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Princes Highway & Memorial Drive (State Route 60) (Decommissioned)

Statistics:

• Length: 34 km
• Northern Terminus: Appin Road (SR69), Mt Ousley Rd (NR1) and Southern Freeway (NR1) at Maddens Plains (Bulli Tops)
• Southern Terminus: Southern Freeway (NR1) and Princes Highway (NR1) at Yallah
• Miscellaneous: Memorial Drive was originally named Northern Distributor
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Maddens Plains (Bulli Tops), Thirroul, Bulli, Woonona, Russell Vale, Bellambi, Corrimal, Towradgi, Fairy Meadow, North Wollongong, Wollongong, West Wollongong, Figtree, Unanderra, Kembla Grange, Brownsville, Dapto and Yallah

Route Numbering:

• Former: 
• Multiplexes: 
• Road Authority Internal Classification: HW1 1
• Decommissioned:  2013

General Information:

State Route 60 is a major arterial link within the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Part of it originally formed part of the main route between Sydney and the New South Wales South Coast, but was superseded by the Southern Freeway (NR1) and Mt Ousley Road (NR1) as the main link through the Illawarra.

The route varies from undivided and divided road, some sections single laned, others multi-laned. The section from Unanderra to Bulli sees the most traffic.

Multiplexes along the route include:

• Grand Pacific Drive, for 850 m from Thirroul to Bulli

History:

• 1834: The predecessor to the Princes Highway, The Main South Coast Road, was marked out through 'Athanlin' at Yallah. 2
• 1844: A pass up the Illawarra Escarpment was discovered by Captain Westmacott. This became known as Westmacott's Pass and later Bulli Pass. It was the main entry to the Illawarra from the north. 3
• 1867: Bulli Pass Road was built. 4
• In 1868 a wheeled vehicle was taken up Bulli Pass. 3
• August 10 1920: Existing roads were re-named 'Princes Highway' after the visit to Australia in 1920 of the Prince of Wales (who became King Edward VIII, thence the late Duke of Windsor). The highway was officially opened at Warragul, Victoria. 5
• December 1925: A road development funding scheme was announced by Prime Minister Bruce, on 7 June 1926, part of the funds from this were allocated to 11 roads in NSW, one of which was the Princes Highway. 6
• 1926: Bulli Pass surfaced with bitumen. 4
• Late 1920s: Works begin on upgrading the highway between Bulli and Kiama. 6
• 1927: Main Road complete from the foot of Bulli Pass to Bellambi. 3
• 1932: By this time, Princes Highway improved and substantially reconstructed in bitumous macadam between Sydney and Nowra. 6
• 1939: 170 miles (48%) of the entire Princes Hwy between southern Sydney and Batemans Bay is paved with a bitumous surface. 6
• 1940s: A road reservation is established for what is now Memorial Drive in a north-south direction between the Princes Highway and railway line in Wollongong's northern suburbs. 7
• 1958: Expressway planned in the Wrexham Road - Bulli Hill - Slacky Flat area - to be located between railway and highway to Fairy Meadow. 8
• 1970s: Princes Highway deviation constructed at Kembla Grange and Brownsville, near Allans Creek. Former route renamed to Prince Edward Drive within Brownsville.
• 1990: North Wollongong to Towradgi Road section of Northern Distributor (now Memorial Drive) opens to traffic. 9
• 1993: Towradgi Road to Bellambi Lane section of Northern Distributor (now Memorial Drive) opens to traffic. 9
• January 2007: Construction commences on the extension of Northern Distributor (now Memorial Drive) between Bellambi Lane and Princes Highway. 10
• 28 April 2008: Bulli Pass reopens after extensive stabilisation and safety work carried out. 11
• 29 November 2009: $110 million Northern Distributor (now Memorial Drive) extension from Bellambi Lane Russell Vale to Princes Highway Bulli opened to traffic. 12

Click here for the unnumbered section of Memorial Drive (The original F8 section of the former Northern Distributor)
Click here for historic photos of the route.
Click here for the former alignment of State Route 60 between Maddens Plains (Bulli Tops) and Dapto

1 Roads & Traffic Authority, Schedule of Classified Roads and State & Regional Roads, 31 January 2011
2 Wollongong City Council, Suburb Profiles, Yallah.
3 Wollongong City Council, Suburb Profiles, Bellambi.
4 Wollongong City Council, Suburb Profiles, Bulli.
5 Department of Main Roads, Main Roads Of New South Wales Brochure
6 Department of Main Roads, The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4
7 Roads & Traffic Authority, Community Update, April 2007
8 Wollongong City Council, Suburb Profiles, Corrimal / East Corrimal.
9 Roads & Traffic Authority, Northern Distributor Extension, Community Update, December 2006.
10 Roads & Traffic Authority, Northern Distributor Extension, Community Update, April 2007.
11 Roads & Traffic Authority, News Events, Bulli Pass.
12 Roads & Traffic Authority, Home, Projects, Southern region, Completed projects, Northern Distributor extension

Last updated: 20:1:58 20/3/2016.

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