Road Photos & Information: Western Australia
Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, Roe Highway, Great Eastern Highway Bypass and Great Eastern Highway (National Highway 94)
Norseman to Coolgardie
Former Alignment
Statistics:
- Length:
- 717 km (Norseman to Coolgardie: 165 km)
- Termini:
- Eastern: Coolgardie-Esperance Hwy (NR1) and Eyre Hwy (NH1), Norseman
- Western: Canning Hwy (NR1 / SR6), Causeway (SR5), Shepperton Road (SR30) and Albany Hwy (unnumbered), Burswood
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Norseman, Widgiemooltha, Kambalda and Coolgardie
Route Numbering:
- Current: None
- Former: 94 94
General Information:
National Highway is a major route in WA, directly linking the capital city of Perth with the mining and goldfield regions in the eastern part of the state, such as Kalgoorlie and Norseman, it also connects to National Highway 1, the Eyre Highway, which is the major link, via the Nullarbor Plain between the east and west coasts of Australia.
Outside of Perth, the route is bitumen paved single carriageway roadway. Some overtaking lanes exist along the route between Coolgardie and Perth's outer suburbs. Inside the metropolitan area, the route varies from multi-lane arterial road to expressway standard.
The highway generally runs parallel with the Mundaring to Kalgoorlie water pipeline, which pipes drinking water drawn from Mundaring Weir near Perth to Kalgoorlie.
History:
- 1954: Completion of the highway seal.
- June 1966: Sir Ross Hutchinson (1914-1999), the then Minister for Works unveils NR94 as the first numbered route in Western Australia. 1
- January 2021: Work commenced on an upgrade to a 30 km section of highway between Widgiemooltha and Kambalda. 2
- July 2022: Work completed on upgrade between Widgiemooltha and Kambalda. Work included reconstruction and realignment of the highway north and south of Goldfields Highway intersection, upgrades to Goldfields Highway intersection, widening and reconstruction of shoulders along the highway south of Goldfields Highway intersection, passing lanes added to the highway south of Goldfields Highway, upgrades to the intersection at Widgie Roadhouse, upgrades and replacement of more than 50 culverts and the installation of road safety barrier along selected locations on highway. 2
This page concentrates on the former alignment between Norseman and Coolgardie
Coolgardie to Norseman
Former Coolgardie-Esperance Highway:
Former highway alignment at Widiemooltha, near the roadhouse, April 2018.
Image © Paul Rands
2 WA Government, Main Roads Western Australia, Projects & Initiatives, Coolgardie Esperance Highway Upgrade - Emu Rocks.