|
Stuart Highway (National Highway 87) - Barrow Creek to Tennant Creek |
Statistics:
Route Numbering:
General Information:
The Stuart Highway is one of NT's most important routes, linking Darwin, Alice Springs and the populated areas of South Australia, including Adelaide.
Named for explorer John McDouall Stuart, the first European to cross Australia from South to North, and it generally follows his route. The Stuart Highway crosses the desert of Central Australia to savannah grasslands and tropical wetlands in the North. 1
History:
The Stuart Highway began as a dirt track servicing the construction of the Overland Telegraph in the 1870s and served to link the railheads until World War II. 1
Construction of the telegraph line had required the development of a track along the line’s route, to enable wagons and other vehicles to travel with loads of posts, wire, and other materials. An area of approximately two chains width (about 40 metres) was cleared on either side of the line and this became “the track” – the only transport route south. 2
For the whole length of “the track” there were frequent deviations. Detours were made to reach watering places and wet season detours were developed to avoid low and boggy ground. Tracks were continually deviated and altered by “self-help” travellers. There was no formal development or maintenance of the road, beyond the Two and a Half Mile (Parap) in Darwin, until the late 1920s. 2
From 1936 a low standard dry weather road was developed from Darwin to Adelaide River, roughly along the present route of the Stuart Highway. From Adelaide River a similar low standard road was developed southward to the railhead at Larrimah. However, construction and maintenance of these roads was given a very low priority because the same route was served by the North Australia Railway line. 2
When war loomed it became apparent that the railway could not meet all defence requirements. Planners saw a need for an all weather road to service dispersed military installations, particularly airfields, in the immediate Darwin hinterland. So, from May 1941, the Darwin Adelaide River section (115km) was upgraded to an all weather gravel road standard. The work was done by the New South Wales Department of Main Roads. 2
By early 1943 traffic between Darwin and Adelaide River had reached 2000 vehicles per day, mostly heavy lorries. The gravel surface disintegrated under this traffic and so it was decided to provide a bitumen seal – 6.2m wide to Adelaide River and 4.8m wide from there to Larrimah. 2
Similar work was done by interstate Main Roads teams on southern section of the Stuart Highway, with the result that by 1944 the highway was bitumen sealed, although some sections were very narrow. 2
| Barrow Creek to Tennant Creek | Tennant Creek To Barrow Creek | |||
| Preview: | Description: | Preview: | Description: | |
 |
Services Sign: Services sign approaching Barrow Creek, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
 |
Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Three Ways Roadhouse, north of Tennant Creek. November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|
 |
Barrow Creek: Stuart Hwy (NH87) at Barrow Creek, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
 |
Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the intersection with Barkly Hwy (NH66) at Three Ways, near Tennant Creek. Image taken 2000. Image © Tourism NT |
|
 |
Barrow Creek: Stuart Hwy (NH87) at Barrow Creek, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
 |
Barkly Hwy Intersection: ID sign on the corner of the Barkly Highway (NH66) near the Three Ways Roadhouse at Tennant Creek. September 2008. Image © Kate Pilling |
|
 |
Distance Sign: Reassurance directional sign, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
 |
Barkly Hwy Intersection: ID sign with incorrect route number on the corner of the Barkly Highway (NH66) near the Three Ways Roadhouse at Tennant Creek. November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|
 |
Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Ali Curung, approaching Kinjurra Rd, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
 |
Distance Sign: RD sign after the Barkly Hwy junction at Tennant Creek. September 2008. Image © Kate Pilling |
|
 |
Kinjurra Road: Corner of Stuart Hwy (NH87) and Kinjurra Rd at Ali Curung, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Ali Curung, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Distance Sign: Reassurance directional sign at Wycliffe Well, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
100km/h Speed Limit Ahead: Warning signs for change in speed limit from 130 to 100 km/h, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Wycliffe Well: Stuart Hwy (NH87) at the entrance to Wycliffe Well Roadhouse, which is on a former Stuart Highway alignment, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign facing the access road to Wycliffe Well Roadhouse, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Wycliffe Creek: Stuart Hwy (NH87) crossing Wycliffe Ck at Wycliffe Well, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Services Sign: Services sign at Wycliffe Well, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Distance Sign: RD sign in the Wycliffe Well area. November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Services Sign: Services sign at Wauchope, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the entrance to Wauchope Roadhouse, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Wauchope, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Trailblazer & Kilometre Plate: NH87 trailblazer and kilometre plate between Wauchope and Devil's Marbles turn off, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Old Stuart Hwy at Wauchope which is the access road to Karlu Karlu / Devil's Marbles, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at Wauchope facing Old Stuart Hwy. August 2008. Image © Kate Pilling |
|||
 |
Services Sign: Services sign at Tennant Creek, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Tennant Creek Town Centre: Stuart Hwy (NH87) as it passes through Tennant Ck near Memorial Dr, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Tennant Creek Town Centre: Stuart Hwy (NH87) as it passes through Tennant Ck near Windley St and Peko Rd, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Tennant Creek Town Centre: Stuart Hwy (NH87) as it passes through Tennant Ck near Davidson St, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tennant Ck approaching Warrego Rd and Kaczinsky Rd, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Advance Directional Sign: ID sign being used as AD sign approaching the Telegraph Station entrance at Tennant Ck, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Telegraph Station: Stuart Hwy (NH87) at the Telegraph Station entrance at Tennant Ck, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Services Sign: Services sign at Tennant Creek, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Tennant Creek, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Barkly Highway (NH66) near the Threeways Roadhouse north of Tennant Creek. November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Barkly Highway: Corner of Stuart Hwy (NH87) and Barkly Hwy (NH66) at Tennant Ck (Threeways), November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Threeways Roadhouse entrance north of Tennant Ck, November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Tennant Creek (Threeways), November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
 |
Services Sign: Services sign at Tennant Creek (Threeways), November 2016. Image © Paul Rands |
|||
| Click here for the continuation of NH87 between Tennant Creek and Barrow Creek Click here for the continuation of NH87 between Tennant Creek and Daly Waters |
||||
1 NT Government Chief Minister's Office
Last updated: 26-Dec-2019 16:21
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 here.