1. History

2. Motorways (M routes)

3. Routes of national significance (A routes)

4. Routes of state significance (B routes)

5. Minor arterial roads

6. See also

7. References

Road routes in New South Wales assist drivers navigating roads in urban, rural, and scenic areas of the state. Today, all numbered routes in the state are allocated a letter (M, A or B) in addition to a one- or -two digit number, with 'M' routes denoting motorways, 'A' routes denoting routes of national significance, and 'B' routes denoting routes of state significance. The route system includes the officially designated highways, urban and intercity motorways and arterial roads, and important cross-state roads that have not been declared highways.

History

Route numbers have been allocated to NSW roads since 1955. National Route 1 ('Highway 1') was one of the best known numbered national routes, likely because of its fame for circumnavigating the continent. The insignia of national routes was a five-sided black and white shield, chosen as it is the shape of the Australian national coat of arms. {{citation needed|date=September 2011}}

To supplement the national route number system, three ring roads were introduced to Sydney in 1964.^[1] These were numbered 1, 3 and 5, with relatively (but not proportionately) increasing radii. While they were officially decommissioned in 1974, some old ring road 3 signs remained posted into the 1980s, and ring road 1 signs into the 1990s.

In 1973, a system of freeway numbering was introduced to the state to complement the national routes and ring roads. The shields were replicas of the red, white and blue U.S. Interstate Highway shields, and were numbered F1 to F8. The F1 was the Warringah Freeway, the F2 reserved for the Castlereagh Freeway, a corridor similar to today's M2 Hills Motorway, the F3 is the Pacific Motorway (Sydney–Newcastle section), the F4 was the western part of today's M4 Western Motorway (formerly Western Freeway), the F5 was the freeway section of National Highway 31, the F6 is the Southern Freeway, the F7 was reserved for a corridor similar to today's Cahill Expressway, Eastern Distributor and Bondi Junction Bypass and the F8 was a section of Wollongong's Northern Distributor,^[2] now part of State Route 60. Most of these routes were replaced with other numbers over the decades, and by the 1990s, only the F1, F3 and F6 were still marked as such, with simpler, green-on-white shields. None of these shields remain, but the F3 and F6 are still usually called by those names.

In 1974, the National Highway network was defined, which in New South Wales included the Hume Highway, Federal Highway, Barton Highway, Sydney-Newcastle Freeway (now Pacific Motorway) and New England Highway.^[3] National highways were marked with the same shield as the national routes, except for their green and gold colour and the word 'national' added across the top.

Also in 1974, the three ring roads, 1, 3 and 5, were decommissioned and replaced by new State Routes, which had the same shields as the new freeways but without the red crest. Scores of other State Routes were also designated across New South Wales, marking out urban arterial routes and secondary rural highways. They were allocated as follows:

• 11, 33 and 55: Respectively replaced ring roads 1, 3 and 5. In 1988, state route 77 was commissioned as an additional primary circumferential route.
• 12-76: Greater Sydney. Even numbers were radial while odd numbers were circumferential, roughly increasing in value anticlockwise around the City. Exceptions were State Route 31 (which replaced Metroad 5 when the South Western Motorway was extended easterly; Metroad 5 was a replacement of the metropolitan part of National Highway 31) and state route 60 (which is in Wollongong). Routes 36, 40, 56, 68 and 69 extended beyond the bounds of Greater Sydney. While most State Routes still appear on maps and in street directories, they were haphazardly removed and covered up in Sydney in 1998 and 2004, leaving only routes 29, 31, 40, 44, 54, 56, 60 and 69.
• 78-99: Rural Areas. There was no discernible pattern with these routes. State route 83 was commissioned in 1979 and state route 89 was commissioned in 1980.
• 111, 121-124, 128, 131-133, 135: Greater Newcastle. 111 was added in 1988 following National Highway 1's relocation to the F3 Freeway.
• 151, 153, 155 and 157: Greater Wollongong, in addition to state routes 60, 68, 69 and 88.
• 2: In 2008, Queensland's state route 2 from the Gold Coast was extended a short distance into far northern NSW.

In 1993, Sydney's Metroad system was introduced, with its prominent, blue-on-white hexagonal shields. There were initially six metroads: Metroad 1 replaced National Route 1 within the metropolitan area, Metroad 2 replaced parts of State Routes 28 and 30 (and was subsequently absorbed by the M2 Hills Motorway), Metroad 3 replaced State Route 33 (once Ring Road 3), Metroad 4 replaced the F4 Freeway and the metropolitan part of National Route 32, Metroad 5 replaced part of the metropolitan part of National Highway 31 and Metroad 7 replaced State Route 77. Later, Metroad 6 replaced State Route 45, Metroad 9 replaced the metropolitan part of State Route 69 and Metroad 10 replaced State Route 14 south of Mona Vale. There was never a Metroad 8.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

In 2013, the state replaced its entire system of State Routes, National Routes, National Highways and Metroads with an alphanumeric route numbering system. All numbered routes are allocated a letter (M, A or B) in addition to its number, with 'M' routes denoting motorways, 'A' routes denoting routes of national significance, and 'B' routes denoting routes of state significance. Instead of shields, the route numbers are displayed as yellow text on green rectangular background outlined in white. Unlike other Australian states, New South Wales's implementation of alphanumeric route numbers no longer uses National Highway shields on any route. The changeover to alphanumeric routes was announced from March 2013 and signs were updated throughout 2013, either by removing old "shield" coverplates installed on newer signs, or installing new alphanumeric coverplates on old shielded signs.

Motorways (M routes)

Routes of national significance (A routes)

Routes of state significance (B routes)

Minor arterial roads

• Alpine Way
• Barry Way
• Bathurst-Ilford Road
• Bucketts Way
• Bylong Valley Way
• Escort Way
• Goulburn-Oberon Road
• Henry Lawson Way
• Irrigation Way
• O'Connell Road
• Putty Road
• Thunderbolts Way
• Wombeyan Caves Road
• Yass Valley Way

See also

• Highways in Australia for highways in other states and territories
• Highways in New South Wales for details about officially gazetted highways

References

• Light-harvesting complexes
• Light harvesting pigment
• LightHawk
• Lighthead
• Light Heart (balloon)
• Light Heart (My Little Pony)
• Light heavyweight boxer
• Lighthorne, Warwickshire
• Light Horse Brigade
• Lighthorse Harry Lee Cabin
• Light Horse Interchange
• Lighthouse and naval vessel urban legend
• Lighthouse Archaeological Maritime Program
• Lighthouse at Alexandria
• Lighthouse Battery
• Lighthouse Beach
• Lighthouse Board (disambiguation)
• Lighthouse Brewing Company
• Lighthouse Cathedral
• Lighthouse Catholic Media
• Lighthouse: Center for Human Trafficking Victims
• Lighthouse Chapel International
• Light House (Chennai MRTS)
• Lighthouse Christian Academy
• Lighthouse Christian College