Statistics:
- Length:
- 717 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, Coolgardie, Bullabulling, Yellowdine, Ghooli, Southern Cross, Moorine Rock, Bodallin, Carrabin, Burracoppin, Merredin, Hines Hill, Doodlakine, Kellerberrin, Bungulla, Tammin, Cunderdin, Meckering, Northam, Clackline, Bakers Hill, Wundowie, Sawyers Valley, Mundaring, Greenmount, Bellevue, Hazelmere, South Guildford, Redcliffe, Belmont, Rivervale, Laithlain and Burswood
Route Numbering:
- Current: 94
- Multiplexed with: 1 3
- Former: 94
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- H005 (Norseman to Bellevue and Hazelmere to Burswood)
- H018 (Bellvue to Hazelmere)
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.
Multiplexes along the route include:
- National Route 1, for 9 km, between South Guildford and Burswood.
- State Route 3, for 3 km, between Bellevue and Hazelmere.
History:
- 1935: Bridge over the Eastern Railway and Clackline Brook built. The uphill curve, camber and timber construction are unique to Western Australia. 2
- 1954: Completion of the highway seal.
- 1960s: A railway level crossing in Bellevue was replaced by a bridge which passes over the Main Eastern Railway line.
- 1960: Bridge over the Eastern Railway and Clackline Brook widened by 3 metres. 2
- June 1966: Sir Ross Hutchinson (1914-1999), the then Minister for Works unveils NR94 as the first numbered route in Western Australia. 3
- 14 May 1988: Great Eastern Highway Bypass opened to traffic.
- February 1997: Great Eastern Hwy / Orrong Rd new intersection opened. 4
- January 2001: Works commence on the Northam Bypass. 5
- May 2002: Northam Bypass completed. 5
- 2008: Clackline bypassed. 2
- January 2021: Work commenced on an upgrade to a 30 km section of highway between Widgiemooltha and Kambalda. 6
- 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. 6
1 WA Government, Main Roads Western Australia, Road Information Mapping System.
2 Interpretative Display, Clackline Lion Park.
3 WA Government, State Library of WA.
4 WA Government, Main Roads Western Australia.
5 Australian Government, Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics, Ex-post economic evaluation of National Highway projects, Case study 2: Northam Bypass Working paper 70.2.
6 WA Government, Main Roads Western Australia, Projects & Initiatives, Coolgardie Esperance Highway Upgrade - Emu Rocks.