Murchison Highway

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Murchison Highway

Bass Murchison Highways 20180109-004.jpg
Northern end of the Murchison Highway in Somerset.
Murchison Highway
General information
Type Highway
Length147 km (91 mi)
Opened13 December 1963 (1963-12-13)
Route number(s) AUS Alphanumeric Route A10.svg A10
ZeehanSomerset
Former
route number
Australian state route 8.svg State Route 8
Major junctions
South endAUS Alphanumeric Route A10.svg Zeehan Highway
AUS Alphanumeric Route B27.svg Zeehan Highway
Zeehan, Tasmania
 
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route B28.svg Anthony Road
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route B18.svg Ridgley Highway
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route B23.svg Waratah Road
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route B26.svg Mount Hicks Road
North endAUS Alphanumeric Route A2.svg Bass Highway
Somerset, Tasmania
Location(s)
Major settlements Rosebery, Tullah, Parrawe, Yolla
Highway system

The Murchison Highway is a highway located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The 147-kilometre (91 mi) highway runs generally north–south, with Somerset, near Burnie, as its northern terminus and Zeehan as its southern terminus. The highway was opened on 13 December 1963. [1] [2] [3] [4] Part of the highway from Waratah to Burnie was known as the Waratah Highway until 1973.

Contents

Course

The highway is susceptible to ice and snow in winter. One of the notorious sections is at the edge of Mount Black, numerous accidents have occurred in the area. Also the Zeehan to Rosebery section has hazardous sections which can be affected by cold and wet weather. [5]

Portions of the highway have been made redundant by extra roads built by Hydro Tasmania during their work on the upper Pieman River scheme and the Henty River dam schemes. These provide short cuts from Queenstown straight through to Tullah by going just west of the West Coast Range. [6]

The highway crosses the Mackintosh River and the Murchison River near the town of Tullah, where the rivers form a confluence to form the Pieman River. [7]

History

Prior to the construction of the highway, the west coast of Tasmania could only be accessed by the Emu Bay Railway, or by ship to Regatta Point or Strahan in Macquarie Harbour.

See also

Related Research Articles

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Lake Rosebery (Tasmania) Lake in Western Tasmania, Australia

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Emu Bay Railway Former railway company in Tasmania

The Emu Bay Railway was a Tasmania, Australian railway company. The railway was significant during full operation, in that it linked the Tasmanian Government Railways system at Burnie with that at Zeehan that further linked to the Mount Lyell railway allowing connection through to Queenstown.

The Anthony Road is a major B Route in Western Tasmania, running from the Murchison Highway (A10) at Tullah to the Zeehan Highway (A10) north of Queenstown.

2016 Tasmanian bushfires

The 2016 Tasmanian Bushfires were a large series of bushfires in Tasmania which started in January 2016 throughout the state, and continued into February 2016, with considerable damage to fire sensitive areas in the Central Highlands, West Coast and South West regions. By autumn 2016, no bushfires were reported within the state.

References

  1. "Road link heralds new era for west". Tasmanian Motor News. January 1964.
  2. "Murchison Highway opens". Launceston Examiner. 13 December 1963.
  3. "Special Supplement: Murchison Highway opens". North West Advocate. 13 December 1963.
  4. "Murchison Highway opens". Hobart Mercury. 14 December 1963.
  5. Monery, Holly (4 July 2014). "Concern over Murchison Highway condition". The Advocate. Retrieved 21 June 2015.
  6. Murchison Highway road links : report of the Select Committee of the Legislative Council, with minutes of proceedings. Tasmania. Parliament. Legislative Council. Select Committee on Murchison Highway Road Links. Parliamentary paper ; no.1 of 1975. Chairman: W.T. Young. ISBN   0724601562
  7. "Map of Murchison Highway, TAS". Bonzle Digital Atlas of Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2015.