Carnarvon Highway –New South Wales | |
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General information | |
Type | Highway |
Length | 698 km (434 mi) |
Route number(s) |
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Former route number | ![]() |
Major junctions | |
North end | ![]() ![]() Rolleston, Queensland |
South end | ![]() Moree, New South Wales |
Location(s) | |
Major settlements | Injune, Roma, Surat, St George, Mungindi |
Highway system | |
The Carnarvon Highway[1] is a state highway of Queensland, Australia, linking Moree south of the NSW/QLD border, via the town of St George, eventually to the township of Rolleston. Formerly, north of Roma it was known as the Carnarvon Developmental Road.[2] National Route 46 runs from Mungindi to the Castlereagh Highway just south of St George. From here, the A55 continues north, through St George and Surat to Roma. The A7 then continues north from Roma to Rolleston, which continues along the Dawson Highway and Gregory Highway to Emerald and Charters Towers.
It is the main access road to the Carnarvon National Park.
Route numbering
National Route 55 (NR55)[3] was a former north-south route through central northern New South Wales and central Queensland, connecting the Newell Highway at Gilgandra with Walgett, St George, Roma, Emerald and Charters Towers. The highway was a strategic route to take B-doubles and other large vehicles (which cannot use the Bruce Highway) to the Queensland ports north of Rockhampton.
Today, NR55 no longer exists, having been replaced by the alpha-numeric designation A55 within Queensland during 2004 and the alpha-numeric designation B55 within New South Wales in 2013. A7 replaced the northern section of the (former NR55) Carnarvon Highway between Rolleston and Roma with the section between Roma and just south of St George being the part designated as A55. National Route 46, extends from just south of St George to Mungindi. National Route 46 was decommissioned in New South Wales in 2013, with no replacement route designated.
NR55 signs were first erected in New South Wales between Gilgandra and Walgett in 1974. It had then been extended from Walgett to the Queensland border at Hebel in 1983 - where it originally terminated.
NR55 first appeared in Queensland on the Gregory and Dawson Highways, between Emerald and Rolleston, during the early 1980s.
This is where for many years there was an oddity between the Queensland and New South Wales interpretation of the path that NR55 would take. It created the situation where the southern end of route NR55 (Carnarvon Highway) was located over 100 kilometres (62 mi) east from the northern end of route NR55 (Castlereagh Highway).
In 1997, NR55 was finally allocated as an extension of the Castlereagh Highway between the Queensland/New South Wales border and St George, with the former route along Carnarvon Highway to Moree replaced with National Route 46. With the change in alphanumeric route numbering in the mid-2000s, NR55 runs between just south of St George and Roma as A55, and was replaced with National Route 46 between St George and Mungindi, and the A7 between Roma and Rolleston.
Roads of Strategic Importance upgrades
The Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes the following projects for the Carnarvon Highway.
Corridor upgrade
A lead project to upgrade the Townsville to Roma corridor, including sections of the Gregory, Dawson and Carnarvon Highways and surrounding state and council roads, at an estimated cost of $125 million, commenced construction of some work projects in 2020. Planning continues for other projects.[4]
Intersection upgrade Arcadia Valley Road
A project to upgrade the intersection with Arcadia Valley Road at a cost of $925,000 was completed in January 2022.[5] This project was targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[6]
Intersection upgrade Castlereagh Highway
A project to upgrade the intersection with the Castlereagh Highway at a cost of $3.4 million is due for completion in mid-2022.[7] This project is targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[6]
Intersection upgrade Salmon Road
A project to upgrade the intersection with Salmon Road at a cost of $4.8 million is due for completion in mid-2022.[8] This project is targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[6]
Orange Hill safety treatments
A project to upgrade the Carnarvon Highway near Orange Hill at a cost of $3.9 million was expected to finish in late 2021.[9] This project was targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[6]
Other upgrades
Widen and seal
A project to widen and seal a section of road north of Injune, at a cost of $5.22 million, started in May 2021.[10]
A project to widen and seal a section of road east of St George, at a cost of $4.5 million, was completed in August 2021.[11]
Replace steel culvert
A project to replace a steel culvert just east of Surat, at a cost of $3.6 million, was completed in October 2021.[12]
Widen and replace culvert
A project to widen and replace a culvert north of Roma, at a cost of $1.36 million, started in September 2021.[13]
Proposals
The Queensland Inland Freight Route is a proposal to upgrade the existing highways from Charters Towers to Mungindi. This would involve significant upgrades to the Carnarvon Highway between Rolleston and Mungindi.
List of towns on the Carnarvon Highway
Major intersections
State | LGA | Location[14] | km[14] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
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Queensland | Central Highlands | Rolleston | 0 | 0.0 | ![]() ![]() | Route A7 continues west along Dawson Highway, south along Carnarvon Highway |
Maranoa | Roma | 264 | 164 | ![]() | Concurrent with Warrego Highway (route A2) for 6km Southern terminus of route A7, northern terminus of route A55 | |
270 | 170 | ![]() | ||||
Surat | 344 | 214 | ![]() | |||
Balonne | St George | 450 | 280 | ![]() | Concurrent with State Route 49 for 10km | |
460 | 290 | ![]() | ||||
467 | 290 | ![]() ![]() | Route A55 continues north-west along Carnarvon Highway, south along Castlereagh Highway Northern terminus of National Route 46 | |||
Nindigully | 504 | 313 | ![]() | |||
Mungindi | 577 | 359 | Southern terminus of National Route 46 | |||
Queensland – New South Wales state border | 578 | 359 | Barwon River | |||
New South Wales | Moree Plains | Mungindi | 579 | 360 | ||
Moree | 698 | 434 | ![]() | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
- Highways in Australia
- List of highways in Queensland
- List of highways in New South Wales
- Mungindi Bridge
References
- ^ Carnarvon Highway Archived 2 August 2008 at the Wayback Machine, Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website. Retrieved 26 July 2008.[self-published source]
- ^ Queensland Government - Department of Transport and Main Roads - Maps
- ^ National Route 55, Ozroads: the Australian Roads Website. Retrieved 26 July 2008.[self-published source]
- ^ "Townsville to Roma Corridor Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 29 March 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway and Arcadia Valley Road Intersection Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 12 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d "ROSI early works package" (PDF). Queensland Government. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway and Castlereagh Highway Intersection Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway and Salmon Road Intersection Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway - Orange Hill Safety Treatments". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 22 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway (Injune-Rolleston), widen and seal". Queensland Government. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway (Mungindi-St George), widen and seal". Queensland Government. 22 November 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway (Surat-Roma), replace steel culvert". Queensland Government. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ "Carnarvon Highway (Roma-Injune), widen and replace culvert". Queensland Government. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
- ^ a b Google (16 January 2017). "Rolleston to Moree" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 16 January 2017.