Bruxner Highway (National Route 44) - Casino to Tenterfield (Decommissioned)

Statistics:

• Length: 414 km (numbered section: 183 km) (Casino to Tenterfield: 128 km)
• Eastern Terminus: Pacific Highway (NR1), Uralba
• Western Terminus: New England Highway (NH15), Tenterfield
• Miscellaneous: Continues unnumbered between Tenterfield and Boggabilla
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Casino, Mummulgum, Mallanganee, Tabulam, Drake Village and Tenterfield

Route Numbering:

• Former: 
• Multiplexes: 
• Road Authority Internal Classification: HW16 1
• Decommissioned:  2013

General Information:

The Bruxner Highway is named after Michael Bruxner, member for Northern Tablelands and Tenterfield from 1920 to 1962, leader of the New South Wales Country Party for almost all that period and Deputy Premier and Minister for Transport from 1932 to 1941. Mr Bruxner grew up in the Tenterfield area.

The Bruxner Highway is the State's most northerly highway from the coast to the interior plains.

The western section from Tenterfield to Boggabilla was never officially signposted as NR44 as planned, as the route was never fully sealed at the western end, however this section is now fully sealed.

Multiplexes along the route include:

• State Route 91 (Summerland Way) for 1.5 km in Casino

History:

• 1859: A route, running in approximation to current Bruxner Highway was established to connect the New England (Tenterfield) to the Clarence port of Grafton. 2
• 1899-1903: Construction of a timber truss bridge at Tabulam to cross the Clarence River . It is reputedly the longest single-span wooden bridge in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tabulam bridge is an early example of a DeBurgh timber truss road bridge. Designed by Public Works engineer Ernest M. DeBurgh, the DeBurgh truss is an adaptation of the American Pratt truss design. The bridge was built by Pope & Maher, Sydney. It has five timber truss spans - two end spans of 32.0m (105ft) and three interior spans of 32.3m (106ft). There are 10 timber approach spans at one end and 3 at the other. The overall length of the bridge is 297.5m (976ft). The main spans are supported by concrete piers located in the river. The approaches are supported by timber trestles. A timber post and rail guard rail extends the full length of the bridge. The bridge provides a single lane carriage way with a minimum width of 4.6m. 2
• 1936-1940: Laying of bitumous surface between Mummulgum and Tabulam (37 miles). 2
• 1938: Bruxner Highway proclaimed State Highway No 16. 3

Tenterfield to Casino			Casino to Tenterfield
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Black Advance Directional Sign: Black AD sign on New England Hwy (NH15) (Rouse St) in Tenterfield, approaching Bruxner Hwy (NR44) (High St), April 2007. Image © Michael Gill			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Bruxner Hwy (NR44) at Casino approaching Summerland Way (SR91) and Centre St, July 2007. The SR91 duplex starts at this junction. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the corner New England Hwy (NH15), Bruxner Hwy (NR44) and High St in Tenterfield, April 2007. Image © Michael Gill			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Bruxner Hwy (NR44) approaching Barker St in Casino, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign with alphanumeric route number, Tenterfield, April 2007. Image © Michael Gill			Richmond Road: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses the Richmond River at Casino, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Summerland Way (SR91) approaching Centre St and Bruxner Hwy (NR44) at Casino, November 2005. Image © Paul Rands			Approaching Hare Street & Summerland Way: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) at Casino, approaching the Summerland Way (SR91) and Hare St roundabout, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the roundabout with Bruxner Hwy (NR44), Summerland Way (SR91) and Centre St in Casino, November 2005. Image © Paul Rands			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the roundabout with Hare St and Summerland Way (SR91), July 2007. NR44 turns right at this junction, and the SR91 duplex ends here. Image © Paul Rands
				Level Crossing: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses the North Coast Railway Line at Casino, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Distance Sign: RD sign on the outskirts of Casino, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Wooroowoolgan: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it passes through Wooroowoolgan, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Ellams Bridge Road: Corner of Bruxner Hwy (NR44) and Ellams Bridge Rd at Piora, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Entering Mummulgum: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it enters the town of Mummulgum, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Bingeebeebra Road: Corner of Bruxner Hwy (NR44) and Bingeebeebra Rd at Mummulgum, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Mummulgum: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it passes through Mummulgum, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Mummulgum Creek: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses Mummulgum Ck via Mummulgum Bridge, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Shannonbrook Creek: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses Shannonbrook Ck via Deep Creek Bridge No. 1, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Shannonbrook Creek: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses Shannonbrook Ck via Deep Creek Bridge No. 1, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Shannonbrook Creek: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses Shannonbrook Ck via Deep Creek Bridge No. 2, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Shannonbrook Creek: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses Shannonbrook Ck via Deep Creek Bridge No. 3, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Steep Climb: Steep climb warning sign as Bruxner Hwy (NR44) begins to climb the hills around Mallanganee, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Mallanganee: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) climbing the hills around Mallanganee, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Cambridge Plateau Forest Road: Corner of Bruxner Hwy (NR44) and Cambridge Plateau Forest Rd at Mallanganee, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Bulmers Road: Corner of Bruxner Hwy (NR44) and Bulmers Rd at Mallanganee, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Mallanganee: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as passes through the Mallanganee area, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Mallanganee: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as passes through the Mallanganee area, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Little Creek: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses Little Creek at Sandilands, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Distance Sign: RD sign in the Sandilands Area, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Black Intersection Directional Sign Assembly: Black ID sign assembly at Sandilands on the corner of Bruxner Hwy (NR44) and Clarence Way, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Tabulam Area: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it passes through the Tabulam area, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Entering Tabulam: Entering the town centre of Tabulam, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Welcome to New England North West: Tourism sign announcing New England North West, with distances to major towns in the region, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Clarence River: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses the Clarence River via Tabulam Bridge, which was constructed between 1899 and 1903 2, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Clarence River: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it crosses the Clarence River via Tabulam Bridge, which was constructed between 1899 and 1903 2, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Kilometre Plate: Kilometre plate with distance to Tenterfield, as you leave the Tabulam town centre, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Paddys Flat Road: Corner of Bruxner Hwy (NR44) and Paddys Flat Rd at Tabulam, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Yellow Creek: Bruxner Hwy as it crosses Yellow Ck at Tabulam, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Drake: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it makes its way through the hills in the Drake area, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Drake Village: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it passes though Drake Village, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Sandy Hill Area: Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it passes through the Sandy Hill area, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it approaches New England Hwy (NH15) and High St in Tenterfield, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
				Black Intersection Directional Signs: Black ID sign assembly at the junction with Bruxner Hwy (NR44) as it approaches New England Hwy (NH15) and High St in Tenterfield, July 2007. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of Bruxner Highway (unnumbered) between Tenterfield and Boggabilla Click here for the continuation of Bruxner Highway (NR44) between Casino and Uralba

1 Schedule of Classified Roads (and unclassified Regional Roads), 25 February 2008
2 The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales
3 Roads & Traffic Authority, Heritage and Conservation Register, Macadamized Road Bruxner Highway

Last updated: 17-Dec-2019 0:55

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