Road Photos & Information: Australian Capital Territory: Northbourne Avenue, Vernon Circle, Commonwealth Avenue, State Circle, Capital Circle, Canberra Avenue, Hume Place and Monaro Highway (National Route 23)

Road Photos & Information: Australian Capital Territory

Northbourne Avenue, Vernon Circle, Commonwealth Avenue, State Circle, Capital Circle, Canberra Avenue, Hume Place and Monaro Highway (National Route 23) - Gilmore to NSW Border

Statistics:

Length: 45 km (Gilmore to NSW Border: 25 km)
Northern Terminus: Corner of Barton Highway (NH25), and Federal Highway (NH23) at Lyneham
Southern Terminus: NSW Border at Williamsdale
Miscellaneous: Monaro Highway continues as B23 in New South Wales
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Gilmore, Richardson, Theodore, Royalla and Williamsdale

Route Numbering:

Current:
Forthcoming Alphanumeric: B23

General Information:

In the ACT, NR23 serves as the main connector route through suburban Canberra.

The route varies from multi-laned dual carriageway in the urban areas of North and South Canberra to rural highway further south of the city. It passes directly past Australia's Parliament House and other significant areas containing offices for the administration of the country. It also passes through suburban areas, industrial areas at Fyshwick and Hume, plus farming zones and bushland.

Between the spans on the southern side of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge over Lake Burley Griffin, there's two granite stones from the 1817 Waterloo Bridge across the River Thames in London. These were presented to Australia after the 1817 Waterloo Bridge was demolished in the 1940s and replaced by a modern structure. A plaque reads, in part, "Stones such as these from the bridge were presented to Australia and other parts of the British world to further historic links in the British Commonwealth of Nations".

History:

Monaro Highway (Cooma Road):

October 1958: Cooma Road renamed Monaro Highway. This meant the route had a single name between Canberra and the Victorian border. 1

August 1967: The section of the Monaro Highway within in the ACT was the first road in the Territory in which a speed of more than 50 MPH is permitted. The Department of the Interior announced the new limit would be 60 MPH. 2

December 1982: Completion of reconstruction of 2.5 km of Monaro Hwy between Johnson Dr and the ACT-NSW Border. The work included a new 2-lane road with overtaking lane and a new bridge across Tuggeranong Creek, which replaced a narrow bridge. 3

February 1983: Monaro Hwy and Johnson Dr intersection upgrade works underway. 4

1985: Reconstruction of Monaro Hwy at Williamsdale. 5

11 November 1992: Monaro Highway name gazetted. 6

Gilmore to NSW Border		NSW Border to Gilmore
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Chisholm near Old Tuggeranong Road, for the junction with Johnson Drive. October 2013. Image © Paul Rands		ACT / NSW Border: Northbound near Williamsdale on the NSW side of the ACT border. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Richardson for the junction with Johnson Drive. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		ACT / NSW Border: Northbound near Williamsdale. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Richardson for the junction with Johnson Drive. October 2013. Image © Paul Rands		ACT / NSW Border: Northbound near Williamsdale. December 1996. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Richardson for the junction with Johnson Drive. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Welcome Sign: Sister City Welcome Sign at Williamsdale. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: Southbound at Richardson at the junction with Johnson Drive. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Entering Williamsdale: Entering the village of Williamsdale. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Johnson Drive Roundabout: Monaro Hwy at the Johnson Dr roundabout at Richardson. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Angle Crossing Road Junction: Corner of Monaro Hwy and Angle Crossing Rd in Williamsdale. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Road Safety Sign: Road safety sign at Theodore, after Johnson Drive. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Williamsdale: Monaro Hwy outside the Williamsdale roadhouse. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Old Cooma Road: Intersection directional sign being used as an advance directional sign approaching Old Cooma Road at Royalla. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Royalla Drive Junction: Monaro Highway near Royalla Drive in Royalla. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Royalla Drive Junction: Intersection directional sign at Royalla Drive in Royalla. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Royalla Drive Junction: Intersection directional sign at Royalla Drive in Royalla. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Williamsdale: Entering the village of Williamsdale near Williamsdale Road. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Old Cooma Road: Intersection directional sign being used as an advance directional sign approaching Old Cooma Road at Royalla. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Williamsdale: Southbound on Monaro Hwy outside the Williamsdale roadhouse. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Speed Limit Reminder: Sign indicating the built up area speed limit near Theodore. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Angle Crossing Road Junction: Corner of Monaro Hwy and Angle Crossing Rd in Williamsdale. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Divided Road 1km Ahead: Sign at Theodore at Theodore indicating the divided section of Monaro Highway is 1 km away. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	New South Wales Border: Southbound on Monaro Hwy at the border with New South Wales. NR23 continues into NSW. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands		Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign next to Tuggeranong Creek at Theodore for the junction with Johnson Drive. August 2010. Image © Paul Rands
			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Theodore for the junction with Johnson Drive. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
			Johnson Drive Roundabout: Corner of Monaro Hwy and Johnson Dr. Monaro Hwy picks up the TD5 duplex from this junction. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the Johnson Drive roundabout at Theodore. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the Johnson Drive roundabout at Theodore. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
			Distance Sign: Northbound at Chisholm after the Johnson Drive roundabout. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of Monaro Highway as B23 in New South Wales Click here for the continuation of NR23 between Gilmore & Fyshwick

1 Canberra Times, Page 3, 21 October 1958
2 Canberra Times, Page 3, 25 August 1967
3 Canberra Times, Page 3, 23 December 1982
4 Canberra Times, Page 3, 16 February 1983
5 Canberra Times, Page 8, 7 June 1985
6 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Monaro Highway

Last updated: 05-Feb-2019 22:25

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