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Statistics:

• Length: (NSW, Vic and SA Total) 976 km (SA: 267 km)
• Northern Terminus: SA-Vic border at Yamba
• Southern Terminus: Corner of Main North Road (A1) and Grand Junction Road (A16) at Gepps Cross
• Miscellaneous: Continues in Vic as Sturt Hwy (A20) from SA-Vic Border at Yamba
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Yamba, Paringa, Renmark, Barmera, Waikerie, Truro, Nuriootpa, Gawler, Elizabeth and Gepps Cross

Route Numbering:

• Current: A20

• Former: A52
• Road Authority Internal Classification: 07200 1

General Information:

The Sturt Highway and Main North Road are major routes connecting New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The highway connects the Hume Highway (A31) in NSW with the Newell Hwy (A39) and other major routes of South Western NSW. The route also connects with the Calder Highway (A79) in Victoria.

The highway itself varies from 2-lane rural highway in the less populated areas to multilaned main road in some of the larger towns along the route to freeway standard and 6-lane arterial road standard in Adelaide.

The route receives Auslink funding from the Federal Government, recognising its importance as a major Australian highway for freight and travel.

The Sturt Highway is named after Charles Sturt, who explored south western New South Wales, the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers and also parts of central Australia in the 1800s.

History:

• 1869: A private punt was established at Blanchetown to cross the River Murray. 2
• 1879: The private punt at Blanchetown replaced by a government operated service. 2
• 1888: First bridge at Renmark built over River Murray constructed in timber by the Chaffey Brothers, to connect their new irrigation settlement with Adelaide. 2
• 1922: The punt at Blanchetown relocated due to the opening of Lock 1. Operation of a ferry commenced at Kingston-On-Murray over the River Murray. 2
• 1927: Opening of Paringa Bridge over the River Murray at Renmark, when the railway line was extended from Paringa to Renmark. The bridge carried both road and rail traffic. 2
• 1933: The Chaffey Brothers' timber bridge at Renmark was replaced by a timber and steel bridge. 2
• December 1954: Second ferry installed at Blanchetown due to increased traffic. 2
• January 1959: Construction on a new bridge (called the Distillery Bridge) began at Renmark. It was made of pre-stressed concrete, a first for South Australia. 2
• January 1960: Completion of Distillery Bridge at Renmark. 2
• 1963: Opening of Gawler Bypass as super-2 road with at-grade junctions. 3
• 24 April 1964: Opening of bridge over River Murray at Blanchetown. 2
• 1969: Work begins on bridge over River Murray at Kingston-on-Murray to replace a ferry. 2
• 1974: Upgraded from National Route 20, with the introduction of the National Highway system.
• 1976: Northern Barossa Deviation opens.
• 1980s: Nuriootpa & Greenock bypassed. Extension and duplication of Gawler Bypass. 3
• 1995: Monash Deviation opened, bypassing the towns of Berri and Glossop.
• 1998: Changed to National Highway A-20 with the implementation of the alphanumeric route numbering system in SA, also completion of the Mickens Bridge to Truro realignment (an 8 km alignment and bridge, north of the old carriageway). 4
• 2007: Upgrades of intersections including Murray Street at Nuriootpa, realignment of the Belvidere Road junction and extension of the existing overtaking lane adjacent to Moppa Road with relocated lighting at the Old Kapunda Road and Moppa Road junctions. 5
• 2008: Gawler Interchange duplication and the Gawler to Daveyston duplication. 4
• 2010: Completion of the duplication of Sturt Hwy between Gawler and Nuriootpa. 6 Realignment of the Gawler bypass northbound carriageway as part of creating a grade-separated junction with the Northern Expressway.
• November 2012: Work begins on upgrading the intersection of Main North Road, Tiver Road and Gordon Road to provide a 4-way signalised intersection. 7
• November 2013: Work completed on upgrading the intersection of Main North Road, Tiver Road and Gordon Road to provide a 4-way signalised intersection. 7 New heavy vehicle parking bays constructed on Sturt Highway east of Monash and west of Renmark. Two parking bays on the Sturt Highway were also upgraded, west of Nuriootpa and east of Truro. Upgrades included new surfacing, signs, shelters, seats and bins. 8
• 2014: Wire Rope Safety Barriers installed on Main North Road between Curtis Road and Tiver Road. 9
• December 2014: Installation of approximately 3.5 km of audio tactile pavement markings between Truro and Accommodation Hill. 10
• January 2015: Safety upgrades on Sturt Highway, 13 km east of Truro. Works included 220 metres of shoulder sealing and safety barrier replacement over Anna Creek on the Sturt Highway near Three Chain Road. 11
• March 2015: Work starts on upgrades at the intersection of Main North Road and Midway and Woodford Roads at Elizabeth Downs, by extending the right turn lanes on both Midway and Woodford Road approaches to the junction. Also the signals on Midway and Woodford Roads were upgraded to provide partial right turn control with minor road widening. 12
• 14 September 2015: Point-to-point speed cameras activated on an 18 kilometre stretch of the Sturt Highway between Kingston on Murray and Lowbank. 13
• August 2018: Works commence on the upgrade of the Main North Road intersection with Dalkeith Road and Smith Road at Evanston South. Work included: service relocations, installation of traffic lights enabling controlled right turns in all directions, installation of left-turn slip lanes on Main North Road, installation of bicycle lanes, signalised pedestrian crossings, plus new road lighting, pavement and U-turn facility 300 metres north of the intersection. 14
• 2019: Installation of new guard rails and bridge barriers and widening of road pavement across several bridges on Sturt Highway. Bridges upgraded include: Paringa Causeway Bridges 1 & 2, Paringa Causeway Bridges 3 & 4, Bookmark Bridge, Salt Creek Bridge and Kingston Bridge. 15
• February 2019: Change of speed limit on the Sturt Highway at Blanchetown from 110km/h to 80km/h. The altered speed limit applies from east of the heavy vehicle inspection station and ends east of the intersection with Hunter Road / Paisley Road. 16

1 Location SA Map Viewer
2 SA Memory, The river as a highway: Crossing the Murray
3 Peter Morris, Australian Minister for Transport, Press Release, $18 Million Gawler Bypass Gets Go Ahead, 9 May 1984
4 Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
5 Government of South Australia, Department of Transport, Energy & Infrastructure, The Sturt Highway Upgrade Gawler to Nuriootpa, Proejct Update, January 2007
6 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, Road Projects, Sturt Highway Upgrade
7 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, Road Projects, Main North Road / Tiver Road / Gordon Road Intersection Upgrade
8 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, New roadside facilities for truck drivers, 29 Nov 2013
9 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Wire Rope Safety Barriers installed on Main North Road, 29 Aug 2014
10 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Works on Sturt Hwy, 10 Dec 2014
11 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Sturt Hwy safety improvement, 19 Jan 2015
12 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Minor works Main North Road, Elizabeth Downs, 11 Mar 2015
13 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Sturt Highway safer as point-to-point safety cameras switched on
14 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, Road Projects, Main North Road / Dalkeith Road Intersection Upgrade
15 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, Community Update, Regional Bridges Upgrade Project, Sturt Highway Bridges, Commencement of Works, 20 Dec 2018
16 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Speed limit change on Sturt Highway at Blanchetown, 03 Feb 2017

Last updated: 08-Feb-2019 19:02

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