Cobb Highway

Cobb Highway New South Wales –Victoria
Cobb Highway just outside Hay towards Ivanhoe
General information
Type	Highway
Length	571 km (355 mi) [1]
Gazetted	August 1928 (as Main Road 60) [2] March 1938 (as State Highway 21) [3]
Route number(s)	B75 (2013–present)
Former route number	National Route 75 (1955–2013)
Major junctions
North end	Barrier Highway Wilcannia, New South Wales
	Mid-Western Highway Sturt Highway Riverina Highway
South end	Northern Highway NSW/VIC border
Location(s)
Major settlements	Ivanhoe, Booligal, Hay, Deniliquin
Highway system
Highways in Australia National Highway  • Freeways in Australia Highways in New South Wales Highways in Victoria

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.

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.

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. It is a sealed single carriageway for its entire length.

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 (MRB). 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 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. ^[10]

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993 ^[11] 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. ^[12]

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. ^[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

Bridges

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). ^[15]

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. ^[16]

Sealing

In 2011, work began to seal the 132 km (82 mi) of the highway that remained unsealed. ^[17] Alongside concurrent works on the Silver City Highway, this was done as part of a $195 million project by the NSW Government to complete the sealing of the state's highway network. An official opening ceremony was held in November 2023 at the final section of highway to be sealed, near Halfway Tree between Wilcannia and Ivanhoe. ^[10]

Major intersections

State	LGA	Location	km [1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
New South Wales	Central Darling	Wilcannia	0	0.0	Barrier Highway (A32) – Cobar, Dubbo, Wilcannia, Broken Hill	Northern terminus of highway and route B75
		Ivanhoe	157	98	Ivanhoe–Menindee Road – Menindee
			162	101	Balranald Road – Balranald, Swan Hill
			163	101	Behring Street, to Cobar–Ivanhoe Road (The Wool Track) – Cobar
	Carrathool	Mossgiel	212	132	Mossgiel Trunk Road – Hillston, Griffith
	Hay	Hay	370	230	Mid-Western Highway (B64) – Goolgowi, West Wyalong, Bathurst, Sydney
			371	231	Cadell Street, to Maude Road – Maude
	Murrumbidgee River		372	231	Bridge over the river (no known name)
	Hay	Hay South	373	232	Sturt Highway (A20) – Adelaide, Mildura, Balranald, Sydney	Roundabout
			381	237	Jerilderie Road – Jerilderie
	Conargo	Pretty Pine	477	296	Moulamein Road – Moulamein
	Deniliquin	Deniliquin	493	306	Riverina Highway (B58) – Finley, Berrigan, Albury	Roundabout
	Edward River		494	307	National Bridge
	Deniliquin	Deniliquin	496	308	Deniliquin–Barham Road (southwest) – Barham, Kerang Ochtertyre Street (northwest), to Wakool Road – Wakool, Moulamein	Roundabout
	Murray	Moama	554	344	Barmah Road – Barmah, Nathalia
			567	352	Perricoota Road – Womboota
			568	353	Meninya Street – Moama
	Murray River		569	354	Dhungala Bridge [18]
State border					New South Wales – Victoria border
Victoria	Campaspe River		570.5	354.5	Yakoa Bridge [18]
	Campaspe	Echuca	571	355	Warren Street (B75 west, C349 east) – Bendigo, Melbourne	Southern highway terminus at roundabout; route B75 continues west along Northern Highway
Route transition

See also

• Australian Roads portal
• New South Wales portal

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in New South Wales

References

1. "Cobb Highway" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved 15 August 2022.
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. "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. Transport for NSW (December 2023). "Sealing the Cobb and Silver City highways" (PDF). Transport for NSW. NSW Government.
11. 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
12. Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
13. "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.
14. The Long Paddock: Cobb Highway Touring Route
15. "National Route 75: Cobb Highway". Ozroads: the Australian Roads website. Retrieved 22 January 2007.^{[ self-published source ]}
16. "Echuca-Moama Bridge Project". Vicoria's Big Build. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
17. Transport for NSW (January 2019). "Sealing the Cobb and Silver City highways" (PDF). Transport for NSW. NSW Government. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
18. "Echuca-Moama Bridge Project: Stage 3". Vicoria's Big Build. Retrieved 22 February 2023.

External links

• The Long Paddock: Cobb Highway Touring Route website.