Length:

710 km

Termini:

Eastern: Ipswich Mwy (Metroad 2) and Cunningham Hwy (NH15), Riverview

Western: Landsborough Hwy (NH71), Augathella

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Augathella, Morven, Mitchell, Roma, Miles, Chinchilla, Dalby, Oakey, Toowoomba, Gatton, Ipswich and Riverview (Ipswich)

Current: M2 A2 A21

Former: 54 54

Multiplexed with: 18 18 49 82 85

Road Authority Internal Classification:

13A (Augathella to Morven) ¹

18A (Toowoomba to Dinmore) ^{2 3}

18B (Dalby to Toowoomba) ²

18C (Miles to Dalby) ^{1 2}

18D (Roma to Miles) ¹

18E (Mitchell to Roma) ¹

18F (Morven to Mitchell) ¹

General Information:

National Highway 54 formed part of the main route between Brisbane and western Queensland. It linked several major towns and highways and varied from freeway standard at its eastern end to undivided rural highway beyond Toowoomba.

National Route 39 for 1 km, Miles.

National Route 55 for 5 km, Roma.

State Route 49 for 400 m, Dalby.

State Route 82 for 4 km, Dalby.

State Route 85 for 400 m, Toowoomba.

1849: Surveyor J.C. Burnett found a better route to the north to replace the road from Brisbane over the Toowoomba Range (via Gormans Gap, south of the city). This new route was to later become Toll Bar Road. ⁴

1853: A gang of twelve workers cleared and constructed a better road along the route of what would become Toll Bar Road. ⁴

January 1855: Toll Bar Road opens. A simple gatehouse was erected at the top of the range, near the current intersection of Ipswich and Curtis Streets in Toowoomba. A bar crossing the road and a fence either side stopped traffic and enabled toll collection of approximately two pence. Toll Bar Road consisted of a rough stone pavement on very steep grades. As the road was unsealed and very steep, with grades as much as 14%, it was subject to severe scouring during heavy rains. ⁴

13 December 1921: Brisbane-Toowoomba Road was declared a Main Road under the Main Roads Act, 1920. ⁴

24 September 1932: The Main Roads Commission proclaimed the Toll Bar Road a State Highway when it became part of the Lockyer-Darling Downs Highway. ⁴

1938: A major upgrade of the range road took place. The most significant change was to the uppermost section, with the new route reaching the top of the range further north. ⁴

December 1939: Work to upgrade the range road completed. ⁴

29 January 1940: A two-lane bitumen Toowoomba range road was formally opened by the Honourable H.A. Bruce, Minister for Public Works, MLA. The new range road was a vast improvement on the old Toll Bar Road as it provided a 6.1 m wide bitumen surfaced pavement over a length of 3.7 km and climbed a total height of 350 m. The average rate of climb was nearly 9%, although the actual grades varied between 7.5% and 10.5% with the exception of a short flattening in the vicinity of a saddle which had become known as "Essex Evans" due to the fact that the poet George Essex Evans (1863-1909) once resided at this location. ⁴

1964: The Main Roads Department commenced the duplication of the road at an estimated cost of £185 000. By 1964 the traffic volume had reached 2300 vehicles per day, of which approximately 500 were heavy trucks and semi-trailers. The alignment of the upgrading project was along the existing road from the foot of the range proper to the saddle at Essex Evans. However, an entirely new up-lane from Essex Evans to the top was constructed on the southern side of the existing road. The new up-lane was slightly longer, with improved horizontal and vertical alignment and an increased width of 7.3 m. The basic route used by Warrego Highway today has remained unaltered since 1940. ⁴

4 April 1997: Opening of the Oakey Bypass. ⁵

2004: National Highway 54 decommissioned and renumbered as A2 as part of the 'Strategic Tourism Routes' numbering scheme. ⁶

Augathella to Ipswich

Black Advance Directional Sign:

Black AD sign on Bunya Hwy (SR49) approaching Warrego Hwy (NH54 / SR49 / SR82) at Dalby, December 2003.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Ipswich to Augathella

Trailblazer:

AD sign on Mooney Hwy (SR49) approaching Warrego Hwy (NH54 / SR49 / SR82) at Dalby, December 2003.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

NH54 trailblazer outside Oakey Raliway Station on Bridge St, January 2004.

Image © Michael Greenslade