Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Castlereagh Highway (State Route 86)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Castlereagh Highway (State Route 86) - Mudgee to Dunedoo (Decommissioned)

Statistics:

Length: 288 km (Mudgee to Dunedoo: 82 km)
Northern Terminus: Newell Hwy (NH39 / NR34) at Gilgandra.
Southern Terminus: Great Western Hwy (NR32) at Marrangaroo, northwest of Lithgow.
Miscellaneous: Continues as Castlereagh Hwy (NR55) from Gilgrandra, and eventually as Castlereagh Hwy (A55) in Queensland at Hebel.
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Dunedoo, Craboon, Birriwa and Gulgong

Route Numbering:

Former:
Multiplexes:
Decommissioned: 2013
Road Authority Internal Classification: State Highway No. 18 (except Golden Highway duplex, State Highway No. 27) 1

General Information:

Castlereagh Highway is a significant highway link in the New South Wales road network, linking towns west of the Great Dividing Range (such as Lithgow) to the central west of the state and eventually to Queensland. The State Route 86 segment, passes through rural and populated areas, linking Lithgow with the agricultural centre of Gilgandra, north of Dubbo (via NR34 / NH39).

The route features a 10 km duplex with State Route 84 (Golden Highway) from Craboon to Dunedoo.

The Castlereagh Highway is predominantly a 2-lane road, with sealed shoulders and occasional auxiliary lanes provided for overtaking. The speed limit is generally 100km/h, with lower speed limits in place in built up areas. Between Mudgee and Gulgong, the 2002 Annual Average Daily Traffic volume (AADT) was around 3,000 axle pairs. 2

History:

2003: Widening of the Castlereagh Highway near Gulgong. 1
2007: Castlereagh Highway reconstruction at Black Bull Hill, north of Mudgee. 1

Mudgee to Dunedoo		Dunedoo to Mudgee
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Cudgegong River: Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) crossing Belinfante Bridge, approaching Guntawang Rd at Cullenbone, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Talbragar River : Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) as it crosses Talbragar River via Erskine Bridge at Dunedoo, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Guntawang Rd at Cullenbone, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Entering Dunedoo : Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) as it enters the town of Dunedoo, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: RD sign at Cullenbone, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign : AD sign at Dunedoo approaching Golden Hwy (SR84), April 2012. Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) turns left here and duplexes SR84. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Gulgong: Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) as it enters the town of Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign : ID sign assembly at the junction with Golden Hwy (SR84) in Dunedoo, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Medley St in Gulgong, November 2011. SR86 turns left at this junction. Image © Paul Rands		Services Sign : Services sign at Dunedoo, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Medley St, Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign : Distance sign at Dunedoo, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Medley St, Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign : ID sign at the junction with Wargundy St in Dunedoo, April 2012. Note no reference to SR86 here. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Goolma Rd and Mayne St, Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Alphanumeric Distance Sign : Alphanumeric reassurance directional sign at Dunedoo, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the roundabout with Goolma Rd & Mayne St, Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Entering Craboon : Castlreagh Hwy (SR86) and Golden Hwy (SR84) entering the town of Craboon, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the roundabout with Goolma Rd & Mayne St, Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign : AD sign approaching the split between Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) and Golden Hwy (SR84) at Craboon, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Caledonian St in Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Golden Highway / Castlereagh Highway : Intersection directional sign at the split between Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) and Golden Hwy (SR84) at Craboon, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Caledonian St, Gulgong, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign : Distance sign at Craboon, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Northbound RD sign at Gulgong, November 2011. Click here for a photo by Ryan Nicholls from August 2007 of the previous sign. Image © Paul Rands		Quarantine Zone Sign: Sign denoting entering a quarantine zone, Craboon, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Birriwa: Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) as it enters the village of Birriwa, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Craboon: Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) as it passes through Craboon, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Birriwa: Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) passing through Birriwa, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Entering Gulgong : Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) as it enters the town of Gulgong, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Golden Hwy (SR84) at Craboon, November 2011. Despite the sign not showing, SR86 turns left and duplexes with SR84. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Caledonian St in Gulgong, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the junction with Golden Hwy (SR84) in Craboon, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Caledonian Street : Corner of Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) and Caledonian St in Gulgong, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Reassurance directional sign at Craboon, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Caledonian St in Gulgong, approaching Castlereagh Hwy (SR86), April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Craboon: Castlereagh Hwy (SR84 / SR86) entering the village of Craboon, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign facing Caledonian St in Gulgong, at the junction with Castlereagh Hwy (SR86), April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Dunedoo: Castlereagh Hwy (SR84 / SR86) entering the town of Dunedoo, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign : AD sign at Gulgong approaching Mayne St and Goolma Rd, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Services sign at Dunedoo, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign : ID sign on the roundabout with Mayne St and Goolma Rd in Gulgong, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Wargundy St, Dunedoo, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign : AD sign approaching Medley St and Fisher St in Gulgong, April 2012. SR86 continues right at this junction. Image © Paul Rands
	Dunedoo: Castlereagh Hwy (SR84 / SR86) passing through Dunedoo town centre, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Fisher Street : Corner of Castlereagh Hwy (SR86), Medley St and Fisher St in Gulgong, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Golden Hwy (SR84) at Dunedoo, November 2011. The SR84 duplex ends at this junction. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign : Distance sign at Gulgong, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
	Castlereagh Highway: Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) at the Golden Hwy (SR84) junction at Dunedoo, November 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign : AD sign at Galambine approaching Guntawang Rd, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
			Guntawang Road : Corner of Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) and Guntawang Rd at Galambine, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
			Cudgegong River : Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) as it crosses Cudgegong River via Belinfante Bridge at Galambine, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
			Reassurance Directional Sign : Distance sign at Galambine, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
			Quarantine Zone Sign: Sign denoting entering a quarantine zone, Menah, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
			Advance Directional Sign : AD sign at Menah approaching Hill End Rd (TD3 / TD4), April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
			Hill End Road : Corner of Castlereagh Hwy (SR86) and Hill End Rd (TD3 / TD4) at Menah, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
			Reassurance Directional Sign : Distance sign at Menah, April 2012. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of SR86 between Dunedoo and Gilgandra Click here for the continuation of SR86 between Capertee and Mudgee

1 Roads & Traffic Authority
2 NSW Department of Planning, taken from the Sinclair Knight Merz report on the Moolarben Coal Project

Last updated: 27-Oct-2018 23:03

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