Highways in Australia

This is a list of highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with its route number and location. Note that some highways service more than one state or territory.

Route numbering systems

Australia is a vast and sparsely populated country. Its earliest highways radiate in a spoke-like pattern from capital cities in each State. These highways link major country towns to the capital cities. Intercapital transport was initially mainly by sea and rail.

As the population increased, roads connecting the towns located on different highways were constructed. Victoria, for example, has the largest highway network, with every major town linked directly to every other major town in the state. Increased demand for freight and passenger transport led to construction of intercity highways, although much freight still goes by rail.

National Route Numbering System

In 1955, the Australian National Route Numbering System was introduced to simplify navigation across Australia. The National Route Numbers are marked by white shields which are present in directional signs, distance signs or trailblazers. The general rule is that odd-numbered highways travel in north-south directions and even-numbered highways in east-west directions, with only a few exceptions. National Route 1 was assigned to a network of highways and roads which together linked all capital cities and coastal towns circumnavigating the mainland.

In the 1970s the National Highway scheme was introduced. It is made up of highways that give the most direct point-to-point route between capitals. These highways are federally funded. They are recognised by their distinct green and gold shields.

The National Route system initially linked the centres of towns and cities and terminated at the junction of other national routes. The growth of bypasses around towns and cities changes the situation somewhat. National Routes often terminate at the metropolitan city limits rather than the individual city centres.

tate Route Numbering System

Important urban and inter-regional routes not covered by the National Highway or National Route systems were marked under the State Route system. They are recognised by blue shield markers. They were practically adopted in all states by the end of the 1980s. In some states, some less important National Routes had been downgraded to State Routes.

In New South Wales, they are also adopted in metropolitan areas of Wollongong and Newcastle using three-digit numbers instead of two-digit found elsewhere. In regional Victoria and South Australia, the blue shield state route numbers were superseded in the late 1990s with the alphanumeric system, which is also used in Tasmania. See below.

Alphanumeric Route Numbering System

In the 1990s there was a major change to the route marking systems. Victoria and South Australia had completely overhauled their systems. They discarded the National and State Route Numbering Systems and introduced the alphanumeric marking scheme following the example set by Tasmania in the late 1970s.

The route numbers inherited from the original National Route Numbering System remains with a few exceptions, however they are now prefixed with letters denoting their grade. For example, Western Freeway is M8 until Ballarat and continues beyond as A8 Western Highway.They are not used in the Melbourne metropolitan area where the blue-shield metropolitan route system is retained.

New South Wales is slowly preparing to introduce the alphanumeric system with new road signs being fitted with such numbers and then being "coverplated" with the existing route number. It has not been announced when this system will officially be introduced.

There are no plans to introduce such a system in Western Australia.

"M" Routes

Primary highways. These are typically dual carriageway motorway standard highways. They connect capital cities to each other or to bigger rural cities and also applicable to major city freeways. Interchanges may either be graded or level. They carry high volumes of traffic and bypass settlements, towns and sometimes cities.

"A" Routes

Single carriageway interstate or interregional primary highways. Traffic volume less than "M" routes but with ample overtaking lanes, sealed shoulders and markings. They may pass through or bypass town centres.

"B" Routes

Secondary highways linking together major towns on different "A" routes including certain lesser important former national routes. In addition, they may include major bypassed sections of former "A" or "M" routes and significant tourist routes. They are reasonably good quality sealed roads with shoulders either sealed or not.

"C" Routes

Roads linking smaller settlements and towns to "A", "B" or "M" routes. May also be applied to short bypassed sections of former "A" routes. Fully sealed surface but of moderate to poor quality and may or may not have shoulders.

"D" Routes

Unsealed roads linking very small remote towns. Only used in South Australia at present. Generally applied to unsealed roads & tracks or unsealed extensions of "B" or "C" routes. Roads/tracks are of various quality for an unsealed road. Use of 4 wheel drive vehicles are recommended for some "D" Routes. Alternatively, in New South Wales, "D" routes refer to detour routes. An example of this is the D5 which provides motorists with an alternate route when the M5 tunnel is closed.

Metropolitan Route Numbering System

In the 1990s in Sydney and Brisbane, urban route numbering system were streamlined in the new Metroad scheme. They are recognised by distinctive hexagonal shields and superseded the state route, freeway and National Route schemes along their path. Metroads radiate in a spoke pattern from city centres to highways outside metropolitan limits. In addition, Metroads also cover major city ring roads. Metroads are made of urban highways, main roads and urban freeways.

Non-Metroads retain the earlier state route system.

Australian highways

Below is the listing of National highways (and their destination routes), followed by highways sorted by states and territories and their corresponding routes. This list has over 100 entries. To view these highways alphabetically you may also do so.

National highways

Canberra to Sydney

Sydney to Adelaide

Melbourne to Adelaide

=Adelaide to Darwin=

=Perth to Adelaide=

*Great Eastern Highway "Perth to Redcliffe"
*Great Eastern Highway Bypass "Redcliffe to Hazelmere"
*Roe Highway "Hazelmere to Midvale"
*Great Eastern Highway "Midvale to Coolgardie"
*Coolgardie-Esperance Highway "Coolgardie to Norseman"
*Eyre Highway "Norseman to Eucla"
*Eyre Highway "Eucla to Port Augusta"
*Princes Highway "Port Augusta to Snowtown"
*Port Wakefield Road "Snowtown to Gepps Cross"
*Main North Road "Gepps Cross to Adelaide"

Perth to Darwin

*Roe Highway "Midvale (Perth) to Middle Swan (Perth)"
*Great Northern Highway "Middle Swan (Perth) to Port Hedland"
*Great Northern Highway "Port Hedland to Wyndham"
*Victoria Highway "Wyndham to Katherine"
*Stuart Highway "Katherine to Darwin"

=Brisbane to Darwin=

**Ipswich Motorway "Brisbane to Ipswich"
*Warrego Highway "Ipswich to Morven"
*Landsborough Highway "Morven to Cloncurry"
*Barkly Highway "Cloncurry to Camooweal"
*Barkly Highway "Camooweal to Tennant Creek"
*Stuart Highway "Tennant Creek to Daly Waters"
*Stuart Highway "Daly Waters to Darwin"

=Brisbane to Cairns=

*Bruce Highway "Brisbane to Cooroy"
*Bruce Highway "Cooroy to Cairns"

=Hobart to Burnie=

*Brooker Highway "Hobart to Granton"
*Midland Highway "Granton to Launceston"
*Bass Highway "Launceston to Burnie"

tate Highways

*"'
**Gateway Motorway, Queensland
**Pacific Motorway, Queensland
*, South Australia
*, South Australia; Victoria
*, South Australia
*
**Brand Highway, Western Australia
**Canning Highway, Western Australia
**Carpentaria Highway, Northern Territory
**Captain Cook Highway, Queensland
**Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, Western Australia
**Great Eastern Highway, Western Australia
**Great Northern Highway, Western Australia
**Gulf Developmental Road, Queensland
**Kennedy Highway, Queensland
**Kwinana Freeway, Western Australia
**Leach Highway, Western Australia
**North West Coastal Highway, Western Australia
**Old Coast Road, Western Australia
**Pacific Highway, New South Wales; Queensland
**Princes Highway, New South Wales
**Savannah Way, Northern Territory; Queensland
**South Coast Highway, Western Australia
**South Western Highway, Western Australia
*, Tasmania
*, Queensland
*, Tasmania
*
**Burnett Highway, Queensland
**D'Aguilar Highway, Queensland
**New England Highway, Queensland
*
**Reid Highway, Western Australia
**Roe Highway, Western Australia
*, Queensland
*, Tasmania
*, Queensland
*
**Lasseter Highway, Northern Territory
**Tonkin Highway, Western Australia
*
**Anzac Highway, South Australia
**Lake Highway, Tasmania
*, Queensland
*, Western Australia
*
**Davey Street, Tasmania
**Huon Highway, Tasmania
**Macquarie Street, Tasmania
**Southern Outlet, Tasmania
*, Queensland
*, Western Australia
*, Tasmania
*
**Carnarvon Highway, Queensland
**Dawson Highway, Queensland
**Gregory Highway, Queensland
*, Western Australia
*, Tasmania
*, South Australia
*, Tasmania
*
**Lyell Highway, Tasmania
**Murchison Highway, Tasmania
**Zeehan Highway, Tasmania
*
**Brockman Highway, Western Australia
**Bussell Highway, Western Australia
**Vasse Highway, Western Australia
*, Northern Territory
*, South Australia; Victoria
*, Northern Territory
*, South Australia
*, Queensland
*, Northern Territory
*
**Brisbane Valley Highway, Queensland
**D'Aguilar Highway, Queensland
*, South Australia
*
**Roper Highway, Northern Territory
**South Western Highway, Western Australia
*, Northern Territory
*, Victoria
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, Queensland
*, Western Australia
*
**Barrier Highway, South Australia
**Main North Road, South Australia
*
**Barrier Highway, New South Wales
**Great Western Highway, New South Wales
**Mitchell Highway, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, Northern Territory
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, Western Australia
*, New South Wales
*, Queensland
*, New South Wales
*, Queensland
*, New South Wales; Queensland
*, New South Wales
*
**Balonne Highway, Queensland
**Bunya Highway, Queensland
**Moonie Highway, Queensland
**Wide Bay Highway, Queensland
*, New South Wales
*, Queensland
*, Queensland
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, Queensland
*, Queensland
*, Queensland
*, South Australia
*, Queensland
*, Queensland
*, New South Wales
*, Western Australia
*, Victoria
*, New South Wales
*, Victoria
*, New South Wales
*, Northern Territory
*, Queensland
*
**Barwon Highway, Queensland
**Brisbane Valley Highway, Queensland
**D'Aguilar Highway, Queensland
**Esk-Hampton Road, Queensland
**Gore Highway, Queensland
**Leichhardt Highway, Queensland
**New England Highway, Queensland
*, South Australia
*
**Goldfields Highway, Western Australia
**Great Eastern Highway, Western Australia
*
**Buntine Highway, Northern Territory
**Delamere Road, Northern Territory
*, Queensland
*
**Flinders Highway, South Australia
**Lincoln Highway, South Australia
*, South Australia
*, Western Australia
*, Western Australia
*, Western Australia
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*
**South Gippsland Highway, Victoria
**Bass Highway, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria

Major Arterial Roads

*, Victoria
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, South Australia
* Boyer Road, Tasmania
*, Tasmania
*, Victoria
* Mole Creek Road, Tasmania
*"'
**South Road, South Australia
**Victor Harbor Road, South Australia
* Sheffield Road, Tasmania
* Castra Road, Tasmania
* Kindred Road, Tasmania
*"'
**Gawler Road, Tasmania
**Preston Road, Tasmania
**Gunns Plains Road, Tasmania
**S Riana Road, Tasmania
**Pine Road, Tasmania
**W Pine Road, Tasmania
* Ridgley Highway, Tasmania
* Forth Road, Tasmania
*, South Australia
*, Tasmania
*
**Zeehan Highway, Tasmania
**Henty Road, Tasmania
*
**Cambridge Road, Tasmania
**Richmond Road, Tasmania
**Colebrook Road, Tasmania
**Mud Walls Road, Tasmania
*
**Great Western Highway, New South Wales
**Liverpool Road, New South Wales
*, Tasmania
*, Tasmania
* Lake Leake Highway, Tasmania
*, Victoria
*, Tasmania
*, Tasmania
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*
**Poatina Road, Tasmania
**Cressy Road, Tasmania
*, Western Australia
* Meander Valley Highway, Tasmania
*, New South Wales
*
**Main North Road, South Australia
**Wilmington-Ucolta Road, South Australia
*
**Princes Highway, New South Wales
**Wanneroo Road (Perth-Lancelin Highway), Western Australia
*, Tasmania
* Glenora Road, Tasmania
* Huon Road, Tasmania
*
**Sandy Bay Road, Tasmania
**Channel Highway, Tasmania
*
**Appin Road, New South Wales
**Putty Road, New South Wales
* Frankford Road, Tasmania
* Biralee Road, Tasmania
*, Tasmania
*, New South Wales
*, South Australia
*, New South Wales
*, South Australia
*
**Central Coast Highway, New South Wales
**Pacific Highway, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, New South Wales
*, Victoria
*
**Bellarine Highway, Victoria
**Hollow Tree Road, Tasmania
**Nepean Highway, Victoria
*, New South Wales
*, Victoria
*, Western Australia
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*
**Goulburn Valley Highway, Victoria
**Maroondah Highway, Victoria
**Melba Highway, Victoria
**Midland Highway, Victoria
*, Victoria
*
**Goulburn Valley Highway, Victoria
**Maroondah Highway, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*
**Bass Highway, Victoria
**Strzelecki Highway, Victoria
*Gillies Highway, Queensland
*Perth-Bunbury Highway "(proposed)", Western Australia

Minor Arterial Roads

*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*Alpine Way, New South Wales
*Barry Way, New South Wales
*Bathurst-Ilford Road, New South Wales
*Bucketts Way, New South Wales
*Bylong Valley Way, New South Wales
*Derby Highway, Western Australia
*Dampier Highway, Western Australia
*Goldfields Highway, Western Australia
*Goulburn-Oberon Road, New South Wales
*Henry Lawson Way, New South Wales
*Irrigation Way, New South Wales
*Lachlan Valley Way, New South Wales
*O'Connell Road, New South Wales
*Thunderbolts Way, New South Wales
*Wombeyan Caves Road, New South Wales

Outback Tracks

*, Western Australia
*, Western Australia

*Anne Beadell Highway, South Australia; Western Australia
*Birdsville Track, Queensland; South Australia
*Canning Stock Route, Western Australia
*Cape Leveque Road, Western Australia
*Connie Sue Highway, Western Australia
*Duncan Road, Northern Territory
*Gary Highway, Western Australia
*Gibb River Road, Western Australia
*Great Central Road, Western Australia
*Gunbarrel Highway, Northern Territory; South Australia; Western Australia
*Kalumburu Road, Western Australia
*Oodnadatta Track, South Australia
*Strzelecki Track, South Australia
*Tanami Road, Western Australia
*Tanami Track, Northern Territory

Tourist Roads

*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria
*, Victoria

tate listing

For state listings see:

*List of highways in New South Wales
*List of highways in Victoria
*List of highways in Queensland
*List of highways in South Australia
*List of highways in Western Australia
*List of highways in Tasmania
*List of highways in Northern Territory

ee also

*Freeways in Australia
*Highway 1
*National Highway (Australia)
*Transport in Australia
*Road transport in Australia
*List of roads and highways
*List of Australian airports
*List of Australian ports