Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Pacific Highway, Gore Hill Freeway, Warringah Freeway, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Cahill Expressway, Eastern Distributor, Southern Cross Drive, General Holmes Drive, The Grand Parade, President Avenue & Princes Highway (Metroad 1)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Pacific Highway, Gore Hill Freeway, Warringah Freeway, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Cahill Expressway, Eastern Distributor, Southern Cross Drive, General Holmes Drive, The Grand Parade, President Avenue & Princes Highway (Metroad 1) - Hornsby to Artarmon

Statistics:

Length: 66 km
Northern Terminus: Pacific Highway (Metroad 1 / SR83) and Pennant Hills Road (Metroad 7) at (Pearce's Corner) Wahroonga.
Southern Terminus: Princes Highway and Southern Freeway (NR1) at Waterfall
Miscellaneous: Continues as National Route 1 from Waterfall
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Wahroonga, Warrawee, Turramurra, Pymble, Gordon, Killara, Lindfield, Roseville, Chatswood, Artarmon, Naremburn, Cammeray, Neutral Bay, North Sydney, Kirribilli, Milsons Point, Circular Quay, Woolloomooloo, Darlignhurst, Surry Hills, Moore Park, Waterloo, Kensington, Zetland, Rosebery, Eastlakes, Botany, Kyeemagh, Brighton-Le-Sands, Kogarah, Beverley Park, Kogarah Bay, Blakehurst, Sylvania, Gymea, Kirrawee, Sutherland, Yarrawarrah, Engadine, Heathcote and Waterfall.

Route Numbering:

Current:
Former:
RTA Internal Classification: Main Road 194 (General Holmes Drive) *

General Information:

Metroad 1 is basically a replacement of National Route 1 through the Sydney area, when Metroads were introduced to NSW in the 1990s. That said, the Metroad 1 route has had some changes to its routing since it was introduced.

The route is formed by several major roads in Sydney and carries large volumes of traffic daily. It consists of mostly suburban arterial road qualities, mostly 3 lanes in each direction. There are a few near freeway standard sections along the route, and the Eastern Distributor and Sydney Harbour Tunnel form sections of underground roadway.

Gore Hill Freeway:

The Gore Hill Freeway, formerly part of Metroad 2, is 3.1 kilometres in length and links the Warringah Freeway at Naremburn with the Lane Cove Tunnel at Lane Cove. Originally the freeway linked with Epping Road. During construction 70 000 trees were used in the landscaping, more than was removed to build the freeway. *

Warringah Freeway:

Formerly known as the Warringah Expressway, this section of Metroad 1 is one of Sydney's grander road engineering feats. It was originally designed to head through Sydney's north shore to the northern beaches.

The original plan for the Warringah Freeway was bigger than what the road is today. At its northern end, it was to turn north at Willoughby Road, through the SCEGGS playing fields, through Castlecrag and cross Middle Harbour at Sugarloaf Point / Pickering Point. From there it would continue north along the Wakehurst Pkwy. There was an EIS comissioned in 1963 for an interchange at Warringah Road & Wakehurst Parkway. There was also to be two spurs from Pickering Point into Balgowlah and another along Burnt Bridge Creek to join Condamine Street near Kenneth Road.

The Warringah Freeway also features adjustable lanes depending on traffic requirements. The western middle carriageway, which is usually northbound, becomes southbound during the morning peak (from 05:30 - 09:30). The time the change back occurs, depends on different traffic conditions. The eastern middle carriageway used to become northbound in the afternoon peak prior to 1987. This changed when construction of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel began. Because of the tunnel approach, this carriageway is now permanently southbound only.

Click here for an RTA Oral History file on the constuction of the Warringah Freeway (MP3 format, 4.35 MB)

Cahill Expressway:

The route features New South Wales first ever expressway, the Cahill Expressway built in the 1950s at Circular Quay. Stage 1 of the route features a dual deck, with roadway on the top and railway under, both passing over the Circular Quay ferry terminal on Sydney Harbour. ** For a full history, with photos of the Cahill Expressway, click here.

Sydney Harbour Tunnel:

The 2.3 kilometre Sydney Harbour Tunnel connects the Warringah Freeway on the northern side of Sydney Harbour to the Cahill Expressway, south of the harbour. It includes a one kilometre section below the harbour constructed by the immersed tube method. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel Company (SHTC) owns, operates and will maintain the Harbour Tunnel until August 2022 when it will be transferred to public ownership. *

Eastern Distributor:

The Eastern Distributor segment of Metroad 1 provides a high-quality road link between the Cahill Expressway at Woolloomooloo and Southern Cross Drive at Zetland. The motorway was funded and built by Airport Motorway Limited, which now operates, maintains and repairs the motorway until 2048, when it will revert to public ownership. The motorway is operated on Airport Motorway's behalf by Leighton Contractors. * The Eastern Distributor bypasses up to 19 sets of traffic lights. *** Click here for the Eastern Distributor web site.

Princes Highway:

Existing roads were re-named ‘Princes Highway’ after the visit to Australia in 1920 of the Prince of Wales (later to become King Edward VIII, and after abdicating, the Duke of Windsor). The highway was officially opened on August 10 1920 at Warragul, Victoria.

The Princes Highway starts in the Sydney suburb of St. Peters as a continuation of King Street, and heads south through the Illawarra region of New South Wales and the city of Wollongong. It continues south, through the South Coast of New South Wales, passing through Nowra and Batemans Bay, and finally crossing the border into Victoria south of Eden.

The Metroad 1 section of the Princes Highway covers Sydney's southeastern suburbs.

The Princes Highway features Tom Uglys Bridge over the Georges River, which comprises of six through Pratt trusses and three deck plate web girders. The Bridge has a concrete deck supported on steel buckled plates between steel stringers. The six trusses of the bridge follow the American practice of being tall through trusses with overhead bracing above the traffic. It has an overall length of 499m: 6 trusses of 69.5m and three approach steel girder spans of 27.4m. There is a 4.5m wide footway and the bridge is 10.4m wide between kerbs. Tolls were levied until 31 May 1952 when the loans for the bridge were repaid. *

History:

1920s: Reconstruction of Lane Cove Road (now Pacific Highway) between Boundary Street, Roseville and Pearces Corner, Wahroonga was undertaken in asphaltic concrete. It was the longest length of asphaltic concrete road then constructed by a local government authority. **
1929: Construction of Tom Uglys Bridge. **
1949: The Commissioner for Road Transport installed a set of pedestrian actuated traffic lights on the Pacific Highway at Lindfield Railway Station. **
24 March 1958: The Cahill Expressway started as a distributor for traffic from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Eastern Sydney and opened to traffic by the Premier JJ Cahill. *
1 March 1962: The second section of the Cahill Expwy opened to traffic. Extending from the overhead road at Circular Quay to Sir John Young Crescent at Woolloomooloo. **
1967: Opening of the tunnel under the Kingsford Smith Airport north-south runway on General Holmes Drive at Kyeemagh. Click here for an historical photo inside the tunnel, and click here for an historical image of the entrance to the tunnels.
1968: Opening of the Warringah Expressway. *****
1968-1969: The DMR laid a deep asphalt pavement on Southern Cross Drive, one of the earliest uses of this surface in Australia. **
1978: Completion of the extension of the Warringah Freeway from Cammeray, to Willoughby Road Naremburn. ******
1980s: The introduction of “S” lanes, which allowed two continuous through lanes in each direction on six lane arterial roads in the city. "S" lanes were provided on the Pacific Highway between Hornsby and St Leonards. **
1987: Construction commenced on the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. **
17 October 1987: Duplication of Tom Uglys Bridge complete. Southbound traffic assigned to the new bridge, and the old bridge was assigned to northbound traffic. **
1990s: Southern Cross Drive widened from 4 to 6 lanes. **
1992: Gore Hill Freeway completed to coincide with the opening of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. **
31 August 1992: The Sydney Harbour tunnel opened to traffic. **
26 June 1997: The Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning granted approval for construction of the proposed Eastern Distributor. **
19 December 1999: Opening of the Eastern Distributor. ****
2006-2008: Replacement of expansion joints along the Cahill Expressway at Circular Quay. **
2008: Transit lanes replace 1 traffic lane in each direction on the Gore Hill Fwy. **

Hornsby to Artarmon:		Artarmon to Hornsby:
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	AD Sign: Southbound advance directional sign on the Pacific Hwy / Sydney-Newcastle Fwy (NH1) interchange at Wahroonga. March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		AD Sign: Variable advance directional sign on the Gore Hill Fwy approaching the Pacific Hwy interchange at Artarmon. June 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	ID Sign: Southbound intersection directional sign on the Pacific Hwy / Sydney-Newcastle Fwy (NH1) interchange at Wahroonga. March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Reserve Road Interchange: Westbound at Artarmon approaching the Reserve Road interchange, June 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Southbound RD sign located just after the Sydney-Newcastle Fwy interchange at Wahroonga. March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Reserve Road Interchange: Passing through the Reserve Road interchange at Artarmon, June 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Fox Valley Road Approach: Southbound at Warrawee approaching the intersection with Fox Valley Road. March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Pacific Highway / Gore Hill Freeway Interchange: On the corner of the offramp from the Gore Hill Freeway and the Pacific Highway at Artarmon. June 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Turramurra: Southbound approaching Ray Street, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Northbound at Chatswood: Looking north on the Pacific Hwy near Fullers Rd with the Chatswood CBD dominating the skyline, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Southbound AD sign approaching Bobbin Head Road, March 2007 Image © Paul Rands		AD signage: Advance directional sign over Pacific Highway approaching the Fullers Road intersection at Chatswood, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Marker: Southbound sign with route number to provide navigational guidance. Turramurra, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		AD signage: Advance directional sign over Mowbray Road approaching the Pacific Highway intersection at Chatswood, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Pymble: Heading southbound at Pymble near Livingstone Av, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Metroad 1 Signage: Looking eastbound on Mowbray Road in Chatswood, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Southbound at Pymble approaching Ryde Road and Mona Vale Road (Metroad 3), March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Northbound at Chatswood: Looking toward Boundary Road from Wyvern Street in Chatswood, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Mona Vale / Ryde Road Approach: Southbound signage and road conditions approaching the interchange with Metroad 3 at Pymble, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: Southbound RD sign located at Roseville, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Lindfield CBD: Main shopping precinct of Lindfield, near the junction with Beaconsfield Parade, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Signalised Pedestrian Crossing: Northbound outside Lindfield Railway Station. The original signals were installed here in 1949, but have since been updated. Note the short posts and small finial caps on top of some of the signals, these date from either the original installation or a subsquent setup from the 50s or 60s, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Northbound at Lindfield: Metroad 1 as it heads northwards through the suburb of Lindfield, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Typical Conditions: The average road quality of Metroad 1 through Gordon. Northbound at Bushland Avenue, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Advance Directional Sign: Northbound AD sign at Gordon approaching Metroad 3, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Mona Vale / Ryde Road Approach: Northbound signage and road conditions approaching the interchange with Metroad 3 at Gordon, March 2007. Image © Paul Rands
			Ryde Road / Mona Vale Road / Pacific Highway Interchange: Aerial view of the construction of the Ryde Road, Mona Vale and Pacific Highway interchange at Gordon, 1988. Image © DMR, supplied by Tiptruck
Click here for the continuation of Metroad 1 between Artarmon and Kyeemagh

* Information courtesy of the City of Sydney
** Information courtesy of Roads & Traffic Authority
*** Information courtesy of Airport Motorway Pty Ltd
**** Information courtesy of the NSW Parliament
***** Information courtesy of North Sydney Council
****** Information courtesy of Home Traders Real Estate

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