Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Sturt Highway (National Highway 20)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Sturt Highway (National Highway 20) - Hay to NSW-Vic Border (Decommissioned)

Statistics:

Length: 598 km
Eastern Terminus: Hume Highway (NH31) at Tarcutta
Western Terminus: NSW-Vic border at Buronga
Miscellaneous: Continues as Sturt Highway (NH-A20) into Victoria
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Tarcutta, Wagga Wagga, Narranderra, Hay, Balranald, Euston and Buronga

Route Numbering:

Multiplexed With:
Former:
Decommissioned: 2013
Road Authority Internal Classification: HW14 1

General Information:

The Sturt Highway is 2 lane rural highway standard for most of its length and is named after Charles Sturt, who explored south western New South Wales, the Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers and also parts of the deserts of central Australia in the 1820s and 1830s. 1

The present Sturt Highway developed as a track along the bank of the Murrumbidgee River linking cattle runs in the 1840s. 1

Originally the area of the route was the territory of the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people, in whose language Wagga Wagga means 'place of crows'. 1

The Sturt Hwy is multiplexed with the following routes:

Newell Highway (NH39) at Narranderra for 1 kilometre
Olympic Highway (NR41) at Wagga Wagga for 3 kilometres
Kidman Way (SR87) at Darlington point for 200 metres

History: 1

1929: The road from Wagga Wagga to Hay was proclaimed as a Trunk Road
1930: The road from Wagga Wagga to Hay was named the Sturt Trunk Road in commemoration of Sturt's expedition down the Murrumbidgee River
1933: The road from Sydney to Adelaide through Wagga Wagga was proclaimed the Sturt Highway. The new highway comprised what had previously been a section of the Monaro Highway (now the Snowy Mountains Highway) from Lower Tarcutta to Wagga Wagga. The road along the south bank of the Murrumbidgee River from Wagga Wagga to Hay and a portion of the Mid Western Highway from Hay to the South Australian border.
1940: Yanko Creek Bridge at Narranderra was constructed
1941: The current Poisoned Waterholes Creek Bridge (8 km east of Narranderra) constructed, replacing a timber bridge built in 1908.
1942: The Bullenbong Creek Bridge constructed (43 km west of Wagga Wagga)
1954: The Yanko Creek bridge was lengthened
1962: The Sturt Highway was completely sealed providing a route through to Adelaide.
1973: The widening of Bullenbong Ck Bridge completed, which included changes to kerbs and railings. Also widening of Poisoned Waterholes Creek Bridge.
1993: The Yanko Creek bridge was widened

Victoria Border to Hay		Hay to Victoria Border
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Welcome To New South Wales: State border welcome sign at Buronga, January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade		Approaching Maude & Moulamein Road: Travelling southwest at Maude as you approach the intersection with Maude and Moulamein Roads. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign without distances at Gol Gol, January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade		Distance Sign: Looking southwest after the Maude and Moulamein Roads intersection at Maude. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Euston approaching Carey St and Murray Tce, January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade		Safe-T-Cam: Used for monitoring heavy vehicle movements, this is the Balranald Safe-T-Cam. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign with additional panel added later, Euston, Janaury 2004. Click here for a photo of this location by Jamie Scuglia 2001, which includes a black sign. Image © Michael Greenslade		AD Sign: Advance directional sign approaching Tooleybuc Road at Balranald, January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Murray Valley Hwy (NR16) at Euston, January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade		Tourist Sign: Tourist orientated sign welcoming visitors to the Balranald / Mungo area, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Euston, January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade		Distance Sign: RD sign after the Tooleybuc Road intersection at Balranald. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Murrumbidgee River: Crossing the Murrumbidgee River as you enter the Balranald town centre, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Entering Balranald: Corner of Sturt Highway (McCabe Street) near the Court Street intersection at Balranald, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on McCabe St (Sturt Hwy) as you approach Market Street. The Sturt Hwy follows Market street through the Balranald CBD, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Market Street Intersection: Looking northeast as the Sturt Hwy turns left through the town centre of Balranald, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Balranald Town Centre: Looking northwest through the Balranald town centre, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Approaching Mayall St: Advance directional sign for the Mayall Street intersection in Balranald, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			RD Sign: Distance sign as the Sturt Hwy leaves Balranald. January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade
			Services Sign: Services sign as you approach the town of Euston. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Advance Directional Sign: Looking southwest as you approach the Murray Valley Hwy (NSW NR16 / Vic B400) intersection at Euston. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Murray Valley Hwy Intersection: Looking southwest through the intersection with the Murray Valley Highway at Euston. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Distance Sign: RD as you head southwest after the Murray Valley Highway intersection at Euston, December 2007. Click here for a photo of this location by Jamie Scuglia from 2001 showing a black distance sign. Image © Paul Rands
			Welcome to Euston: Council wall announcing the town of Euston, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Advance Directional Sign: Southbound at Euston, approaching Murray Terrace and Carey Street. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Murray Terrace and Carey Street Roundabout: Westbound ID signage and exit from the Murray Terrace and Carey Street roundabout at Euston, December 2007. Note the missing arrow. Image © Paul Rands
			Reassurance Sign: A rare reassurance marker in the Euston town centre, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Distance Sign: Westbound RD sign as you leave Euston, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Mallee Fowl Warning Sign: Warning sign for the possibility of Mallee Fowl on the road near Euston, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			End 110 Zone Ahead Signs: Unusal sign warning of the upcoming end of the 110 km/h speed limit at Monak, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Tourist Sign: Victorian style tourist sign as you approach the town of Monak, on the Murray River, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Entering Monak: Sign announcing the town of Monak, looking northwest. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Monak Town Centre: Looking northwest through the town of Monak. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Advance Directional Sign: Westbound approaching the roundabout with Silver City Hwy (NH79) at Buronga. January 2004. Image © Michael Greenslade
			ID Sign: Intersection directional sign on the roundabout with Silver City Highway (NR79) at Buronga. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Distance Sign: Last distance sign on the NSW section of the Sturt Highway, southbound at Buronga, approaching the Murray River, 2004. Image © Jamie Scuglia
			Approaching Murray River: Southbound as you approach the George Chaffey Bridge over the Murray River, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			George Chaffey Bridge: Crossing the Murray River via the George Chaffey Bridge at Buronga. December 2007. The bridge was built in 1985 according to the Roads and Traffic Authority. Before a bridge over the river was built, a punt was the only way across the Murray River until 1924 when a bridge with a lift span was built just upstream, linking with the railhead which connected Mildura to Melbourne. There was no need for a railway bridge since the New South Wales system did not go further southwest than Hay. The 1924 bridge was demolished in 1981 when the present bridge was erected at the same place. The bridge is 331m long and 9.8m wide. George Chaffey and his brother William were responsible for several irrigation projects in Australia and settlement of the towns of Renmark and Mildura. 1 Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of the Sturt Highway as NH-A20 into Victoria Click here for the continuation of the Sturt Highway (NH20) from Hay to Tarcutta

1 Roads and Traffic Authority

Last updated: 07-Sep-2020 20:53

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