Pacific Motorway (Sydney–Newcastle)

Template: Infobox several high-level roads / maintenance / AU N

States:

New South Wales

The Sydney - Newcastle Freeway is a highway in the eastern part of the Australian state of New South Wales. He connects the capital Sydney with the Pacific Highway and the New England Highway at Newcastle. The road is part of the AusLink corridor between Sydney and Brisbane and is designated as a National Road 1.

In the plans, the highway is often classified as F3 Freeway, but not to be confused with the street numbering as National Highway 1, and M1, respectively.

Course

The highway begins at the Pennant Hills Road in Wahroonga, a northern district of Sydney, near its junction with the Pacific Highway (Met -1, P83). Then enters the Ku-ring -gai Chase National Park and descends towards the valley of the Hawkesbury River. The river it crosses in Kangaroo Point and enters the Brisbane Water National Park. For Calga the freeway turns east to cross the Mooney Mooney Creek on the 480 m long and 75 m high Mooney Mooney Bridge.

After Kariong, the freeway turns north again, while the Pacific Highway continues east through Gosford and the lagoons of the Central Coast. 2 km southwest of Beresfield ends of the freeway. To the east of the New England Highway (N15 ) leads to Muswellbrook and Tamworth on, while the Pacific Highway as R1 to the north, leading along the coast, or as S111 southeast to about 17 km from the end of the motorway away in downtown Newcastle.

Landscape character

Between Wahroonga and Ourimbah Freeway through wild sandstone country, especially in descent and ascent into, or from, the valley of the Hawkesbury River. The wooded area in the national park is characterized by deep Taleinschnitte with steep slopes. Then the highway leads through flat land in the hinterland of Haffküste.

Intersections and connections

History

The plans for the freeway began in 1952 with the aim to provide a high speed road as a substitute for the corresponding 1925-1930 built stretch of the Pacific Highway, which was no longer cope with the growing traffic already then. The new freeway should be connected to the two urban motorway systems of Sydney and Newcastle.

The section between Mount White and Kariong was originally further south than today's route running, so that the Mooney Mooney Creek would be more easily overcome can. But when the construction should begin this section, forcing the opposition to the National Park and Wildlife Service, the Department of Main Roads to choose the route through Calga over a portion of the first section of the proposed freeways to Singleton. This section was created in the 1960s, the entire route of this freeway was never built.

The route through the Wyong Shire was also modified. Instead east of Wyong, Tuggerah Lakes forced along the structural development of the area the freeway on a route west of Wyong. In addition, so had to build a road connecting the Pacific Highway in Doyalson.

In addition, the plans have been revised such that the Freeway west of Lake Macquarie rather than the east and was thus led to Newcastle around. One of the reasons for this choice of route was the need of a connection to the Pacific Highway north of town. The (existing), bypassing the downtown would otherwise have represented a continuation of the freeways and a connection to the northern end point in Sandgate on the Pacific Highway would have been difficult.

The most important stages of the construction of freeways were:

  • April 1963 - The construction of the 7 km long section from the Hawkesbury River to Mount White began. He was handed over in December 1965 as a toll road to traffic.
  • October 1966 - Opening of the section of Mount White by Calga (including the first section of the proposed freeways to the New England Highway in Singleton )
  • December 1968 - Opening of the section of Berowra to Hawkesbury River as toll road
  • October 1973 - completion of the Freeway bridge over the Hawkesbury River, so that the two sections Berowra - Hawkesbury River and Hawkesbury River - Calga were connected. At that time the separate tolls for the two sections of each AU $ were -, 20 abolished and a common toll of AU $ - collected 50. This was to be paid at the toll station in Berowra; the tollgate in Mooney Mooney was dismantled. In 1990, the total toll was abolished by the government, since the rule was introduced that state-funded roads would be toll-free.
  • December 1983 - Joint opening of sections of Somersby and Ourimbah after by Kangy Angy after Wallarah. In addition, the two-lane road connecting the Pacific Highway in Doyalson was against the traffic ..
  • December 1986 - Opening of the 15 km long section of Calga after Somersby, including the Mooney Mooney Bridge
  • March 1989 - opening of the section of Wahroonga after Berowra
  • September 1987 - Completion of the freeways from the intersection Wallarah Creek to the intersection Mandalong Road.
  • March 1988 - Completion of the freeways from the intersection Mandalong Road to the intersection Freemans Waterhole.
  • December 1990 - completion of the freeway from the intersection Freemans Waterhole the intersection Palmer 's Road.
  • December 1993 - completion of the freeway from the intersection Palmer's Road to Minmi.
  • December 1997 - missing section between Ourimbah and Kangy Angy is opened.
  • November 1998 - Last stretch of Minmi the intersection John Renshaw Drive at Beresfield is opened.
  • December 2004 - completion of the expansion to six lanes of the four-lane section from the Hawkesbury River to Calga ..
  • November 2009 - completion of the expansion to six lanes of the four-lane section of Wahroonga to Hawkesbury River -. Consequently, the entire distance from Wahroonga to Kariong is six lanes. This work was carried out in three phases: from Cowan after Berowra (3,4 km, Sept. 2008), from Berowra to Mt Ku-ring -gai (4.9 km, Sept. 2009) and Mount Ku-ring -gai to Mount Colah (4,2 km, November 2009).

Expansion and proposed connections

Strong public opposition to the construction of freeways in cities and negative results of government inquiries in the 1970s led to the cancellation of several freeway construction projects in the Sydney area. This also affected the North - Western Expressway through the valley of the Lane Cove River, bringing the six-lane Pacific Highway still represents the connection between the southern end of the Sydney - Newcastle Freeway at Wahroonga and the city center of Sydney.

Nevertheless, there are plans for extensions of the freeways on both sides of the F3 corridor:

  • In Sydney, a connection from the Sydney - Newcastle Freeway to West Link and so on Hume Highway is to be created.
  • The combination of Hexham and Raymond Terrace in the course of the Pacific Highway on the Hunter River behind Newcastle is to be expanded.
  • In Seahampton to branch off of the Hunter Expressway from the Sydney - Newcastle Freeway to the northwest and create a fast ( motorway ) compound according to Branxton on the New England Highway. The construction of this connection has already begun and will be completed in 2013.

Traffic delays

Unlike the Pacific Highway, has taken over the role of the Sydney - Newcastle Freeway, in its domain, is this the only direct high-speed link between Sydney and the Central Coast dar. He is the main cargo route between the Hunter Valley region, northern New South Wales and Queensland one hand, and Sydney on the other hand. Therefore, it is handled by the freeway much more professional and freight traffic and sometimes holiday and leisure traffic. Traffic delays are common and have their basis in increased traffic congestion, vehicle breakdowns, accidents and natural disasters - particularly forest fires.

In addition, the traffic on the freeway is frequently, often slowed down by vehicle accidents involving trucks involvement. These accidents resulted in a recommendation of the Automobile Club of NSW that more freight moved on the railroad and as the number of trucks should be reduced on the freeway.

In recent decades, forest fires have often led to closures of the freeway and the nearby northern railway line, as well as the Pacific Highway between Sydney and the Hawkesbury River. This was, for example, the case, when a fire broke out in the Ku- ring-gai Chase National Park on 21-22 .. January 2007. The closure of all three routes between Sydney and the Central Coast has led to traffic delays throughout the region.

Because of the frequency of these events a second large freeway from Sydney is repeatedly called to the north .. The terrain and the resulting costs include such a solution but from. At most, a river crossing at Wisemans Ferry, about 30 km upstream of the bridge today, would be conceivable.

Because of complaints about significant delays due to accidents and road closures Authority of NSW has developed a AU $ 28 million expensive emergency plan, among other things, the establishment of 40 km / h- way traffic routes included to perform around the traffic around accident sites.

Traffic

The average annual daily traffic figures for the road authority of NSW showed a decrease in this traffic at the southern end of the route in Wahroonga. In 2002 were still 78,600 vehicles per day on the road, so it was 2005, only 76,600 and 2006 only 75,800.

The corresponding figures in 2004 for other sections of the freeways are 73,400 vehicles at Mooney Mooney, 60,100 in Wyong, Wyee at 38,500, 27,000 at Freemans Waterhole and 33,000 at the north end of the freeways in Beresfield.

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