Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Mid Western Highway & Olympic Highway (A41)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

A41

Mid Western Highway & Olympic Highway (A41)

Statistics:

Length: 422 km
Northern Terminus: Mitchell Highway & Great Western Highway (A32) and Brilliant Street, Bathurst
Southern Terminus: Hume Highway (M31) at Table Top
Miscellaneous: Formerly Olympic Way between Cowra and Table Top
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Table Top, Gerogery, Culcairn, Henty, Yerong Creek, The Rock, Uranquinty, Kapooka, Moorong, Wagga Wagga, Boorooma, Brucedale, Wallacetown, Yathella, Junee, Illabo, Bethungra, Cootamundra, Wallendbeen, Wombat, Young, Bendick Murrell, Crowther, Koorawatha, Wattamondara, Cowra, Woodstock, Lyndhurst, Carcoar, Blayney and Bathurst

Route Numbering:

Current: A41
Former:
Multiplexes: A20 B81
Road Authority Internal Classification: MR78 (Cowra to Table Top) & HW6 (Bathurst to Cowra) 1

General Information:

A41 is a rural highway in western and southern New South Wales. It services rural communities and links the Hume Highway with the Mitchell & Great Western Highways (A32) and Sturt Highway (A20).

The Bathurst to Cowra section of the route, the Mid Western Highway, forms part of the most direct route between Sydney or Brisbane and Adelaide (via Hay), and consists of mainly two-lane rural highway standard.

The Cowra to Table Top section of the route was named Olympic Way, as it was the path that the Olympic Torch took on its journey to Melbourne for the 1956 Summer Olympics. The torch was carried from Cairns to Melbourne. For the 1956 Summer Olympics the Olympic Flame, or torch, was carried along the road from Cowra to Wagga Wagga. For the 2000 Summer Olympics the torch was carried from Wagga Wagga to Cowra en route to Sydney. 2

The Olympic Highway section featured the Kapooka Bridge which crossed the railway line at Kapooka. It was built in 1880 and features 2 right angle bends at the approaches to the bridge, which have been the scene of several crashes. 3

Multiplexes along the route include:

A20 (Sturt Hwy) for 2.5 km between Moorong and Wagga Wagga
B81 (Lachlan Valley Way) for 300 m at Cowra

History:

1880: Construction of the Kapooka Bridge, across the main Sydney-Melbourne railway line. 3
1956: Route between Cowra and Wagga selected for carrying of the Olympic Flame for the 1956 Olympic Games. 2
1928: The Mid Western Highway was proclaimed. 4
1929: Route was rerouted between Gunbar and Balranald to pass through Hay. 4
1933: The original route of Mid Western Highway from Bathurst to the South Australian border via Euston and Wentworth truncated at Haywith the proclamation of the Sturt Hwy. The Hay to South Australia routing became part of the Sturt Highway. 4
1973: The Commissioner for Main Roads, Mr RJ Thomas accepted tender of $129 775 for a new bridge to carry a deviation of the Mid Western Highway over Mt Macquarie Road at Carcoar. The bridge was one of three planned for the deviation. 5
1970s: After a series of truck accidents, a bypass was construction to remove traffic from the Carcoar town centre. 6
1985: Pavement at Goldsbury Hill near Cowra constructed. 7
1995: Widening and provision of overtaking lanes on the Mid Western Highway between Bathurst and Evans Plains. 8
2000: Same route between Cowra and Wagga used for carring the Olympic Flame for the 2000 Olympic Games. 2
January 2003: Construction completed of a bypass of the village of Kings Plains (near Blayney). 9
June 2003: Road widening at Carcoar. 10
Feb 2006: Construction of a new bridge over Coombing Creek, Carcoar.
March 2010: Pavement reconstruction at Goldsby Hill, which included bringing the road up to current standard at the time, and improved drainage. 7

Table Top to Bathurst		Bathurst to Table Top
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Distance Sign: RD sign on Olympic Hwy (A41) at Table Top, May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Mitchell Hwy (A32) approaching Great Western Hwy (A32), Mid Western Hwy (A41) and Brilliant St in Bathurst, August 2013. Image © Peter Renshaw
	Distance Sign: RD sign in Wagga Wagga, May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the roundabout with Mitchell Hwy (A32), Great Western Hwy (A32) and Brilliant St in Bathurst, August 2013. Image © Peter Renshaw
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Boorooma, May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign on Mid Western Hwy (A41) at Bathurst, August 2013. Image © Peter Renshaw
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign approaching Mid Western Hwy (B64) and Mid Western Hwy (A41) at Cowra, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		AD Sign: AD sign on Hobby's Yards Road approaching Mid Western Highway (A41) at Blayney, August 2013. Image © Peter Renshaw
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign in Cowra approaching Lachlan St (B81 and unnumbered), September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		ID Sign: Intersection directional sign facing Carcoar Dam Rd at Blayney, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign approaching Fitzroy St, Cowra, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign assembly facing Nargong Rd at Woodstock, August 2013. Image © Peter Renshaw
	Reassurance Directional Sign : Distance sign at Mid Western Hwy (A41) leaves Cowra, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		ID Sign: Intersection directional sign facing Walli Rd, Woodstock, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign at Woodstock approaching George Russell Dr and Reg Hailstone Way, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Direction Signs: ID signs facing Lachlan Valley Way (B81) at Cowra, December 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign as Mid Western Hwy (A41) leaves Woodstock, August 2013. Image © Peter Renshaw		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Ashmont St and the Olympic Hwy (A41) and Sturt Hwy (A20) split at Moorong, May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign approaching Belubula Way, Mandurama, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: RD sign on Olympic Hwy (A41) at Moorong, May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Entering Blayney : Mid Western Hwy (A41) entering the town of Blayney, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Camp Access Rd at Kapooka, May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign approaching Hobby's Yards Road in Blayney, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Camp Access Rd at Kapooka, May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign near Adelaide St North and Maria St in Blayney, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Table Top approaching Hume Hwy (M31), May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Distance Sign : RD sign leaving Blayney, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Table Top approaching Hume Hwy (M31), May 2011. Image © Rob Tilley
	Fitzgeralds Mount: Mid Western Hwy (A41) as it makes its way down Fitzgeralds Mount, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Hume Highway: Intersection directional sign at the junction with Hume Hwy (M31) at Table Top, May 2011. This is the southern terminus of A41. Image © Rob Tilley
	Steep Descent Sign : Warning sign for steep descent down Fitzgeralds Mount, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Fitzgeralds Mount: Mid Western Hwy (A41) as it makes its way down Fitzgeralds Mount, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Special Truck & Bus Speed Limit: Special truck & bus speed limit as Mid Western Hwy (A41) as it makes its way down Fitzgeralds Mount, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Fitzgeralds Mount: Mid Western Hwy (A41) as it makes its way down Fitzgeralds Mount, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign : AD sign approaching the roundabout with Brilliant St, Mitchell Hwy (A32) and Great Western Hwy (A32) in Bathurst, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	End A41 : Northern terminus of A41: the roundabout with Brilliant St, Mitchell Hwy (A32) and Great Western Hwy (A32) in Bathurst, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign : ID sign on the roundabout with Brilliant St, Mitchell Hwy (A32) and Great Western Hwy (A32) in Bathurst, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands

1 Roads & Traffic Authority, Schedule of Classified Roads and State & Regional Roads, 31 January 2011
2 Olympic Highway, Lambert M. Surhone , Mariam T. Tennoe , Susan F. Henssonow ISBN: 9786135069341
3 Roads & Traffic Authority, Community Update, Realignment of the Olympic Highway at Kapooka, December 2010.
4 Journal of Department of Main Roads New South Wales, Extract from September 1958 issue of "Main Roads"
5 The Sydney Morning Herald, Apr 5, 1973
6 Historic Properties For Sale or Lease, Bridge Tearooms
7 Roads & Traffic Authority, Construction and Maintenance, Regional Projects, Western, Pavementreconstruction at Goldsby Hill
8 Parliament of New South Wales, Hansard & Papers, Legislative Council, Bathurst Electorate Roadworks No. 58, 19 October 1995
9 Roads & Traffic Authority, Road Activity Update - Western NSW, February 2003
10 Roads & Traffic Authority, Road Activity Update - Western NSW, June 2003

Last updated: 2-jan-19 19:27

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