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Canberra Avenue & Kings Highway (National Route 52)

Statistics:

• Length: 14 km (ACT Only)
• Western Terminus: Interchange with Monaro Hwy (NR23 / ALT-NR23) and Canberra Avenue (NR23) at Fyshwick
• Eastern Terminus: NSW-ACT Border
• Miscellaneous: Continues as Kings Highway (B52) in New South Wales
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Fyshwick, Beard, Symonston, Harman and Kowen

Route Numbering:

• Current:
• Forthcoming Alphanumeric: B52

General Information:

NR52 is quite short, travelling just 5 kilometres from the NSW-ACT Border to the junction with the Monaro Highway and Canberra Avenue at Fyshwick. The route starts in the ACT, then crosses into NSW at Queanbeyan, where it becomes B52, then goes back into the ACT for a few kilometres between Queanbeyan and the next major town, Bungendore.

The entire Canberra Avenue alignment is multi-lane dual carriageway. Canberra Avenue was known during the 1930s as Uriarra Road. 1

The Kings Highway is the main road to the NSW south coast, travelling through Queanbeyan and several small NSW towns, connecting with the Princes Highway on the coast at Batemans Bay. It is one lane each way with occasional overtaking lanes throughout.

History:

• 20 September 1928: Canberra Avenue name gazetted 2
• 1974: National Route 52 introduced 3
• 30 July 1976: The first stage of the duplication of Canberra Avenue between Fyshwick and the NSW border opened to traffic. 4
• 9 May 1977: New route between Canberra and West Queanbeyan opened to traffic. It runs from the Queanbeyan side of HMAS Harman, crossed the Queanbeyan-Cooma Railway and joined with Kendall Avenue in Queanbeyan. 5
• 16 April 1982: The NSW section of Canberra Avenue, linking Canberra Avenue from Kendall Avenue to Monaro Street in Queanbeyan opened by the then NSW Commissioner for Roads, Mr Bruce Loder. 6
• February 2011: Work commences on the Kings Highway southern deviation at Kowen between Queanbeyan and Bungendore. 7
• April 2012: Kings Highway southern deviation completed. 7
• November 2013: B52 appears on roadsigns around Kowen area

Fyshwick to Kowen			Kowen to Fyshwick
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Monaro Hwy Interchange: Canberra Avenue (NR23) and Monaro Highway (NR23 / ALT-NR23) Interchange at Fyshwick, the western terminus of NR52. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			Entering ACT: Australian Federal Police patrols sign as you cross from NSW to ACT at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Monaro Hwy Interchange: Intersection directional sign assembly on Ipswich St, Fyshwick at the interchange with Monaro Hwy (NR23) and Canberra Av (NR23 & NR52), January 2014. Note the missing NR52 shield. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Kowen approaching the roundabout with the Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) Facility. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Fyshwick approaching Hindmarsh Drive & Newcastle Street. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			Start Divided Road: Approaching the short section of divided road approaching the HQJOC roundabout. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Hindmarsh Dr & Newcastle St intersection in Fyshwick. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			Approaching the HQJOC Facility: Kings Hwy at Kowen approaching the roundabout with the Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) Facility. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Hindmarsh Dr & Newcastle St intersection in Fyshwick. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			Approaching the HQJOC Facility: Kings Hwy at Kowen approaching the roundabout with the Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) Facility. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Hindmarsh Drive & Newcastle Street Intersection: Eastbound as you approach the intersection with Hindmarsh Drive & Newcastle Street at Fyshwick. October 2004. Image © Sam Laybutt (Ozroads)			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the roundabout with the HQJOC Facility at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the junction with Tom Price Street at Beard, November 2013 Image © Paul Rands			Return to Two Way Conditions: Kings Hwy as it reverts to undivided rural highway at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the junction with HMAS Harman at Oaks Estate. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			Distance Sign: RD sign at Kowen after the HQJOC roundabout. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Canberra Av approaching the interchange with Norse Road. December 2009. This was the only sign in this direction to show NR52 and has since been removed. Image © Paul Rands			Approaching Divided Road: Approaching a small section of divided road over a hill at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Norse Road Interchange: Canberra Av at the Norse Rd interchange at Beard, November 2013. Click here for a photo of the previous sign configuration in December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			Divided Road: A small section of divided road over a hill at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	NSW Signs Inside ACT Border: NSW signage on the ACT side of the border at Beard, November 2013. Click here for a photo of the previous sign from December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			New South Wales Border: Kings Hwy as it re-enters New South Wales. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Welcome to New South Wales: NSW welcome sign as you cross over the border from the ACT. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands			Welcome to The Australian Capital Territory: ACT welcome sign as you cross over the border from NSW. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering ACT: Border sign as you cross from NSW to ACT at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the junction with HMAS Harman at Harman. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering ACT: Australian Federal Police patrols sign as you cross from NSW to ACT at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands			Australian Federal Police Sign: Information on random breath testing and speed checks in the Australian Capital Territory. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Kowen approaching the roundabout with the Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) Facility. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands			Welcome to Canberra Sign: Sign welcoming visitors to Canberra, and also indicates the traditional owners of the land around the ACT area, Symonston, December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Kowen approaching the roundabout with the Australian Defence Force Headquarters Joint Operations Command (HQJOC) Facility. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands			Urban Speed Limit Sign: Sign at Symonston incdicating the urban speed limit in the ACT. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the roundabout with the HQJOC Facility at Kowen. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the junction with Tom Price Street at Symonston. April 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign at Kowen after the HQJOC roundabout. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Symonston approaching Hindmarsh Drive & Newcastle Street. April 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	New South Wales Border: Kings Hwy as it re-enters New South Wales. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Symonston approaching Hindmarsh Drive & Newcastle Street. April 2015. Image © Paul Rands
				Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Hindmarsh Dr & Newcastle St intersection in Symonston. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Hindmarsh Dr & Newcastle St intersection in Symonston. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Suburb Name Sign: Typical later ACT suburb name sign, Symonston at the Hindmarsh Dr intersection. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Faulding St intersection in Symonston. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Monaro Hwy Interchange: Canberra Avenue (NR23) and Monaro Highway (NR23 / ALT-NR23) Interchange at Fyshwick, the western terminus of NR52. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
				Monaro Hwy Interchange: Canberra Avenue (NR23) and Monaro Highway (NR23 / ALT-NR23) Interchange at Fyshwick, the western terminus of NR52. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of Kings Highway as B52 in New South Wales Click here for the continuation of Kings Highway as B52 in the Australian Capital Territory

1 ACT Memorial, Stanley George Murray Gillespe
2 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Canberra Avenue
3 Sam Laybutt (ozroads.com.au)
4 Canberra Times, Page 3, 30 July 1976
5 Canberra Times, Page 7, 6 May 1977
6 Canberra Times, Page 6, 16 April 1982
7 Hewatt Group, Completed Projects

Last updated: 05-Feb-2019 22:29

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