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Pacific Highway, New England Highway, John Renshaw Drive, Southern Freeway, Mount Ousley Road & Princes Highway (National Route 1) (Decommissioned) - Construction Photos: Cobargo to Bega

Statistics:

• Length: 1149 km (Cobargo to Bega: 44 km)
  • Southern section: 481 km
• Northern Terminus:
  • Southern section: Princes Highway (Metroad 1) at Waterfall
• Southern Terminus:
  • Southern section: Princes Highway (A1) at New South Wales / Victoria border
• Miscellaneous: Continues as Princes Highway (A1) in Victoria
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route:
  • Southern section: Quaama, Brogo, Greendale, Stony Creek and Bega

Route Numbering:

• Former:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: SH1 (Yallah to NSW-Vic Border) 1
• Decommissioned: 2013

General Information:

National Route 1 forms part of the main coastal route between Victoria and Queensland. The route features a mix of rural highway, arterial and freeway design standards. The route forms part of what is collectively known as Highway 1. It is Australia's coastal highway joining all mainland's state capitals and coastal towns circumnavigating the entire Australian continent. It is also the longest numbered highway in the world, covering more than 14 500 km.

In New South Wales, National Route 1 was truncated by National Highway 1 between Beresfield and Wahroonga, by Metroad 1 between Wahroonga and Waterfall and by M1 at Tweed Heads West.

Southern Section:

The southern section of National Route 1 is formed by 2 separate sections of the Southern Freeway, linked by dual carriageway Mt Ousley Road. At the end of southern segment of the Southern Freeway, National Route continues as Princes Highway. The route from Kiama to Sydney is a mix of divided road and freeway, the majority of the route from Gerringong to the Victorian border is undivided rural highway standard and undivided urban arterial within some towns, with some dual carriageway sections sporadically placed between Bomaderry and tourist areas immediately south of Nowra.

• Princes Highway:

The Princes Highway was formed from a string of roads linking Sydney to the Illawarra, which later was renumbered from National Route 1 to Metroad 1 in the Sydney area during the 1990s.

The Princes Highway section of NR1 formed a coastal route from Yallah, in Wollongong's southern suburbs to Melbourne and into South Australia. The route is a mix of urban arterial road, dual carriageway and also rural highway.

History:

Princes Highway:

• 7 June 1926: the Princes Highway comes under a federal and state government £ for £ funding scheme, thus recognizing the importance of the highway as major route.
• 1930s Reinforced concrete bridge built along Princes Highway over Allsopps Creek at Brogo near Bega. 7
• 1933: Widening of the was carried out for a length of 321 metres near Bega. 2
• 1934: Bitumen sealing of Princes Highway (Carp Street) in Bega town centre and on the bridge over Bega River. 3
• 1935: Commencement of widening and straightening of a narrow section over McLeod's Hill between Quaama and Brogo River. 4
• 1939: by the middle of the year, 300 miles (or 50% of the then highway) had been paved with bitumous surface.
• 1950s: Reconstruction and re-routing of sections of the Princes Highway from Narooma to Bega was undertaken. 5
• 1950: Work began on reconstruction of Princes Hwy between Cobargo and Brogo River at Brogo, a length of 14 miles. 7
• 1956: Bitumen surfacing on Princes Hwy between Sydney and Eden totalling 305 miles out of 321 miles. 8
• 1957: Work was commenced on the construction of a deviation eight miles in length between Bega and Alsop's Creek to eliminate a section of road subject to frequent flooding and of poor alignment and grading. 9
• 1959: Work began on a new 180 feet long bridge over Coopers Gully on a deviation at Bega. It replaced an old timber structure. 10
• 1960: A steel and reinforced concrete bridge 180 feet long, with steel girders over Coopers Gully, was completed on the new route of the Princes Highway (State Highway No. 1) between Alsop's Creek and Bega. 11
• 1964: Curve advisory speed signs installed on Princes Highway between Nowra and the Victorian Border. 12
• 1971: Construction commenced on the Quaama deviation. The deviation bypassed the village of Quaama and form the approaches to a replacement bridge over Dry River. 13
• 1972: The deviation at Quaama opened to traffic. Work commenced on construction of the first stage of a by-pass at Bega, which was planned to provide a flood-free route around the town. This deviation involved the construction of a replacement bridge over the Bega River. 14
• 1973: The final seal was placed on the deviation at Quaama. 15
• 29 September 1975: The 23 span prestressed concrete girder bridge over the Bega River at Bega completed. The bridge is 623.6 m long, provides two traffic lanes and one footway and replaced a one lane timber truss bridge 132 m long. 16
• October 2002: Work begins on the construction of an overtaking lane for the Princes Highway at Alsops Creek at Brogo. 17
• August 2011: Work begins on Bega Bypass. The route bypasses the town centre between the Bega River bridge and Finucane Lane. 18

This page concentrates on construction photos of Princes Highway between Cobargo and Bega.

Preview:	Description:
	Project sign: Project sign at Bega for the Bega Bypass, October 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	North Bega Preliminary Works: Utility relocation works in preparation of Bega Bypass construction at North Bega, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Compound & Reservation: Bega Bypass reservation and equipment compound, North Bega, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Road Reservation: Road reservation put aside in the 1970s for the construction of Bega Bypass, North Bega, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	At Last!: Front page of Bega District News announcing the commencement of Bega Bypass works, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands, article © Bega District News
	Work Starts On Bypass At Last: Continuation of the front page of Bega District News announcing the commencement of Bega Bypass works, August 2011. Image © Paul Rands, article © Bega District News

1 Roads and Traffic Authority, Schedule of Classified Roads and State & Regional Roads, 31 January 2011
2 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1932-33
3 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1933-34
4 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1934-35
5 RTA Thematic History, 2nd Edition, 2006
6 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1936-37
7 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1949-50
8 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1955-56
9 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1956-57
10 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1958-59
11 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1959-60
12 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1963-64
13 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1970-71
14 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1971-72
15 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1972-73
16 Department of Main Roads, Annual Report, 1976-77
17 Bega Daily News, Road Work At Alsops Creek, 11 October 2002
18 Bega Daily News, 2 August 2011

Last updated: 24-Feb-2019 19:52

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