Cobb Highway

Last updated

Cobb Highway

New South Wales
–Victoria
Cobb Highway at Hay NSW road to Ivanhoe 1.jpg
Cobb Highway just outside Hay towards Ivanhoe
Location Cobb Hwy.svg
General information
TypeHighway
Length571 km (355 mi) [1]
Gazetted August 1928 (as Main Road 60) [2]
March 1938 (as State Highway 21) [3]
Route number(s) AUS Alphanumeric Route B75.svg B75 (2013–present)
Former
route number		Australian national route 75.svg National Route 75 (1955–2013)
Major junctions
North endAUS Alphanumeric Route A32.svg Barrier Highway
Wilcannia, New South Wales
 
South endAUS Alphanumeric Route B75.svg Northern Highway
NSW/VIC border
Location(s)
Major settlements Ivanhoe, Booligal, Hay, Deniliquin
Highway system

Cobb Highway is a state highway in the western Riverina and the far western regions of New South Wales, with a short section in Victoria, Australia, designated part of route B75.

Contents

Initially an amalgam of stock routes, the 571-kilometre (355 mi) [1] highway extends from the Victorian border north across central New South Wales to Wilcannia, and was named in honour of the Cobb and Co stagecoach company. The highway follows an old coach route through the Riverina, connecting the Murray, Murrumbidgee and Lachlan rivers, and across the intervening plains to the Darling River at Wilcannia. Cobb Highway also connects the Barrier, Mid-Western, Sturt, and Riverina highways.

The majority of Cobb Highway is a sealed single carriageway, with 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of gravel road near Ivanhoe remaining to be sealed as of December 2022.

Route

From north to south, Cobb Highway begins at its junction with Barrier Highway near Wilcannia, and runs south through the townships of Ivanhoe, Booligal, Hay and Deniliquin. Its southern terminus is in Echuca, Victoria, at a roundabout located approximately 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) southwest of Moama where the highway crosses the New South Wales–Victoria border at the Murray River and continues south as Northern Highway, also designated route B75.

The highway travels through diverse changes in scenery, from the Murray River, enclosed farming land in the Riverina, to open grazing land and semi-desert towards the middle and northern sections.

The speed limit is posted at 100 km/h (62 mph), except for three sections where the limit is 110 km/h (68 mph): 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Deniliquin until Hay, Hay until a few kilometres north of Booligal, and from just south of Mossgiel to Ivanhoe.

History

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. 60 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the bridge over the Murray River at Moama, via Deniliquin and Hay to the intersection with Mid-Western Highway at Booligal; [2] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929 [5] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Trunk Road 60 on 8 April 1929. When Mid-Western Highway was re-routed to run via Hay instead of Booligal on 24 September 1929, the declaration remained unchanged. [6]

The Department of Main Roads, which had succeeded the New South Wales MRB in 1932, declared State Highway 21 on 16 March 1938, from the state border with Victoria on the Murray River at Moama via Deniliquin to the intersection with Sturt Highway near Hay, then from the intersection with Mid-Western Highway in Hay, via Booligal to the intersection with Barrier Highway south of Wilcannia, then from Wilcannia via White Cliffs, Cobham Lake, Milparkinka and Tibooburra to the state border with Queensland at Olive Downs, subsuming Trunk Road 60. [3] This was altered to run continuously through Hay, subsuming the small portion of Mid-Western Highway previously terminating at the intersection with Sturt Highway, on 12 January 1944; Mid-Western Highway was re-declared to terminate at the intersection with State Highway 21 in Hay as a result. [7] With the declaration of State Highway 22 (later Silver City Highway) subsuming the alignment between Cobham Lake and the state border with Queensland on 24 January 1945, its northern end was truncated to end at the intersection with Barrier Highway south of Wilcannia; the former alignment between Wilcannia via White Cliffs to Kayrunnera was declared as Main Road 435. [8]

State Highway 21 was named Cobb Highway on 23 April 1947, [9] in honour of Cobb and Co, a company which ran a network of stagecoaches in inland Australia in the latter half of the 19th century and early in the 20th century.

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993 [10] through the Parliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Cobb Highway today retains its declaration as Highway 21, from the state border with Victoria at Moama via Deniliquin, Hay, Booligal and Ivanhoe to the intersection with Barrier Highway south of Wilcannia. [11]

Cobb Highway was signed National Route 75 across its entire length in 1955. With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, this was replaced with route B75. [12]

In May 1969 a bridge over the Edward River at Deniliquin was constructed (replacing a timber bridge built in 1895). In June 1973 a bridge over Murrumbidgee River at Hay was built (replacing the 1874 opening bridge). [13]

Cobb Highway is part of a significant travelling stock routes network in New South Wales. The highway is the focus of a major tourism initiative entitled The Long Paddock, developed by the shires along the route (Murray, Deniliquin, Conargo, Hay and Central Darling). The Long Paddock project aims to develop sustainable communities along the Cobb Highway through the development of a dynamic cultural heritage touring route. The project uses the consistent theme of transportation, involving elements of history, creative interpretation and local environment, to link the communities along the highway. [14]

Upgrades

Echuca-Moama Bridge Project

A project to build an extra bridge over the Murray River linking Echuca and Moama commenced in late 2017 and concluded with its opening on 11 April 2022. The project had a total cost of $323.7 million, and was jointly funded by the Australian, Victorian and NSW governments. [15]

Sealing

Work has been underway since 2011 to seal the remaining 132 km (82 mi) of unsealed highway. [16] In June 2018, the NSW Government announced it was investing $145 million to seal the remaining 209 km (130 mi) of the Cobb and Silver City Highways by 2023. [17] As of March 2020, there is still 71 km (44 mi) of unsealed road remaining to be sealed. [18]

Major intersections

StateLGALocationkm [1] miDestinationsNotes
New South Wales Central Darling Wilcannia 00.0AUS Alphanumeric Route A32.svg Barrier Highway (A32) – Cobar, Dubbo, Wilcannia, Broken Hill Northern terminus of highway and route B75
Ivanhoe 15798Ivanhoe–Menindee Road – Menindee
162101Balranald Road – Balranald, Swan Hill
163101Behring Street, to Cobar-Ivanhoe Road (The Wool Track) – Cobar
Carrathool Mossgiel 212132Mossgiel Trunk Road – Hillston, Griffith
Hay Hay 370230AUS Alphanumeric Route B64.svg Mid-Western Highway (B64) – Goolgowi, West Wyalong, Bathurst, Sydney
371231Cadell Street, to Maude Road – Maude
Murrumbidgee River 372231Bridge over the river (no known name)
Hay Hay South 373232AUS Alphanumeric Route A20.svg Sturt Highway (A20) – Adelaide, Mildura, Balranald, Sydney Roundabout
381237Jerilderie Road – Jerilderie
Conargo Pretty Pine 477296Moulamein Road – Moulamein
Deniliquin Deniliquin 493306AUS Alphanumeric Route B58.svg Riverina Highway (B58) – Finley, Berrigan, Albury Roundabout
Edward River 494307National Bridge
Deniliquin Deniliquin 496308Deniliquin–Barham Road (southwest) – Barham, Kerang
Ochtertyre Street (northwest), to Wakool Road – Wakool, Moulamein 		Roundabout
Murray Moama 554344Barmah Road – Barmah, Nathalia
567352Perricoota Road – Womboota
568353Meninya Street – Moama
Murray River 569354Dhungala Bridge [19]
State borderNew South Wales – Victoria border
Victoria Campaspe River 570.5354.5Yakoa Bridge [19]
Campaspe Echuca 571355AUS Alphanumeric Route B75.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route C349.svg Warren Street (B75 west, C349 east) – Bendigo, Melbourne Southern highway terminus at roundabout; route B75 continues west along Northern Highway
  •        Route transition

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver City Highway</span> Highway in New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hay, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Hay is a town in the western Riverina region of south western New South Wales, Australia. It is the administrative centre of Hay Shire local government area and the centre of a prosperous and productive agricultural district on the wide Hay Plains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mid-Western Highway</span> Highway in New South Wales

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray Valley Highway</span> Highway in Victoria and New South Wales

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidman Way</span> Highway in New South Wales

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ivanhoe, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

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Mossgiel is a location in New South Wales, Australia, in Carrathool Shire. It was a township on the coach route between the Lachlan and Darling Rivers, 50 km southeast of Ivanhoe near the junction with the road to Hillston. The settlement experienced a steady decline during the 20th century. Nowadays Mossgiel township consists of one house and a community hall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Tree, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deniliquin</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Google (15 August 2022). "Cobb Highway" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  3. 1 2 "Main Roads Act, 1924-1937". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 46. National Library of Australia. 25 March 1938. p. 1223. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  4. ↑ 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 Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  5. ↑ 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. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
  6. ↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1929". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 132. National Library of Australia. 4 October 1929. p. 4084. Archived from the original on 26 August 2022. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  7. ↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1939". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 8. National Library of Australia. 28 January 1944. p. 103. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  8. ↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1939". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 15. National Library of Australia. 9 February 1945. p. 271. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  9. ↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1945". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 56. National Library of Australia. 9 May 1947. pp. 1909–1. Archived from the original on 12 September 2022. Retrieved 12 September 2022.
  10. ↑ 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. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  11. ↑ Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Road number and name changes in NSW" (PDF). Roads & Maritime Services . Government of New South Wales. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "National Route 75: Cobb Highway". Ozroads: the Australian Roads website. Retrieved 22 January 2007.[ self-published source ]
  14. ↑ The Long Paddock: Cobb Highway Touring Route
  15. ↑ "Echuca-Moama Bridge Project". Vicoria's Big Build. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "Cobb Highway and Silver City Highway sealing and upgrade program". Transport for NSW. Retrieved 26 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ↑ "Sealing the Cobb and Silver City highways" (PDF). Transport for NSW. January 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  18. ↑ "Sealing the Cobb and Silver City highways" (PDF). Transport for NSW. April 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)[ permanent dead link ]
  19. 1 2 "Echuca-Moama Bridge Project: Stage 3". Vicoria's Big Build. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
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