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Statistics:

• Length: 55 km
• Northern Terminus: Central Coast Hwy (A49) at Somersby
• Southern Terminus: Pacific Hwy (A1) and Pennant Hills Rd (A28) at Wahroonga
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Wahroonga, Hornsby, Asquith, Mount Colah, Mount Kuring-Gai, Berowra, Cowan, Brooklyn, Mooney Mooney, Mount White, Calga and Somersby

Route Numbering:

• Current: B83

• Former:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: SH10 1

General Information:

B83 is the former National Route 1 from Hornsby in Sydney's northern suburbs to Somersby on the NSW Central Coast, tracing a section of the pre-1960's route from Sydney to Newcastle. The route forms an alternative / scenic route to the Pacific Motorway between Wahroonga and Calga. The route varies from multi-lane suburban arterial, both divided and undivided, and single carriageway rural highway standard. The route features the striking Peats Ferry Bridge at Brooklyn, which crosses a wide section of the Hawkesbury River.

Peats Ferry Bridge: 2

Peats Ferry Road Bridge was designed by the Department of Main Roads. The bridge design incorporates two exceptional features for its day: (a) welding was used in place of riveting in the fabrication of all members in the two main truss spans and (b) the bridge piers are founded on very deep caissons to the river bed.

Each of the two main bridge spans measure 133 metres long (438 feet) and these were the longest welded truss spans in the world when built. The deck of the truss spans in concrete, cast around the truss members. The truss spans were fabricated off site and floated into position on barges, requiring a high degree of accuracy and coordination in fabrication and bridge pier setting out. To the north of the truss spans, the bridge has eight long and eight short steel girder spans.

Pier 2 supporting the main bridge spans is founded on a concrete caisson. The cutting foot of the caisson was cast on a barge in sheltered water and then floated out and sunk to the river bed within its own cofferdam. Jetting with compressed air and the addition of further sections of caisson then further sank the caisson. At one point the caisson accidentally slid under its own weight to below the water line. To recover this situation a further section had to be added by divers and the caisson pumped out, which is reputed to have taken a total of 9 months to recover. The final caisson extends 241 feet and 4 inches (73 m) below low water level, just 8 inches (20 cm) short of the world record depth for a bridge foundation at that time, held by Bay Bridge, San Francisco. Records show the remaining piers to be on precast concrete piles driven into the river bed.

The original railings to the east and west sides of the bridge spans were tubular top and bottom rails supported to steel angle standards with crimped wire mesh infill panels. These original rails still exist to the girder spans of the bridge. The rails to the two truss spans of the bridge were modified in 1966 by the removal of the tubular rails and crimped wire mesh and substitution with Armco type barriers bolted to the original steel angle standards. This is the only significant changed that has been made to the bridge structure since it opened in 1945.

The bridge has appeared in many television commercials and films. The most notable of these was an appearance in the motorcycle cult movie "Stone", filmed in 1973. In the film, almost 400 motorcyclists followed a sidecar-mounted coffin along the Pacific Highway and across the bridge. In 1998, a 25th anniversary ride attracted an estimated 32 000 riders.

History:

The highway traces its origins back to an early settler, George Peat, who owned the land between the Hawkesbury River and Mooney Mooney Creek. To provide access to his property, Peat began a ferry service across the Hawkesbury River in 1844 and surveyed, then constructed a road between Hornsby and Kariong in 1854. After his death in 1870, the ferry service was abandoned and the road fell into disrepair, finally closing to all traffic in 1899, following the completion of the Sydney-Newcastle railway. 3

• August 1925: Construction of a new road from Sydney to Newcastle between Hornsby and Gosford commenced. 4
• 1928: Construction begins of a new sealed highway from Hookham's Corner at Hornsby to Peat's Ferry. Upgrades were made to the old road and converting it to a modern standard, plus creating a new route north, utilising some of the abandoned Peat's Ferry Rd, while improving the horizontal and vertical alignments. 2
• May 1930: The road was completed and the first of two diesel ferries for motor vehicles, the George Peat and Frances Peat, became operational across the Hawkesbury River. These ferries operated up until the bridge opened to traffic, when they were removed to serve in New Guinea. 2
• 2 June 1930: The section of highway between Hookhams Corner, Hornsby and the Hawkesbury River officially opened and proclaimed as Great Northern Highway. 4
• May 1931: After pressure from the Queensland Government, the coastal highway linking Sydney and Brisbane was named Pacific Hwy. 3
• February 1932: The gravel pavement on the Pacific Highway for 6 miles south of Mooney Creek Bridge was reconditioned and tar surface applied. NSW Government, Main Roads Board of New South Wales, Main Roads, February 1932
• 1939: As a result of rapidly rising traffic volumes, work commences on a bridge to cross the Hawkesbury. 2
• May 1945: Peats Ferry Bridge over the Hawkesbury River at Brooklyn opens, and formed an important link in the system of national defence routes. At the time, the Department of Main Roads overcame staff and material shortages to open the bridge 6 years after commencing construction. A plaque on the southern end of the bridge serves as a monument to the energy and skill of the workmen. 4
• 1950s: The first climbing lane for slow traffic was added on a section of the Pacific Highway south of Gosford by the DMR. 4
• 1956: Permanent vehicle weighing station established by the DMR at Gosford on the Pacific Highway. 5 Construction of 6 short lengths of overtaking lanes constructed; three on the hill up from the Hawkesbury River, one on the northern side of that hill and one on each of the hills rising from Mooney Mooney Creek. The other locations are on the south side of Hawkesbury River, and Penang Mountain near Gosford. 6
• 1958: Work commenced on Mt White dual carriageway. 6
• 20 May 1960: The first roadway in NSW classified as motorway was constructed, incorporating a stretch of the Pacific Highway between Peats Ferry and Gosford, near Mount White. It still forms part of the route today, albeit reduced from 2 lanes in each direction, to 1 lane in each direction, divided. 2
• 9 October 1960: The Berowra checking station opened. The one at the interchange with the Sydney-Newcastle Fwy (now Pacific Mwy) at Berowra opened 9 years later. 7
• 1979: State Route 83 itself was first signposted. 3
• 1980s: Deviation of the Pacific Highway at Somersby due to the construction of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway (now Pacific Mwy) segment between Calga and Ourimbah. 8
• 1995: Pacific Highway maintenance, between Calga and Somersby, transferred from Roads and Traffic Authority to Gosford City Council. 8
• 2013: State Route 83 decommissioned and replaced with B83.
• August 2015: Completion of safety works north of Hawkesbury River. At Mooney Mooney near Karool Road the road was resurfaced and the shoulders widened, plus at Mount White near Ashbrookes Road and Bar Point, improvements were made to a number of curves with widened asphalt shoulders and new kerbside barriers with motorcycle rails installed. 9
• May 2017: Signage and safety barrier improvements between Brooklyn Rd and Fraser Rd at Cowan. 10
• June 2017: Safety improvements on the approaches to Mooney Mooney Creek, work involved widening the southbound road shoulder and changing line marking to increase separation between the north and southbound travel lanes and the installation of a 140 metre safety barrier with a motorcycle safety rail along the southbound shoulder. 11
• January 2021: Extension of bus lane between Edgeworth David Avenue and Leonard Street, Hornsby. 12
• May 2021: Completion of extension of bus lane between Edgeworth David Avenue and Leonard Street, Hornsby. 13

Preview:	Description:
	Beaumont Road: Corner of Pacific Hwy (B83) and Beaumont Rd, Mt Kuring-Gai, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Sandstone Cutting: One of several sandstone cuttings after Beaumont Rd at Mt Kuring-Gai, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Berowra approaching the Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Berowra approaching Berowra Waters Rd, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Berowra Waters Road: Corner of Berowra Waters Rd and Pacific Hwy (B83) at Berowra, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Berowra approaching the Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Pacific Motorway Interchange: Pacific Hwy (B83) at the Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange at Berowra, April 2019. This is where the former Sydney-Newcastle Fwy toll plaza was located and the beginning of the freeway until the late 1980s. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Cowan, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Hawkesbury River: Peats Ferry Bridge over Hawkesbury River at Brooklyn, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Hawkesbury River: Peats Ferry Bridge over Hawkesbury River at Brooklyn, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mooney Mooney approaching the Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Pacific Motorway Interchange: Pacific Hwy (B83) at the Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange at Mooney Mooney, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mooney Mooney approaching Peats Ferry Rd, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Mooney Mooney, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Pacific Motorway: Pacific Hwy (B83) passing under Pacific Mwy (M1) at Bar Point, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Dual Carriageway: The dual carriageway at Mount White, April 2019. This section of road was the first roadway in NSW classified as motorway. 2 Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mt White approaching Morgans Rd and Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Morgans Road & Pacific Motorway: Pacific Hwy (B83) at the junction with Morgans Rd and Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange at Mt White, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Mt White, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mt White approaching the Heavy Vehicle Safety Station, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mt White approaching the Heavy Vehicle Safety Station, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Heavy Vehicle Safety Station: Pacific Hwy (B83) at the entrance to the Mt White Heavy Vehicle Safety Station, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Pacific Motorway: Pacific Hwy (B83) passing over Pacific Mwy (M1) at Mount White, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Services sign at Calga, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Calga approaching the Pacific Mwy (M1) interchange, April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Pacific Motorway Interchange: Pacific Hwy (B83) at the interchange with Pacific Mwy (M1) at Calga, April 2019. B83 turns right at this location. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Calga approaching Peats Ridge Rd and Old Pacific Hwy (B83), April 2019. Image © Paul Rands
	Peats Ridge Road & Old Pacific Highway: Pacific Hwy (B83) at the junction with Peats Ridge Rd and Old Pacific Hwy (B83) at Calga, April 2019. B83 turns right at this location. Peats Ridge Rd is the former NH1 alignment through Peats Ridge to Ourimbah and was the main route between Sydney and Newcastle before the freeway was extended. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of Pacific Highway as A1

1 NSW Government Roads & Maritime Services, Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads, April 2017
2 Roads & Traffic Authority, Heritage and Conservation Register
3 Sam Laybutt (Ozroads)
4 Department of Main Roads, The Roadmakers
5 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1956
6 NSW Government, Department of Main Roads, Main Roads, June 1958
7 Commissioner of Motor Transport, Annual Report, 1961
8 NSW State Coroner's Office, Inquest touching the death of Adam Holt, Roslyn Bragg, Travis Bragg, Madison Holt and Jasmine Holt.
9 NSW Government, Scot MacDonald MLC Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast, Media Release, Motorcycle Safety Improvement Work On Old Pacific Highway Complete, 13 August 2015
10 NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Release, Safety improvement work on the Pacific Highway, Cowan from Monday 15 May
11 NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Release, Fix on the way for dangerous curve on Old Pacific Highway at Mooney Mooney Creek, 19 June 2017
12 NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Release, Bus improvement work on the Pacific Highway, Hornsby from Monday 11 January
13 NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Release, Now completed - bus improvements on the Pacific Highway, Hornsby, May 2021

Last updated: 23:43:30 30/10/2012.

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