Road routes in Western Australia assist drivers navigating roads in urban, rural, and scenic areas of the state. [1] The route numbering system is composed of National Highways, National Routes, State Routes, and Tourist Drives. Each route has a unique number, except for National Highway 1 and National Route 1, which mark Highway 1 in Western Australia. Routes are denoted on directional signs and roadside poles by appropriately numbered markers, the design of which varies according to route type. [1]
National Highways and National Routes are designated by the Federal Government along roads of national importance, whilst State Routes and Tourist Drives are designated by the State Government. Highways and some arterial roads are controlled and maintained by Main Roads Western Australia. [2] [3] The remaining roads are generally the responsibility of local governments, though there are also some private roads and Department of Environment and Conservation roads. [2]
Many major roads in Perth [4] and in rural Western Australia [5] are not assigned a route number. Not many routes have been added since the 1990s; exceptions include the Graham Farmer Freeway, Mandjoogoordap Drive and Port Gregory Road/George Grey Drive.[ citation needed ]
Western Australia is the only remaining state to use the 1950s system in full (other than there being 1 National Route), while other states have either discontinued it in favour of an alphanumeric system or switched to a cheaper hybrid system, followed by phasing out the National Highway system. There are no definite plans to stop using it.
National Highways are designated with gold numbers on a green shield. [1] These are the most direct routes between Perth and other Australian capital cities. Black on white shields indicate National Routes that are not part of the National Highway system. [1] Highway 1 is a route that circumnavigates Australia, joining all mainland state capitals, via roads numbered as National Highway 1 or National Route 1 (or as M1, A1, or B1 in states with an alphanumeric route numbering system).
State Routes in Western Australia are designated by a white number on a blue shield. [1] Single digit routes travel completely or partially along urban freeways or highways. Two digit route numbers that end in zero are the major road routes out of Perth, except for Route 10, which designates rural highway connections in the South West region. Other two digit routes connect the urban centres of Perth, while three digit routes connect regional and remote areas of Western Australia.
Tourist Drives, designated by white numbers on a brown shield, are routes through areas of scenic or historic significance. [1] Tourist Drives were introduced into Western Australia while Eric Charlton was the state government Minister for Transport in the 1990s. The 28 numbered routes collectively traverse more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) across the state. [8] In addition to the Tourist Drives, there are also unnumbered routes such as the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail, [9] and local governments may designate and maintain local scenic drives, generally unnamed and unnumbered. [10]
Route | Component roads | From | Via | To | Length | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kings Park Tourist Drive 200 |
| Kings Park Road / Malcolm Street |
| State War Memorial | 7 km (4.3 mi) | Kings Park circular route [8] : 5 Decommissioned [ according to whom? ] |
John Forrest Tourist Drive 201 |
| Great Eastern Highway, Darlington |
| Great Eastern Highway, Glen Forrest | 10 km (6.2 mi) | Route through John Forrest National Park [8] : 9 |
Rockingham Coastal Tourist Drive 202 |
| Kwinana Beach | Warnbro | 24 km (15 mi) | Rockingham coastal route [8] : 13 | |
Swan Valley Tourist Drive 203 |
| Guildford | Guildford | 31 km (19 mi) | Swan Valley circular route [8] : 8 | |
Sunset Coast Tourist Drive 204 |
| Stirling Bridge, North Fremantle | Cottesloe | Swanbourne | 38 km (24 mi) | Route along Perth's northern beaches [8] : 6 |
| City Beach | Ocean Reef | ||||
Heritage Country Tourist Drive 205 |
| Armadale |
| Armadale | 44 km (27 mi) | Darling Range dams circular route [8] : 11 |
Kingsbury Tourist Drive 206 |
| Jarrahdale |
| Jarrahdale | 45 km (28 mi) | Jarrah forest circular route [8] : 12 |
Darling Range Tourist Drive 207 | Mundaring | Mundaring Weir | Kalamunda | 25 km (16 mi) | Mundaring Weir route [8] : 10 | |
Caves Road Tourist Drive 250 |
| Cape Naturaliste | Cape Leeuwin | 123 km (76 mi) | Cape Naturaliste–Cape Leeuwin coastal route [8] : 26–27 | |
Blackwood River Tourist Drive 251 |
| Balingup | Nannup | Bridgetown | 87 km (54 mi) | Blackwood River route. The direct route from Balingup to Bridgetown is along South Western Highway. [8] : 23 |
Porongurup Tourist Drive 252 |
| Mount Barker | Porongurup | Chester Pass Road east of Porongurup | 30 km (19 mi) | Porongurup National Park route [8] : 19 |
Avon Historic Tourist Drive 254 |
| Toodyay | Beverley | 98 km (61 mi) | Avon River route [8] : 16–17 | |
Scotsdale Tourist Drive 255 |
| Denmark | Scotsdale | Greens Pool | 35 km (22 mi) | [8] : 22 |
Lake Argyle Tourist Drive 256 |
| Victoria Highway near WA/NT border | Lake Argyle | 34 km (21 mi) | [8] : 38 | |
Albany Historic Tourist Drive 257 |
| Middleton Beach |
| Western Australian Museum – Albany | 6 km (3.7 mi) | Albany coastal route [8] : 20 |
Frenchman Bay Tourist Drive 258 |
| Torndirrup | Frenchman Bay | 7 km (4.3 mi) | Route through Torndirrup National Park [8] : 21 | |
Karri Tourist Drive 259 |
| Manjimup | South Western Highway near Quinninup | 88 km (55 mi) | Karri forest route [8] : 24–25 | |
Australind Bunbury Tourist Drive 260 |
| Leschenault | Bunbury | 14 km (8.7 mi) | [11] | |
Geikie–Windjana Tourist Way 350 |
| Geikie Gorge National Park | Derby Gibb River Road near Lennard River | 166 km (103 mi) | Only accessible in the dry season, from April to November [8] : 37 | |
Cossack Tourist Way 351 |
| Burrup Peninsula | Point Samson | 77 km (48 mi) | North West Shelf coastal route [8] : 36 | |
Cape Range Tourist Way 352 |
| Learmonth | Exmouth | Yardie Creek in Cape Range National Park | 121 km (75 mi) | North West Cape coastal route [8] : 35 |
Shark Bay Tourist Way 353 |
| Overlander Roadhouse | Monkey Mia | 155 km (96 mi) | Shark Bay route [8] : 34 | |
Batavia Coast Tourist Way 354 |
| Dongara | Kalbarri National Park (south of Kalbarri) | 244 km (152 mi) | [8] : 32–33 | |
Collie Tourist Way 355 |
| South Western Highway near Roelands | Collie | Collie River in Muja | 57 km (35 mi) | [8] : 28 |
Great Southern Tourist Way 356 | Beverley | Albany | 381 km (237 mi) | Great Southern Railway route [8] : 18 | ||
Goldfields Tourist Way 357 | Coolgardie Camel Farm, 4 km (2.5 mi) west of Coolgardie | Coolgardie | Kalgoorlie | 45 km (28 mi) | Goldfields route. [8] : 30 Superseded by the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail. [9] | |
Esperance Tourist Way 358 |
| Esperance |
| Pink Lake | 30 km (19 mi) | Route along the Esperance coast and Pink Lake; forms most of a loop route (Pink Lake Road joins the two ends) [8] : 29 |
Chittering Valley Tourist Way 359 |
| Ashby (north of Wanneroo) | Bullsbrook | Chittering | 70 km (43 mi) | Gnangara-Moore River State Forest and Chittering Valley route [8] : 7 |
Midlands Tourist Way 360 |
| Upper Swan | Watheroo National Park | 204 km (127 mi) | [8] : 15 |
Whilst the following routes are decommissioned, the component roads generally still exist as physical roads, but without route signposts.
Route | Component roads | From | Via | To | Length | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
State Route 34 |
| Rivervale | Kewdale | 8.1 km (5.0 mi) | Replaced by State Route 8 [1] [12] [13] [lower-roman 66] | |
State Route 35 | East Victoria Park | Welshpool | Carmel | 16.1 km (10.0 mi) | Replaced by State Route 8 (east of Roe Highway only). [1] [12] [13] [lower-roman 67] | |
State Route 86 |
| Ashby | Mariginiup | Bullsbrook | 28 km (17 mi) | Replaced by Tourist Drive 359 (entire length) and State Route 85 on all but Pinjar Road. [1] [12] [13] [lower-roman 68] |
Eyre Highway is a 1,664-kilometre (1,034 mi) highway linking Western Australia and South Australia via the Nullarbor Plain. Signed as National Highways 1 and A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first European to cross the Nullarbor by land, in 1840–1841. Eyre Highway runs from Norseman in Western Australia, past Eucla, to the state border. Continuing to the South Australian town of Ceduna, it crosses the top of the Eyre Peninsula before reaching Port Augusta.
Albany Highway links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany, on the state's south coast. The 405-kilometre-long (252 mi) highway travels through the southern Wheatbelt and Great Southern regions, and is designated State Route 30 for most of its length. Outside of Perth the highway is predominately a sealed, single carriageway with regular overtaking lanes in some undulating areas. Albany Highway commences at The Causeway, a river crossing that connects to Perth's central business district. The highway heads south-east through Perth's metropolitan region, bypassed in part by Shepperton Road and Kenwick Link, and continues south-eastwards through to Albany. It intersects several major roads in Perth, including the Leach, Tonkin, Brookton, and South Western highways. The rural section of Albany Highway connects to important regional roads at the few towns and roadhouses along the route, including Coalfields Highway at Arthur River, Great Southern Highway at Cranbrook, and Muirs Highway at Mount Barker.
Brand Highway is a 370-kilometre (230 mi) main highway linking the northern outskirts of Perth to Geraldton in Western Australia. Together with North West Coastal Highway, it forms part of the Western Australian coastal link to the Northern Territory. The highway is a part of Australia's Highway 1, and is for the most part a single carriageway with one lane in each direction.
Great Northern Highway is an Australian highway that links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost 3,200 kilometres (2,000 mi), it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the Perth Darwin National Highway. The highway, which travels through remote areas of the state, is constructed as a sealed, predominantly two-lane single carriageway, but with some single-lane bridges in the Kimberley. Economically, it provides vital access through the Wheatbelt and Mid West to the resource-rich regions of the Pilbara and Kimberley. In these areas, the key industries of mining, agriculture and pastoral stations, and tourism are all dependent on the highway.
Great Eastern Highway is a 590-kilometre-long (370 mi) road that links the Western Australian capital of Perth with the city of Kalgoorlie. A key route for road vehicles accessing the eastern Wheatbelt and the Goldfields, it is the western portion of the main road link between Perth and the eastern states of Australia. The highway forms the majority of National Highway 94, although the alignment through the Perth suburbs of Guildford and Midland, and the eastern section between Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie are not included. Various segments form parts of other road routes, including National Route 1, Alternative National Route 94, and State Route 51.
The Kwinana Freeway is a 72-kilometre (45 mi) freeway in and beyond the southern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, linking central Perth with Mandurah to the south. It is the central section of State Route 2, which continues north as Mitchell Freeway to Clarkson, and south as Forrest Highway towards Bunbury. A 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) section between Canning and Leach highways is also part of National Route 1. Along its route are interchanges with several major roads, including Roe Highway and Mandjoogoordap Drive. The northern terminus of the Kwinana Freeway is at the Narrows Bridge, which crosses the Swan River, and the southern terminus is at Pinjarra Road, east of Mandurah.
Coolgardie–Esperance Highway is a 370-kilometre (230 mi) Western Australian highway between Coolgardie and Esperance. It runs in a north–south direction linking the state's Eastern Goldfields to the coast.
The Mitchell Freeway is a 41.5-kilometre-long (25.8 mi) freeway in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, linking central Perth with the city of Joondalup. It is the northern section of State Route 2, which continues south as Kwinana Freeway and Forrest Highway. Along its length are interchanges with several major roads, including the Graham Farmer Freeway and Reid Highway. The southern terminus of the Mitchell Freeway is at the Narrows Bridge, which crosses the Swan River, and the northern terminus is at Romeo Road in Alkimos.
The Captain Cook Highway is a short, regional highway in Queensland which originates in Cairns and terminates in Mossman, where it joins Mossman-Daintree Road, continuing to Daintree. It is a state-controlled regional road.
Reid Highway is a 23-kilometre (14 mi) east-west highway and partial freeway in the northern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, linking North Beach with Middle Swan. As part of State Route 3, it forms half of Perth's outer ring road along with Roe Highway, which it joins onto at its eastern terminus.
Tonkin Highway is an 81-kilometre-long (50 mi) north–south highway and partial freeway in Perth, Western Australia, linking Perth Airport and Kewdale with the city's north-eastern and south-eastern suburbs. As of April 2020, the northern terminus is at the interchange with Brand Highway and Great Northern Highway in Muchea, and the southern terminus is at Thomas Road in Oakford. It forms the entire length of State Route 4, and connects to several major roads. Besides Brand Highway and Great Northern Highway, it also connects to Reid Highway, Great Eastern Highway, Leach Highway, Roe Highway, and Albany Highway.
Forrest Highway is a 95-kilometre-long (59 mi) highway in Western Australia's Peel and South West regions, extending Perth's Kwinana Freeway from east of Mandurah down to Bunbury. Old Coast Road was the original Mandurah–Bunbury route, dating back to the 1840s. Part of that road, and the Australind Bypass around Australind and Eaton, were subsumed by Forrest Highway. The highway begins at Kwinana Freeway's southern terminus in Ravenswood, continues around the Peel Inlet to Lake Clifton, and heads south to finish at Bunbury's Eelup Roundabout. There are a number of at-grade intersections with minor roads in the shires of Murray, Waroona, and Harvey including Greenlands Road and Old Bunbury Road, both of which connect to South Western Highway near Pinjarra.
Indian Ocean Drive is a coastal highway in the Australian state of Western Australia which services the coastal communities along the Indian Ocean immediately north of the state capital Perth, linking the northern suburb of Yanchep with the Brand Highway, just south of Dongara. In terms of regions, most of it exists in the Wheatbelt coastal region. The road provides travellers between Perth and Geraldton a 30-minute shorter and more scenic route than the inland Brand Highway which mainly services heavy traffic. The road also improved access to Wedge Island.
Tourist Drives in Western Australia are routes through areas of scenic or historic significance, designated by route markers with white numbers on a brown shield. Tourist Drives were introduced into Western Australia while Eric Charlton was the state government Minister for Transport in the 1990s. The 28 numbered routes collectively traverse more than 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) across the state. In addition to the Tourist Drives, there are unnumbered routes such as the Golden Pipeline Heritage Trail, and local governments may designate and maintain local scenic drives, generally unnamed and unnumbered.
Highways and main roads in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia form the basis of a road network, which is primarily used by the mining, agriculture, and tourism industries. Main Roads Western Australia maintains and controls these major roads, with offices based in Northam and Narrogin.
Main Roads Western Australia controls the major roads in the state's Kimberley region. Great Northern Highway is the major road connection through the region, with sealed roads spurring off it to connect to population centres, and unsealed roads offering an alternative route between Derby and Wyndham.
Main Roads Western Australia controls the major roads in the state's Goldfields-Esperance region. While the region is the state's largest, the major roads are restricted to the region's western and southern edges. From the major population centres of Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie, Great Eastern Highway heads west towards Perth via the Wheatbelt ; Coolgardie–Esperance Highway leads south to the port of Esperance via Norseman; and Goldfields Highway proceeds north to Wiluna and then on to the Mid West Region. From Norseman, Eyre Highway takes interstate traffic east across the Nullarbor Plain and into South Australia.