Length:

1333 km (Bodalla to Cobargo: 55 km)

Termini:

Northern: Northern: Pacific Mwy (M1), Tweed Heads, at the NSW / QLD Border

Southern: Southern: Princes Hwy (A1), Timbillica, at the NSW / VIC Border

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Dalmeny, Narooma, Corunna, Central Tilba, Tilba Tilba, Dignams Creek and Cobargo

Current: A1

Former: 1

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

HW1 (Victorian border to Yallah and Waterfall to Kogarah)

General Information:

M1 / A1 is the principal coastal route through New South Wales, and forms part of the circumferential route around Australia.

The route varies greatly along its length and includes sections of rural highway, urban arterial road, divided rural highway and also motorway. The route also features several tunnels, located in the inner east, inner south and lower northern suburbs of Sydney and at Yelgun and Tweed Heads, at the northern end of the route in NSW. The route passes through forest, rural, residential, commercial and industrial areas.

The Princes Highway was formed from a string of roads linking Sydney to the Illawarra, and then forming a coastal route to Melbourne and into South Australia. The section covered by A1 is in 2 pieces - between Kogarah and Waterfall in Sydney, and then Kiama near Wollongong through to the Victorian Border. The route is a mix of urban arterial road, dual carriageway and also rural highway.

Princes Highway:

7 June 1926: The Princes Highway comes under a federal and state government £ for £ funding scheme, thus recognising the importance of the highway as major route.

1881: Construction of the Nowra Bridge over the Shoalhaven River.

August 1920: Official opening of Princes Highway performed at Warragul in Victoria. The formation of the Princes Highway is from existing roads being renamed, after the visit to Australia in 1920 of the Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VIII, and after abdicating, the Duke of Windsor).

1 July 1928: Princes Highway became a state highway. ²

1939: By the middle of the year, 300 miles (or 50% of the then highway) had been paved with bituminous surface.

1932: Completion of steel truss and bascule lift span bridge over the Wagonga River at Narooma. ³

1935: Construction of pre-stressed concrete bridge at Dignams Creek. Construction of bridge over Victoria Creek at Central Tilba. ⁵

1939: By the middle of the year, 300 miles (or 50% of the then highway) had been paved with bituminous surface.

1957: First post-tensioned concrete bridges built by the DMR were completed on the Princes Highway over Corunna Lake and Nangudga Lake near Narooma. ³

March 2011: Work started on replacement bridge over Nangudga Lake near Narooma. ⁴

16 December 2011: Completion of replacement bridge over Nangudga Lake. ⁴

16 January 2013: Opening of replacement bridge over Victoria Creek and associated realignment works at Central Tilba. ⁵

Bodalla to Cobargo

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign, southbound on Princes Hwy at Tilba Tilba approaching Bermagui Rd, May 2011.

Image © Paul Rands

Click or tap here for the continuation of M1 / A1 between Cobargo and Bega
Click or tap here for the continuation of M1 between Batemans Bay to Bodalla

¹ NSW Government, Transport for NSW, Schedule of Classified Roads And State and Regional Roads, July 2022.
² Main Roads Board, Annual Report, Volume 1, Number 1, September 1929.
³ Roads & Traffic Authority, Thematic History, 2nd Edition, 2006.
⁴ Roads & Maritime Services, Projects, Princes Highway upgrade, Nangudga Lake Bridge replacement.
⁵ Roads & Maritime Services, Projects, Princes Highway upgrade, Victoria Creek.

Last updated: [ 2024-12-25 20:37 ] This site © Paul Rands. All rights reserved. Some portions © (copyright) by their respective and credited owners. Permission must be obtained before using any images from this site. For details, please email by clicking or tapping here.