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Highways in Australia

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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.

Contents

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

Australia's National Highway A typical National Route shield The National Highway Shield

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.

State Route Numbering System

Regular state route shield.

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

Alphanumeric National Highway Shield. Alphanumeric State Route Marker.

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 freeway 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.

Metroad shield

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 the highways of importance, as listed below. Highways spanning across multiple states are listed within the one highway. This list has over 100 entries. To view these highways alphabetically you may also do so.

National highways

State Highways

Major Arterial Roads


  • Gillies Highway, Queensland
  • Perth-Bunbury Highway (proposed), Western Australia

Minor Arterial Roads


Outback Tracks


Tourist Roads

State listing

For state listings see:

See also

Categories: Lists of roads | Australian highwaysHidden categories: Articles lacking sources from February 2007 | All articles lacking sources

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