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Federal Highway (Australia)

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Federal Highway

New South Wales
–Australian Capital Territory
Southbound carriageway, at Wollogorang. The median strip at this location is about 200 metres (656 ft)[1] wide and contains pasture.
Federal Highway (Australia) is located in New South Wales
Northeast end
Northeast end
Southwest end
Southwest end
Coordinates
General information
TypeMotorway
Length72.7 km (45 mi)[2]
OpenedFebruary 1931[3]
GazettedAugust 1928 (NSW, as Main Road 3)[4]
Maintained by
Route number(s)
  • M23 (2013–present)
    (Yarra–NSW/ACT border)
  • M23 (2016–present)
    (ACT/NSW border–Majura)
  • A23 (2013–present)
    (Majura–Lyneham)
Former
route number
  • A23 (2013–2016)
    (ACT/NSW border–Majura)
  • National Highway 23
    (1974–2013, within NSW)
  • National Highway 23
    (1974–2013, within ACT)
  • National Route 23
    (1955–1974)
Major junctions
Northeast end Hume Highway
Yarra, New South Wales
 
Southwest end Northbourne Avenue
Lyneham, Australian Capital Territory
Location(s)
RegionSouthern Tablelands
LGA(s)Goulburn Mulwaree Council, Upper Lachlan Shire, Queanbeyan-Palerang Regional Council, Yass Valley Shire, Australian Capital Territory
Major suburbs / townsCollector, Sutton, Watson, Downer, Lyneham
Highway system

The Federal Highway is a highway in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. It is a part of a motorway-standard link between Sydney and Canberra, and is also the main thoroughfare between those cities.

The north-eastern end of the Federal Highway is located at its junction with Hume Highway near the rural city of Goulburn. It runs 72.7 km (45.2 mi) southwest to Canberra, the national capital of Australia, where its southwestern end is located at the intersection of Northbourne Avenue and Barton Highway. The Federal Highway passes the villages of Wollogorang, Collector and Sutton, as well as skirting the western side of the endorheic basin containing Lake George.

Route

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Federal Highway is a motorway-standard roadway linking from the interchange with Hume Highway at Yarra, southeast of Goulburn, to Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory. The roadway has a continuous 110 km/h (68 mph) speed limit within New South Wales northbound. A southbound section between the Great Dividing Range, south of Yarra, and Rowes Lagoon, north of Collector, is on an old and winding alignment and has a speed limit of 100k/h with many lower advisory speed signs. Within the Australian Capital Territory the posted speed limit is 100 km/h (62 mph) between the State-border and Antill Street, 80 km/h (50 mph) between Antil Street and Flemington Road, and 70 km/h (43 mph) between Flemington Road and the end of the road at Barton Highway (where the road runs parallel with the Canberra Metro light rail route). The entire length of the roadway is dual carriageway with 2 lanes in each direction.

History

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In New South Wales, the passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[5] 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 (MRB). The New South Wales section of Federal Highway was declared (as Main Road No. 3) on 8 August 1928, from its interchange with Hume Highway in Yarra, via Collector and Geary's Gap, to the interstate border;[4] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[6] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to State Highway 3 on 8 April 1929. Construction had already been completed and traffic was already using the portion of the highway within New South Wales by December 1930.[7]

In the Federal Capital Territory, the local Sydney-Canberra Road was officially declared part of Federal Highway in September 1928.[8] Surveying and levelling had finished and work had started in April 1929[9] to connect to the NSW portion of the road, with the contract awarded to John Fowler (Aust) Ltd, to construct a 6-mile section of highway from Canberra (today Lyneham) to the interstate boundary.[10] Approaching completion by February 1930,[11] it was officially completed and opened on 25 February 1931.[3]

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[12] through the Parliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Federal Highway today retains its declaration as Highway 3, from Yarra to the interstate border with the ACT.[13]

Federal Highway was allocated National Route 23 across its entire length in 1955. The Whitlam government introduced the federal National Roads Act 1974,[14] where roads declared as a National Highway were still the responsibility of the states for road construction and maintenance, but were fully compensated by the Federal government for money spent on approved projects.[14]: S7  As an important interstate link between the capitals of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, the Federal Highway was declared a National Highway in 1974 and was consequently re-allocated National Highway 23.[15] With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, this was replaced with route M23 across the New South Wales' section,[16] and route A23 across the Australian Capital Territory's section; an eastern portion was upgraded to route M23 when Majura Parkway opened in 2016.[17]

Junction list

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StateLGA / DistrictLocation[1][18]km[2]miDestinationsNotes
New South WalesGoulburn MulwareeYarra0.00.0 Hume Highway (M31) – Sydney, Goulburn, Albury, MelbournePartial Y-interchange, no southwestern entrance eastbound
Northeastern terminus of highway and route M23
2.91.8Thornford Road – CurrawangModified uncontrolled T-intersection (due to wide median strip at this location)
Wollogorang8.85.5Wollogorang Road – BreadalbaneModified uncontrolled T-intersection (due to wide median strip at this location)
Upper LachlanCollector21.613.4Church Street – CollectorUncontrolled T-intersection
22.113.7Collector Road – Currawang, TaragoUncontrolled T-intersection
23.714.7Collector Road – Collector, GunningUncontrolled T-intersection
Queanbeyan–Palerang–
Yass Valley boundary		Bywong50.231.2Shingle Hill Way – GundarooUncontrolled T-intersection
50.731.5Bungendore Road – BungendoreUncontrolled T-intersection
Sutton58.336.2Macs Reef Road – BungendoreUncontrolled T-intersection
59.236.8Sutton Road – Gunning, Gundaroo, Sutton, QueanbeyanParclo A2 interchange
Mckeahnie LaneDiamond interchange
State border65.440.6New South Wales – Australian Capital Territory state border
Australian Capital TerritoryGungahlin–Majura boundary​67.241.8 Majura Parkway (M23 south) – Fyshwick, Canberra Airport
Horse Park Drive (north) – Gungahlin		Diamond interchange with single cloverleaf onramp
Northeastern terminus of route A23, route M23 continues south along Majura Parkway
Watson69.643.2Antill Street – Watson, HackettRoundabout
Canberra CentralWatson–Lyneham boundary71.644.5Flemington Road – Lyneham, Exhibition Park in Canberra (EPIC)Signal controlled T-intersection, light rail has signal priority
Watson–Lyneham–Downer tripoint71.944.7Phillip Avenue – Downer, HackettSignal controlled crossroads, light rail has signal priority
Lyneham–Downer boundary72.745.2 Barton Highway (A25 northwest) – Hall, Yass
Northbourne Avenue (A23 south) – City, Queanbeyan, Cooma		Signal controlled T-intersection, light rail has signal priority.
Southwestern terminus of highway, route A23 continues south along Northbourne Avenue
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "SIX maps". NSW Government. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Federal Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "OPEN TO-DAY: Road to Canberra". Goulburn Evening Penny Post (DAILY and EVENING ed.). NSW. 25 February 1931. p. 3. Retrieved 8 June 2013 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ a b "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.
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the MRB; 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
  7. ^ "NEW HIGHWAY: open for traffic ON NSW SECTIONS". The Canberra Times. ACT. 6 December 1930. p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  8. ^ "ROAD NAMES: Sydney-Canberra Road NOW FEDERAL HIGHWAY". The Canberra Times. ACT. 28 September 1928. p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  9. ^ "NEW HIGHWAY: Collector to Canberra EARLY START THIS END". The Canberra Times. ACT. 5 April 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  10. ^ "NEW HIGHWAY: Canberra-Goulburn F.C.T. PORTION LET". The Canberra Times. ACT. 19 June 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  11. ^ "NEW HIGHWAY: nears completion IN THE TERRITORY". The Canberra Times. ACT. 13 February 1930. p. 1. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
  12. ^ 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
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ a b National Roads Act 1974 (Cth)
  15. ^ "Ozroads: Federal Highway (ACT)". Retrieved 9 June 2013.[self-published source]
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "Guide Signs MIS 12" (PDF). ACT Government. April 2019. p. 13. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 March 2020. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  18. ^ "ACTMAPi". ACT Government. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
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