde, Coronation Parade and Punchbowl Road, to join King Georges Road. The part of this route that passes through Strathfield town centre was very congested and also problematical to widen. A major deviation of this part of the route was built between 1983 and 1998, relocating the arterial route to the west between Rhodes and Wiley Park, to bypass the Strathfield bottleneck and improve access to the Olympic Precinct at Homebush Bay. Called the "Strathfield Bypass" at the time, the deviation route includes the new Homebush Bay Drive and Centenary Drive (named for the centenary of Strathfield Municipality), and an upgraded Roberts Road though Chullora and Greenacre, connecting to King Georges Road near Wiley Park. The road upgrades, new bridges and connections for this deviation were completed in stages between 1983 and 1998.[14] At this time, the southern end of Main Road 200 was altered, from its earlier alignment along Concord Road between Ryde Bridge and Strathfield, to Homebush Bay Drive, Centenary Drive, Roberts Road, Wiley Avenue and King Georges Road to terminate with Princes Highway at Blakeville, subsuming the southern half of Main Road 315 (its northern half, along Punchbowl Road, was made part of Main Road 549, and from Stathfield along The Boulevard, was replaced by Main Road 668, which was also routed north along the former alignment of Main Road 200, from Strathfield along Concord Road to meet Homebush Bay Drive just south of Ryde Bridge), on 22 January 1993.[15]
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[16] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, the A3 retains its declaration as Main Roads 139 (as Devlin Street), 162 (as Lane Cove, Ryde and Mona Vale Roads), and Main Road 200 (Church Street, Homebush Bay and Centenary Drives, Roberts Road, Wiley Avenue and King Georges Road).[17]
The route was allocated Ring Road 3 in 1964, before it was replaced with State Route 33 in 1974. When the new alignment around Strathfield (along Homebush Bay and Centenary Drives and Roberts Road) opened, State Route 33 was rerouted along it, with the original alignment through Strathfield (along The Boulevarde and Punchbowl Road, along Main Roads 549 and 668) was subsequently allocated State Route 27 in December 1992, later decommissioned in 2004.[18] The whole route was re-designated Metroad 3 in April 1993,[14] one of Sydney's only Metroad routes not to have changed alignment since their introduction. With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, Metroad 3 was replaced by route A3.[19]
Great Western Highway is a 202-kilometre-long (126 mi) state highway in New South Wales, Australia. From east to west, the highway links Sydney with Bathurst, on the state's Central Tablelands.
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.
The A6 is a route designation of a major metropolitan arterial route through suburban Sydney, linking Cumberland Highway at Carlingford and Princes Highway at Heathcote, via Lidcombe and Bankstown. This name covers a few consecutive roads and is widely known to most drivers, but the entire allocation is also known – and signposted – by the names of its constituent parts: Marsden Road, Stewart Street, Kissing Point Road, Silverwater Road, St Hilliers Road, Boorea Street, Olympic Drive, Joseph Street, Rookwood Road, Stacey Street, Fairford Road, Davies Road, Alfords Point Road, New Illawarra Road and Heathcote Road.
Parramatta Road is the major historical east-west artery of metropolitan Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, connecting the Sydney CBD with Parramatta. It is the easternmost part of the Great Western Highway. Since the 1990s its role has been augmented by the City West Link and M4 Motorway.
Pennant Hills Road is a 16.1-kilometre-long (10.0 mi) arterial road located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The road links the suburb of Wahroonga in the northeast, to the major central business district of Parramatta in the southwest. Apart from a small section at its southwestern end, it is a constituent part of Cumberland Highway, and is designated part of route A28.
The M4 Motorway is a 55-kilometre (34 mi) series of partially tolled dual carriageway motorways in Sydney designated as route M4. The M4 designation is part of the wider A4 and M4 route designation, the M4 runs parallel and/or below ground to Great Western Highway, Parramatta Road and City West Link, which are part of route A44.
Southern Cross Drive is a 4.8 km (3 mi) dual carriage untolled motorway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Part of the M1 and Sydney Orbital Network, the road, a freeway that opened in 1969, links South Dowling Street at Kensington in the north to General Holmes Drive at Sydney Airport in the south.
King Georges Road is a 9.0-kilometre-long (5.6 mi) major suburban arterial road through south-western Sydney, Australia. It is a constituent part of the A3 route.
Barrenjoey Road is a main urban road along the northern coast of the Northern Beaches suburbs of Sydney, Australia. In 1978, the Barrenjoey Road area came to national attention due to the unsolved disappearance of Trudie Adams.
Pittwater Road is a 21-kilometre-long (13 mi) major arterial road along the coast of the Northern Beaches suburbs of Sydney, Australia, the majority of which is a constituent part of the A8 route.
Lane Cove Road is a 4.9-kilometre-long (3.0 mi) major suburban arterial road through North Ryde in Sydney, Australia. It is a constituent part of the A3 route.
Epping Road is a 10-kilometre-long (6.2 mi) is a major arterial road linking the lower North Shore and Sydney central business district to the north western suburbs of the upper North Shore and Hills District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, being a major access road to the commercial, industrial and university areas of North Ryde and Macquarie Park.
The A8 is a route designation of a major metropolitan arterial route through suburban north-eastern Sydney. This name covers a few consecutive roads and is widely known to most drivers, but the entire allocation is also known – and signposted – by the names of its constituent parts: Pittwater Road, Condamine Street, Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation, Manly Road, Spit Road and Military Road.
Camden Valley Way is a 23-kilometre (14 mi) arterial road between the southwestern fringes of suburban Sydney and the historic town of Camden. It is a former alignment of Hume Highway.
Ryde Road is a 3.3-kilometre-long (2.1 mi) arterial road in Sydney, Australia. It is a constituent part of the A3 (Sydney) route.
In New South Wales, Highway 1 is a 1,351-kilometre (839 mi) long route that crosses the state, from the Queensland/New South Wales border near Tweed Heads to the Victorian border near Timbillica. It provides the main coastal route between Brisbane and Melbourne via Sydney. Highway 1 continues around the rest of Australia, joining all mainland state capitals, and connecting major centres in Tasmania.
The A38 is a route designation of a major metropolitan arterial route through suburban Sydney, linking M2 Hills Motorway in North Ryde and Pittwater Road (A8) in Dee Why. This name covers a few consecutive roads and is widely known to most drivers, but the entire allocation is also known – and signposted – by the names of its constituent parts: Delhi Road, Millwood Avenue, Fullers Road, Pacific Highway, Boundary Street, Babbage Road and Warringah Road.
The Cooks River cycleway, also called the Bay to Bay Shared Pathway, is a 30-kilometre-long (19 mi) shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians in the Inner West of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The north-western terminus of the cycleway is in Settlers' Park, Ryde, from where it proceeds south, crossing the Parramatta River and skirting Homebush Bay to the Cooks River, from where it generally follows the course of the river south and east to the south-eastern terminus on Botany Bay at Kyeemagh. The alternative name "Bay to Bay" or "B2B" path refers to Homebush Bay and Botany Bay. The path connects a series of parklands in the City of Ryde and the Municipality of Strathfield, as well as the riverside green spaces along the course of the Cooks River.
1 2 3 4 "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.110. National Library of Australia. 17 August 1928. pp.3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.37. National Library of Australia. 15 March 1929. p.1275. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1934". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.66. National Library of Australia. 29 March 1935. p.1343. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1950". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.16. National Library of Australia. 2 February 1951. p.290. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1951". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.56. National Library of Australia. 14 March 1952. pp.796–7. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1951". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.215. National Library of Australia. 17 October 1952. p.3718. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1951". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.107. National Library of Australia. 29 May 1953. p.1742. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1963". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.140. National Library of Australia. 11 December 1964. p.4007. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
↑ "State Roads Act". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No.7. National Library of Australia. 22 January 1993. pp.223–30. Archived from the original on 4 May 2023. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
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A3 (2013–present)
Pittwater Road 
Princes Highway 
