Carnarvon Highway

See also: Castlereagh Highway

Carnarvon Highway Queensland –New South Wales
Carnarvon Highway between St George and Surat, 1979
General information
Type	Highway
Length	697 km (433 mi)[1]
Gazetted	November 1933 (NSW, as Main Road 232)[2] August 1998 (NSW, as State Highway 28)[3]
Route number(s)	A7 (2004–present) (Rolleston–Roma) A55 (2004–present) (Roma–St George) National Route 46 (1997–present) (St George–QLD/NSW border)
Former route number	National Route 55 (1983–2004) (Rolleston–St George) National Route 55 (1983–1997) (St George–QLD/NSW border)
Major junctions
North end	Dawson Highway Rolleston, Queensland
	Warrego Highway Moonie Highway Balonne Highway Castlereagh Highway Barwon Highway
South end	Gwydir Highway Moree, New South Wales
Location(s)
Major settlements	Injune, Roma, Surat, St George, Mungindi
Highway system
Highways in Australia National Highway • Freeways in Australia Highways in Queensland Highways in New South Wales

Carnarvon Highway is a state highway in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia, linking the township of Rolleston in Queensland's Central Highlands Region, via the town of St George, eventually to Moree in northern New South Wales. It is the main access road to the Carnarvon National Park, and serves as a strategic route to take B-doubles and other large vehicles (which cannot use Bruce Highway) to the Queensland ports north of Rockhampton.

Route

Carnarvon Highway commences at the intersection with Dawson Highway just west of Rolleston in Queensland, and heads in southerly direction until it reaches Roma, where it shares a short concurrency with Warrego Highway, and continues south to St George, where it meets the Moonie, Balonne, and Castlereagh Highways. It crosses the state border at Mungindi to eventually terminate at the intersection with Gwydir Highway in Moree, in New South Wales.

History

The passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[4] (which amended the original Main Roads Act of 1924[5]) through the Parliament of New South Wales on 8 April 1929 provided for the declaration of State Highways, Trunk Roads and Main Roads, partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). Main Road 232 was declared on 21 November 1933, from the intersection with Main Road 338 (Moree-Boggabilla Road, later to become Newell Highway) at Moree, via Ashley, Garah and Boomi to the state border with Queensland at Boonangar,[2] and Main Road 367 was declared on 23 March 1937 from the intersection with Main Road 232 at Garah to the state border with Queensland at Mungindi.[6]

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[7] through the Parliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Carnarvon Highway was declared as State Highway 28 on 7 August 1998, from the intersection with Newell Highway at Moree via Ashley and Garah to the state border with Queensland at Mungindi, subsuming Main Road 367;[3] the southern end of Main Road 232 was truncated to meet Carnarvon Highway at Garah.[3] The highway today, as Highway 28, still retains this declaration.[8]

It was formerly known as Carnarvon Developmental Road north of Roma.[9]

Queensland signed its portion of Carnarvon Highway as National Route 55 between 1983 and 1997. However, New South Wales had previously signed Castlereagh Highway between Gilgandra and Walgett as National Route 55 in 1974, extending it to the border by 1983. This caused a major discrepancy for many years in that National Route 55 met the border at Mungindi but abruptly begun again over 100 kilometres (62 mi) west along the border at Hebel. The Queensland Road Department eventually changed this in 1997, diverting National Route 55 along its portion of Castlereagh Highway over the border south to Hebel; the former allocation between St George and Mungindi was then re-allocated National Route 46, however the New South Wales portion remained unallocated. With Queensland's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2004, its route number was updated to route A7 between Rolleston and Roma (continuing north along Dawson and Gregory Highways to Emerald and Charters Towers), and A55 between Roma and St George; it is still allocated National Route 46 between St George and the border, and is still unallocated between the border and Moree.

Roads of Strategic Importance upgrades

The Roads of Strategic Importance initiative, last updated in March 2022, includes the following projects for Carnarvon Highway.

Corridor upgrade

A lead project to upgrade the Townsville to Roma corridor, including sections of Gregory, Dawson and Carnarvon Highways and surrounding state and council roads, at an estimated cost of $125 million, commenced construction of some work projects in 2020. Planning continues for other projects.[10]

Intersection upgrade Arcadia Valley Road

A project to upgrade the intersection with Arcadia Valley Road at a cost of $925,000 was completed in January 2022.[11] This project was targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[12]

Intersection upgrade Castlereagh Highway

A project to upgrade the intersection with Castlereagh Highway at a cost of $3.4 million is due for completion in mid-2022.[13] This project is targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[12]

Intersection upgrade Salmon Road

A project to upgrade the intersection with Salmon Road at a cost of $4.8 million is due for completion in mid-2022.[14] This project is targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[12]

Orange Hill safety treatments

A project to upgrade Carnarvon Highway near Orange Hill at a cost of $3.9 million was expected to finish in late 2021.[15] This project was targeted for "early works" by the Queensland Government.[12]

Other upgrades

Widen and seal

A project to widen and seal a section of road north of Injune, at a cost of $5.22 million, started in May 2021.[16]

A project to widen and seal a section of road east of St George, at a cost of $4.5 million, was completed in August 2021.[17]

Replace steel culvert

A project to replace a steel culvert just east of Surat, at a cost of $3.6 million, was completed in October 2021.[18]

Widen and replace culvert

A project to widen and replace a culvert north of Roma, at a cost of $1.36 million, started in September 2021.[19]

Proposals

The Queensland Inland Freight Route is a proposal to upgrade the existing highways from Charters Towers to Mungindi. This would involve significant upgrades to Carnarvon Highway between Rolleston and Mungindi.

List of towns on the Carnarvon Highway

• Moree
• Ashley
• Garah
• Mungindi
• St George
• Surat
• Roma
• Injune
• Rolleston

Major intersections

State	LGA	Location[1]	km[1]	mi	Destinations	Notes
Queensland	Central Highlands	Rolleston	0	0.0	Dawson Highway (A7 west, State Route 60 east) – Springsure, Moura, Blackwater	Northern terminus of highway, route A7 continues west along Dawson Highway
	Maranoa	Roma	263	163	Warrego Highway (A2 west) – Mitchell	Concurrency with route A2 Southern terminus of route A7, northern terminus of route A55
			269	167	Warrego Highway (A2 east) – Miles, Brisbane
		Surat	343	213	Surat Developmental Road (State Route 87) – Meandarra
	Balonne	St George	449	279	Moonie Highway (State Route 49 east) – Dalby	Concurrency with State Route 49
			459	285	Balonne Highway (State Route 49 west) – Mitchell, Cunnamulla
			466	290	Castlereagh Highway (A55) – Dirranbandi, Hebel	Route A55 continues south along Castlereagh Highway Northern terminus of National Route 46
		Nindigully	503	313	Barwon Highway (State Route 85) – Goondiwindi
		Mungindi	577	359	Carnarvon Highway	Southern terminus of National Route 46
State border along Barwon River					Queensland – New South Wales state border
New South Wales	Moree Plains	Mungindi			Carnarvon Highway
		Moree	697	433	Gwydir Highway (B76) – Goondiwindi, Narrabri, Collarenebri	Southern terminus of highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Route transition

See also

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in Queensland
• List of highways in New South Wales
• Mungindi Bridge

References

1. "Carnarvon Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
2. "Main Roads Act, 1924-1931". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 200. National Library of Australia. 1 December 1933. p. 4195. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
3. "Roads Act". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 117. National Library of Australia. 7 August 1998. p. 6001. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
4. 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
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. "Main Roads Act, 1924-1936". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 43. National Library of Australia. 2 April 1937. p. 1412. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
7. 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
8. 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.
9. "Queensland Government - Department of Transport and Main Roads - Maps". Archived from the original on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
10. "Townsville to Roma Corridor Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
11. "Carnarvon Highway and Arcadia Valley Road Intersection Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 12 April 2022. Archived from the original on 10 March 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
12. "ROSI early works package" (PDF). Queensland Government. 29 April 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 December 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
13. "Carnarvon Highway and Castlereagh Highway Intersection Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 28 January 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
14. "Carnarvon Highway and Salmon Road Intersection Upgrade". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 12 January 2022. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
15. "Carnarvon Highway - Orange Hill Safety Treatments". Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications. 22 April 2021. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
16. "Carnarvon Highway (Injune-Rolleston), widen and seal". Queensland Government. 24 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
17. "Carnarvon Highway (Mungindi-St George), widen and seal". Queensland Government. 22 November 2021. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
18. "Carnarvon Highway (Surat-Roma), replace steel culvert". Queensland Government. 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.
19. "Carnarvon Highway (Roma-Injune), widen and replace culvert". Queensland Government. 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2022.