Carpentaria Highway (Savannah Way) (National Route 1)

Statistics:

• Length: 641 km (Sealed for 380 km, ending at Macarthur River at Borroloola)
• Western Terminus: Stuart Hwy (NH1 / NH87) at Daly Waters
• Eastern Terminus: NT / QLD Border
• Miscellaneous: Continues as Savannah Way into Queensland
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Daly Waters, Cape Crawford Roadhouse and Borroloola

Route Numbering:

• Current:

General Information:

The Carpentaria Highway, which joins the Stuart Highway just south of Daly Waters, is the main road to Borroloola. It provides access to the Macarthur River Mine, and is an important road link for the pastoral industry in the Gulf and northern sections of the Barkly Tablelands.

Forming part of the massive Savannah Way which stretches accross the northern parts of WA, NT and QLD, the Carpentaria Highway is a somewhat isolated route, passing through national parks and Aboriginal lands.

National Routes are generally not signposted along their unsealed sections, however according to UBD's Concise Motoring Atlas of Australia, NR1 extends past the causeway at Macarthur River in Borroloola and eventually into Queensland via Wollogorang Road. No plans are current for upgrading these roads, although investigations have been carried out for eventually bridging the river at or near the present crossing. 1

History:

• 1968: Carpentaria Highway was eventually sealed to Borroloola 1
• 2005: Upgrade of four bridges on the highway: October Creek, Little River, Leila Creek West and Leila Creek East 2 Also strengthening and widening of nearly 30km of the highway to a seven metre sealed standard, and culverts installed at the three floodways in the area commonly referred to as the Six Mile 3, plus 18km of gravelling on Wollogorang Road (the unsealed section of the route, east of Borroloola). 1

Preview:	Description:
	ID Sign: Intersection directional sign facing southbound traffic on the Stuart Highway at the Carpentaria Highway intersection at Daly Waters. This is the terminus for NH87, NH1 and NR1. Image taken in 2000. Image © Tourism NT

1 NT Lands Group / Department of Planning & Infrastructure
2 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
3 office of the Minister for Transport and Infrastructure

Last updated: 03-Dec-2019 14:18

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