Gwydir Highway is a 568-kilometre (353 mi)[1] state highway in northern New South Wales, Australia. The highway was named after the Gwydir River, which in turn was named after a locale in Wales.
Gwydir Highway | |
|---|---|
.JPG) | |
| The Gwydir River Bridge on the highway at Gravesend. | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Highway |
| Length | 568 km (353 mi)[1] |
| Gazetted | August 1928[2] |
| Route number(s) |  B76 (2013–present) |
| Former route number |  National Route 38 (1962–2013) |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |  Castlereagh HighwayWalgett, New South Wales |
| East end |  Big River WayGrafton, New South Wales |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Collarenebri, Moree, Warialda, Inverell, Glen Innes |
| Highway system | |
Route
edit.JPG)
Gwydir Highway traverses the New England region from the inland plains to the coastal region, linking Walgett, Collarenebri, Moree, Warialda, Inverell, Glen Innes and Grafton. The western termination of the highway is at the junction with Castlereagh Highway, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of Walgett.
At Moree it intersects the Newell Highway. At Inverell, it has an intersection with Thunderbolts Way. At Glen Innes it intersects New England Highway. At South Grafton on the Clarence River, it joins Big River Way and Summerland Way. Between Glen Innes and South Grafton, Gwydir Highway runs between the Gibraltar Range and Washpool National Parks.
History
editThe passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[3] 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 (later Transport for NSW). Gwydir Highway was declared (as Main Road No. 12) from the intersection with North Coast Highway (today Pacific Highway) in South Grafton, via Buccarumbi, Glen Innes, Inverell, Moree to the crossing of the Barwon River at Mogil Mogil,[2] and Main Road No. 68 was declared along its future alignment from Walgett via Collarenabri to Mogil Mogil (and continuing northwards to the state border with Queensland, and westwards via Brewarrina, Bourke, Louth, Wilcannia, Menindee, Pooncarrie and Wentworth to the state border with South Australia)[2] on the same day, 8 August 1928. With the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[4] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, these were amended to State Highway 12 and Trunk Road 68 on 8 April 1929. In late 1929, the western end was amended to terminate via Grawan Bridge at Collarenebri instead.[5]
In December 1960, a 160-kilometre deviation between Glen Innes and Grafton via Jackadgery opened, with the old road via Buccarumbi renamed Old Glen Innes Road.[6]
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[7] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, the western end of Gwydir Highway (as State Highway 12) was extended from Collarenabri to the intersection with Castlereagh Highway north of Walgett, subsuming the former alignment of Main Road 68 (formerly Trunk Road 68, officially splitting it into a western section terminating at Walgett, and an eastern section terminating in Collarenabri), on 17 December 1993.[8] When Pacific Highway's Grafton bypass opened in May 2020, Gwydir Highway (as Highway 12) was officially extended east along the old alignment of Pacific Highway to Tyndale, on 5 July 2022,[9] although the road is known locally and sign-posted as Big River Way. Gwydir Highway today, as part of Highway 12, still retains this declaration.[10]
The highway was allocated National Route 38 in 1962, from Grafton to Collarenebri, later extended with the highway to north of Walgett in 1993. With New South Wales' conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, this was replaced with route B76 across the whole highway.[11]
Major junctions
edit| LGA | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walgett | Walgett | 0 | 0.0 | Castlereagh Highway (B55 north, B55/B76 south) – Walgett, Lightning Ridge, Coonamble, Gilgandra | Western terminus of highway Route B76 continues south along Castlereagh Highway | |
| Collarenebri | 60 | 37 | Herbert Street (north) – Collarenebri Wilson Street (east) – Mungindi, Collarenebri Airport | 4-way intersection | ||
| Barwon River | 61 | 38 | Rocky Ford Bridge | |||
| Moree Plains | Moree | 200 | 120 | Heber Street (east) – Moree Balo Street (south) – Moree | 4-way intersection | |
| 201 | 125 | Carnarvon Highway – Mungindi, St George | T-intersection | |||
| 202 | 126 |  Moree Bypass (Newell Highway) (A39 north) – Goondiwindi | Northern terminus of concurrency with route A39 at T-intersection | |||
| Mehi River | 203 | 126 | Doctor Geoffrey Hunter Bridge | |||
| Moree Plains | Moree | 204 | 127 | Moree Bypass (Newell Highway) (A39 south) – Narrabri, Gilgandra, Dubbo | Southern terminus of concurrency with route A39 | |
| 205 | 127 | Mungindi railway line | ||||
| Gwydir River | 259 | 161 | Gwydir River Bridge | |||
| Gwydir | Warialda | 279 | 173 |  Allan Cunningham Road (Fossickers Way) (B95) – Bingara, Barraba, Tamworth | ||
| 281 | 175 | Warialda Road – Yetman | ||||
| Macintyre River | 341 | 212 | Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown) | |||
| Inverell | Inverell | 342 | 213 | Byron Street – Inverell, Ashford | Roundabout | |
| 343 | 213 | Tingha Road (Thunderbolts Way) – Uralla, Walcha, Gloucester | ||||
| Glen Innes Severn | Glen Innes | 409 | 254 |  Church Street (New England Highway) (A15 north) – Stanthorpe, Warwick | Concurrency with route A15 | |
| Church Street (New England Highway) (A15 south) – Armidale, Tamworth, Newcastle | ||||||
| Beardy Waters | 415 | 258 | Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown) | |||
| Mann River | 524 | 326 | Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown) | |||
| Clarence Valley | South Grafton | 566 | 352 | Bent Street – Grafton via Grafton Bridge | Roundabout | |
| 567 | 352 | North Coast railway line | ||||
| 568 | 353 | Big River Way (B76/B91 north, B91 south) – Tyndale, Glenugie to  Pacific Highway (A1) – Brisbane, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Sydneyto Summerland Way (B91) – Casino, Kyogle, Brisbane | Eastern terminus of highway at roundabout Route B76 continues eastwards along Big River Way | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c "Gwydir Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 3 September 2021.
- ^ a b c "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. National Library of Australia. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ 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
- ^ 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
- ^ "Main Roads Board of New South Wales Annual Report: Volume 1, number 2" (PDF). Main Roads Board of New South Wales. Vol. 1, no. 2. Sydney: OpenGov NSW. November 1929. p. 32.
- ^ "New Highway Links Inland Areas with Coast", Truck & Bus Transportation, July 1960, page 65
- ^ 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
- ^ "Roads Act". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 138. National Library of Australia. 17 December 1993. p. 7359. Archived from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ "Roads Act 1993" (PDF). Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 323. Legislation NSW. 15 July 2022. pp. 3–9. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 December 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "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.