Freeways in Australia

Last updated

Australian Capital Territory

Canberra region

New South Wales alphanumeric route M23.svg

Other freeways (no route number)

New South Wales

New South Wales has the largest number and second highest density of motorways in Australia (behind Victoria), with the majority being located in Sydney City or the metropolitan areas.

Contents

Sydney region (urban motorways)

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M2.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A3.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M4.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A4.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M5.svg


AUS Alphanumeric Route M7.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M8.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A8.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A9.svg

(Oran Park to Bringelly, freeway grade road as part of the Northern Road Upgrades)

AUS Alphanumeric Route M11.svg


AUS Alphanumeric Route A28.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A40.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M31.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A38.svg

Unnumbered freeway-grade roads

Hunter and Central Coast region (rural and urban motorways)

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M15.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A37.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route B63.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A43.svg

South Coast region (rural and urban motorways)

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route B65.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg

Rural region (rural motorways)

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M23.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A25.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M31.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A32.svg

Under construction

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M4.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route M8.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M25.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M37.svg

In planning

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M6.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M8.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M9.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route M10.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M12.svg

Northern Territory

While the Northern Territory does not have any official freeways, parts of the Stuart Highway and the Tiger Brennan Drive are freeway grade roads with grade separate intersections.

See full freeway route here

AUS Alphanumeric Route A15.svg

Queensland

Brisbane region

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route M1 toll.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M2.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M3.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M4.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M5.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M6 toll.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M7.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M15.svg

'No shield'

Motorway grade roads

Australian state route 22.svg

Australian national route 13.svg

Former motorways

Gold Coast region

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

Australian state route 10.svg

Sunshine Coast region

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

Australian state route 70.svg

Regional Queensland

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A2.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A39.svg

South Australia

In South Australia, expressway may refer to a controlled access highway with no at-grade intersections or a limited access road of slightly lower standard with at-grade intersections at some locations.

Unlike some other states, South Australia only uses the 'M' designation on grade separated freeways

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M2.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A9.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A20.svg

Planned/proposed

AUS Alphanumeric Route M2.svg

Tasmania

The Brooker Highway at Claremont Brooker Hwy25.jpg
The Brooker Highway at Claremont

While Tasmania's highway network has been constructed to a high standard, its grade-separated freeway network is limited. In the past, Hobart and Launceston have each had comprehensive transport studies conducted, proposing grade-separated freeways running through and around them. While some of these roads have been constructed, the majority are limited access featuring at-grade intersections. Devonport and Burnie are the only major population centres with freeway standard roads linking each other. There have been repeated proposals in recent years to fully upgrade the Midland Highway to grade-separated freeway standard. [8] [9]
This List is limited to Tasmania's freeway-standard roads.

Hobart region

Tasman Highway approaching Hobart city center. Tasman-hwy-montagu-bay2.jpg
Tasman Highway approaching Hobart city center.

Australian national highway 1.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A3.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route A6.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route B68.svg

Rural region

Australian national highway 1.svg

Victoria

Victoria has the second largest number (behind New South Wales) and highest density of freeways in Australia, with the majority being located in Melbourne City or the metropolitan areas. While most of Australia has a low population density over a large area, where towns are sparse or located a significant distance from each other; Victoria has towns located throughout the entire state, with large numbers of inhabitants, in both urban and rural areas (many of which are major) such as Ballarat or Bendigo. In addition to the roads listed below, Victoria has a number of dual carriageway standard Highways that are given an "M" designation. Whilst these roads are not officially Freeway standard, many of them may have a number of grade-separated intersections along the route. These routes are not listed below.

Melbourne region (urban freeways)

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route M1 toll.svg

Note: "East" and "West" sections of Princes Freeway are officially part of the same freeway and route corridor.

AUS Alphanumeric Route M2.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route M2 toll.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M3.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route M3 toll.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M8.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M11.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M31.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M79.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M80.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M420.svg

Other freeway grade roads

These roads are officially designated by the Victorian Government as Freeways and may include some freeway signage, but are generally not considered part of the Melbourne freeway network.

Australian state route 62.svg

Rural region (rural freeways)

On freeways outside of Greater Melbourne, [10] the speed limit varies between 80 km/h and 110 km/h.

AUS Alphanumeric Route M1.svg

Note: "East" and "West" sections of Princes Freeway are officially part of the same freeway and route corridor.

AUS Alphanumeric Route M8.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M31.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M39.svg

AUS Alphanumeric Route M79.svg

Under construction

Western Australia

Western Australia has three named freeways – Kwinana Freeway, Mitchell Freeway, and Graham Farmer Freeway – but in addition has several highways that are in the process of being upgraded to full freeway standard and are considered part of the Perth freeway network. Their designation may remain as a highway though due to state restrictions on heavy vehicles (e.g. road trains) that are prevented by law from travelling on any road classed as a freeway.

Perth metro freeways

Australian state route 2.svg

Australian state route 3.svg

Australian state route 4.svg

Australian state route 7.svg

Australian state route 8.svg

Rural expressways / freeways

Under construction

Perth

  • Mitchell Freeway southbound widening – A third southbound lane is being added from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue as well as an extra lane will be built from Hepburn Avenue entry ramp to Warwick Road exit ramp.
  • Tonkin Gap project – the currently heavily congested section of Tonkin Highway between Collier Road and Great Eastern Highway upgraded to 3 lanes each way dual carriageway
  • Mitchell Freeway southbound – Installation of smart freeway technology with ramp metering from Hester Avenue to Vincent Street

Rural

  • Bunbury Outer Ring Road extension – the Bunbury Outer Ring Road will be a freeway between Forrest Highway and South Western Highway [18]
  • Albany Ring Road – phase 1, with phase 2 to commence straight after completion of phase 1

In planning

Perth

  • Mitchell Freeway Extension (Romeo Road to Moore River) [16]
  • Roe Highway Extension (Perth Freight Link) (Kwinana Freeway to Stirling Highway). Was under construction but this was halted at the last change of government. Its future remains unclear.
  • Roe Highway upgrade (Great Eastern Highway Bypass to Great Northern Highway)
  • Reid Highway upgrade (Tonkin Highway to Great Northern Highway)
  • Tonkin Highway upgrade (Hale Road to Mills Road)
  • Tonkin Highway upgrade (Champion Drive to Thomas Road)
  • Tonkin Highway Extension (Thomas Road to South Western Highway, Pinjarra)
  • Whiteman-Yanchep Freeway (Tonkin Highway/Gnangara Road to Mitchell Freeway (proposed)/Yanchep Beach Road) [19]
  • Orrong Road Upgrade – Orrong Road to be upgraded to a 4 lane trenched expressway with service roads alongside from Graham Farmer Freeway to Leach Highway, rising onto a viaduct over Leach Highway and Division Street/Bell Street. May be extended in the future along Orrong and Welshpool Roads as far as Tonkin Highway.
  • Great Eastern Highway Bypass, where all current at grade intersections are planned to be removed and the road upgraded to full freeway standard.

Rural

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway 1 (Australia)</span> Network of highways that circumnavigate Australia

Australia's Highway 1 is a network of highways that circumnavigate the country, joining all mainland capital cities except the national capital of Canberra. At a total length of approximately 14,500 km (9,000 mi) it is the longest national highway in the world, surpassing the Trans-Siberian Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway. Over a million people traverse some part of the highway network every day. It is the longest continuing highway in the world as the Pan-American Highway is separated by the Darién Gap and AH1 is separated by the Sea of Japan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dual carriageway</span> Type of road

A dual carriageway (BrE) or a divided highway (AmE) is a class of highway with carriageways for traffic travelling in opposite directions separated by a central reservation (BrE) or median (AmE). Roads with two or more carriageways which are designed to higher standards with controlled access are generally classed as motorways, freeways, etc., rather than dual carriageways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Orbital Network</span> Road in New South Wales, Australia

The Sydney Orbital Network is a 110 kilometre motorway standard ring road around and through Sydney, the capital of New South Wales in Australia. It runs north from Sydney Airport, underneath the CBD to the North Shore, west to the Hills District, south to Prestons and then east to connect with the airport. Much of the road is privately owned and financed by tolls.

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

Princes Motorway is a 62-kilometre (39 mi) predominantly dual carriage untolled motorway that links Sydney to Wollongong and further south through the Illawarra region to Oak Flats. Part of the Australian Highway 1 network, the motorway is designated route M1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Motorway (Brisbane–Brunswick Heads)</span> Motorway in New South Wales and Queensland

The Pacific Motorway is a motorway in Australia between Brisbane, Queensland, and Brunswick Heads, New South Wales, through the New South Wales–Queensland border at Tweed Heads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Controlled-access highway</span> Highway designed for high-speed, regulated traffic flow

A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms include throughway or thruway and parkway. Some of these may be limited-access highways, although this term can also refer to a class of highways with somewhat less isolation from other traffic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Motorway (Sydney–Newcastle)</span> Motorway in New South Wales, Australia

M1 Pacific Motorway is a 127-kilometre motorway linking Sydney to Newcastle via the Central Coast and Hunter regions of New South Wales. Formerly known but still commonly referred to by both the public and the government as the F3 Freeway, Sydney–Newcastle Freeway, and Sydney–Newcastle Expressway, it is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane.

The Gateway Motorway is a major tolled motorway in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia which includes the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges. The motorway is operated by toll road operator Transurban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roe Highway</span> Highway in Perth, Western Australia

Roe Highway is a 35-kilometre-long (22 mi) limited-access highway and partial freeway in Perth, Western Australia, linking Kewdale with the city's north-eastern and south-western suburbs. The northern terminus is at Reid Highway and Great Northern Highway in Middle Swan, and the southern terminus is with Murdoch Drive at the Kwinana Freeway interchange in Bibra Lake. Roe Highway, in addition to Reid Highway, form State Route 3, a partial ring road around the outer suburbs of the Perth metropolitan area. Roe Highway also forms part of National Highway 94 from Great Eastern Highway Bypass to Great Eastern Highway, and National Highway 95 from Great Eastern Highway to Great Northern Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M2 Hills Motorway</span> Motorway in Sydney, Australia

M2 Hills Motorway is a 19.3-kilometre (12.0 mi) tolled urban motorway in Sydney, New South Wales that is part of the Sydney Orbital Network and the National Highway west of Pennant Hills Road. Owned by toll road operator Transurban, it forms majority of Sydney's M2 route, with the Lane Cove Tunnel constituting the rest of the M2 route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M4 Motorway (Sydney)</span> Motorway in Sydney

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M5 Motorway (Sydney)</span> Motorway in Sydney, Australia

The M5 Motorway is a 28.8-kilometre (17.9 mi) series of tolled motorways located in Sydney, New South Wales designated as route M5. It is part of the Sydney Orbital Network.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Two-lane expressway</span> Expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction

A two-lane expressway or two-lane freeway is an expressway or freeway with only one lane in each direction, and usually no median barrier. It may be built that way because of constraints, or may be intended for expansion once traffic volumes rise. The term super two is often used by roadgeeks for this type of road, but traffic engineers use that term for a high-quality surface road. Most of these roads are not tolled.

Sydney Bypass refers to a number of roads, existing and proposed, that motorists can use to avoid the congested approaches to the Sydney central business district (CBD). The main bypasses are:

This article describes the highway systems available in selected countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway 1 (New South Wales)</span> Road route in New South Wales, Australia

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.

NorthConnex is a 9-kilometre (5.6 mi) twin-tube motorway tunnel in northern Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, signposted as the M11 Tunnel. It acts as a tunnel bypass of the congested Pennant Hills Road, extending or connecting the M1 Pacific Motorway to the M2 Hills Motorway. Owned by NorthWestern Roads (NWR) Group, it is one of the longest road tunnels in Australia, along with the WestConnex Tunnel. It is also the deepest road tunnel in Australia, with more than half of the tunnel 60 metres (200 ft) deep or more, and the deepest point is underneath the Sydney Metro Northwest, about 90 metres (300 ft) below ground.

The M6 Motorway is an under-construction motorway in Sydney, New South Wales consisting of twin, 4-kilometre long tunnels linking the M8 Motorway at Arncliffe to President Avenue at Kogarah. This section started major construction in November 2021 and is expected to open in late 2025. The possibility of future extensions to the south will be accommodated by providing stub tunnels in the project.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M8 Motorway (Sydney)</span> Motorway in Sydney, Australia

The M8 Motorway is a 15.2-kilometre (9.4 mi) tolled dual carriageway motorway in Sydney that is designated the M8 route marker. It consists predominantly of tunnels and includes tunnel connections to the future Western Harbour Tunnel and the M6 Motorway.

References

  1. "Monaro Highway upgrade". 21 February 2024.
  2. "F6 Extension". Roads Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  3. "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  5. "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  6. "Construction of $1.8 billion Coffs Harbour bypass gets underway | 7NEWS". 16 December 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2022 via YouTube.
  7. "M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace". 30 January 2023.
  8. "Plan for four-lane Midland Highway". The Examiner. December 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  9. "Abbott Doorstop in Launceston – Midland Highway upgrade". Liberal Party of Australia. February 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Greater Melbourne and urban zones".
  11. "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  12. "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  13. "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  14. "Google Maps Street View - Ringwood Bypass".
  15. "Western Highway upgrade suspended over VicRoads planning blunder". The Age. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Managed Freeways Policy Discussion Paper" (PDF). Main Roads Western Australia. June 2012. pp. 3, 25–26. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  17. Seeber, Elisia (13 September 2015). "Grand Gateway to Perth Airport opens". PerthNow. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019. Leach Highway has been upgraded to expressway standard
  18. "Bunbury Outer Ring Road Stages 2 and 3" (PDF). Main Roads Western Australia. August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  19. "Whiteman Yanchep Highway". Main Roads Western Australia. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 12 June 2019.