Heathcote Road

New South Wales
The road as it passes through Lucas Heights
Heathcote Road is located in Sydney
North end
North end
South end
South end
Coordinates
General information
TypeRoad
Length23.9 km (15 mi)[1]
GazettedNovember 1939[2]
Route number(s) A6 (2013–present)
(Lucas Heights–Heathcote)
Former
route number
  • Metroad 7 (1993–1999)
    State Route 61 (1974–1993)
    Entire route
  • Metroad 6 (1999–2013)
    (Lucas Heights–Heathcote)
Major junctions
North end Newbridge Road
Moorebank, Sydney
 
South end Princes Highway
Heathcote, Sydney
Location(s)
Major suburbsHolsworthy, Lucas Heights

Heathcote Road is a 24-kilometre-long (15 mi)[1] major arterial road in the south of Sydney, Australia. It plays a major role in the servicing of traffic travelling between the Illawarra and Western Sydney, and its eastern end is a constituent part of the A6 route.

Route

Heathcote Road commences at the intersection of Newbridge Road in Moorebank, just east of Liverpool, and heads in a southeasterly direction as a four-lane, single carriageway road, meeting M5 South Western Motorway shortly afterwards. Still heading southeast, it enters the more rural areas of southern Sydney, past the Holsworthy Barracks in the northern borders of Heathcote National Park in Holsworthy. It meets New Illawarra Road at Lucas Heights, and eventually terminates at the intersection with Princes Highway in Heathcote.

As its name suggests, the road is generally surrounded by heath, but more often dry eucalyptus woodlands and shrublands with some mallee vegetation.

The road has a history of accidents, due to its narrow nature, the number of blind corners and the steep gradients.[3]

History

Heathcote Road was constructed during World War II as a military defence route and a way to bypass the old Illawarra Road which used the ridge lines and a causeway crossing of the Woronora River between Menai and Engadine. Construction began in 1940 and was completed in 1943, although the route, or at least sections of it, existed in some form prior to 1940.[4]

The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[5] through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). With the subsequent passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[6] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, the Department of Main Roads (having succeeded the MRB in 1932) declared Main Road 512 along the route on 15 November 1939, between Hume Highway in Liverpool and Princes Highway in Heathcote, in preparation of the route's reconstruction starting the following year.[2]

The route was officially re-named Heathcote Road, between Terminus Street in Liverpool and Pacific Highway at Heathcote, on 27 July 1955.[7] The opening of the new bridge over Georges River (now known as the Light Horse Bridge) in 1958[8] had the western end of Heathcote Road truncated to meet the new road over the bridge (now Newbridge Road) in Moorebank instead.

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[9] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Heathcote Road retains its declaration as part of Main Road 512.[10]

The route was allocated State Route 61 in 1974, then re-designated part of Metroad 7 in April 1993.[11] This was completed removed in 1999, with just the eastern end between Lucas Heights and Heathcote re-designated as part of Metroad 6 in its place. With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, Metroad 6 was replaced by route A6.[12]

Major intersections

LGALocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
LiverpoolMoorebank0.00.0 Newbridge Road (A34) – Liverpool, Punchbowl, CanterburyNorthern terminus of road
0.10.062Moorebank Avenue – Glenfield
Moorebank–Wattle Grove–Hammondville tripoint1.91.2 M5 South Western Motorway (M5) – Prestons, Liverpool, Sydney AirportNo right turn southbound onto westbound entrance ramp
Holsworthy4.93.0East Hills railway line
SutherlandLucas Heights–Holsworthy boundary18.511.5 New Illawarra Road (A6) – Alfords Point, Lidcombe, CarlingfordRoute A6 continues north along New Illawarra Road
Woronora River21.313.2Heathcote Road Bridge
SutherlandHeathcote–Engadine boundary23.914.9 Princes Highway (A1) – Newtown, Sutherland, WollongongSouthern terminus of road and route A6

See also

icon Australian Roads portal

References

  1. 1 2 3 Google (10 May 2023). "Heathcote Road" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Main Roads Act, 1924-1938". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 181. National Library of Australia. 17 November 1939. p. 5431. Archived from the original on 8 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Deadmans Creek Bridge". Roads & Maritime Services. Archived from the original on 6 May 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Deadmans Creek Bridge (Heritage and Conservation Register entry)". Roads & Maritime Services. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  5. ↑ State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  6. ↑ State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
  7. ↑ "Main Roads Act, 1924-1954". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 91. National Library of Australia. 26 August 1955. p. 2483. Archived from the original on 10 May 2023. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  8. ↑ "Liverpool's Bridges".
  9. ↑ State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  10. ↑ Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  11. ↑ "Metroad 7 History". Ozroads. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  12. ↑ "Road number and name changes in NSW" (PDF). Roads & Maritime Services. Government of New South Wales. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
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