Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Sturt Highway (National Highway 20) - Tarcutta to Hay

Statistics:

• Length: 598 km
• Eastern Terminus: Hume Highway (NH31) at Tarcutta
• Western Terminus: NSW-Vic border at Buronga
• Miscellaneous: Continues as Sturt Highway (NH-A20) into Victoria
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Tarcutta, Wagga Wagga, Narranderra, Hay, Balranald, Euston and Buronga

Route Numbering:

• Current:
• Multiplexed With:
• Former:
• RTA Internal Classification: State Highway No. 14

General Information:

The Sturt Highway is 2 lane rural highway standard for most of its length and is named after Charles Sturt, who explored south western New South Wales, the Murrumbidgee and Murray rivers and also parts of the deserts of central Australia in the 1820s and 1830s.

The present Sturt Highway developed as a track along the bank of the Murrumbidgee River linking cattle runs in the 1840s.

Originally the area of the route was the territory of the Wiradjuri Aboriginal people, in whose language Wagga Wagga means 'place of crows'.

The Sturt Hwy is multiplexed with the following routes:

• Newell Highway (NH39) at Narranderra for 1 kilometre
• Olympic Highway (NR41) at Wagga Wagga for 3 kilometres
• Kidman Way (SR87) at Darlington point for 200 metres

History:

• 1929: The road from Wagga Wagga to Hay was proclaimed as a Trunk Road
• 1930: The road from Wagga Wagga to Hay was named the Sturt Trunk Road in commemoration of Sturt's expedition down the Murrumbidgee River
• 1933: The road from Sydney to Adelaide through Wagga Wagga was proclaimed the Sturt Highway. The new highway comprised what had previously been a section of the Monaro Highway (now the Snowy Mountains Highway) from Lower Tarcutta to Wagga Wagga. The road along the south bank of the Murrumbidgee River from Wagga Wagga to Hay and a portion of the Mid Western Highway from Hay to the South Australian border.
• 1940: Yanko Creek Bridge at Narranderra was constructed
• 1941: The current Poisoned Waterholes Creek Bridge (8 km east of Narranderra) constructed, replacing a timber bridge built in 1908.
• 1942: The Bullenbong Creek Bridge constructed (43 km west of Wagga Wagga)
• 1954: The Yanko Creek bridge was lengthened
• 1962: The Sturt Highway was completely sealed providing a route through to Adelaide.
• 1973: The widening of Bullenbong Ck Bridge completed, which included changes to kerbs and railings. Also widening of Poisoned Waterholes Creek Bridge.
• 1993: The Yanko Creek bridge was widened

Tarcutta to Hay (Westbound)			Hay to Tarcutta (Eastbound)
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Hume Highway Interchange: Southbound on the Hume Highway at Tarcutta as the Hume and Sturt Highways split. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			AD Sign with Alphanumeric Numbering: Advance directional sign approaching Tasman Road and Eunony Bridge Road at Gumly Gumly, with alphanumeric A20. June 2008. Image © Michael Mak
	Distance Sign: Westbound distance sign after the Hume Highway interchange at Tarcutta. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			ID Sign with Alphanumeric Numbering: Intersection directional sign on the corner of Tasman Road and Eunony Bridge Road at Gumly Gumly, with alphanumeric A20. June 2008. Image © Michael Mak
	Accidents Sign: Signage warning to slow down at Borambold. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Distance Sign: RD sign with alphanumeric route number after the intersection with Eunony Bridge Road and Tasman Road at Gumly Gumly, near Wagga Wagga. June 2008. Image © Michael Mak
	AD Sign: Advance directional sign at Alfredtown approaching Tumbarumba Road, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Westbound RD sign after the Tumbarumab Road intersection at Alfredtown, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental AD Sign: Westbound supplemental advance directional sign at Forest Town near O'Hehirs Road. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	AD Sign with Alphanumeric Numbering: Advance directional sign approaching Tasman Road and Eunony Bridge Road at Gumly Gumly, with alphanumeric A20. June 2008. Image © Michael Mak
	ID Sign with Alphanumeric Numbering: Intersection directional sign on the corner of Tasman Road and Eunony Bridge Road at Gumly Gumly, with alphanumeric A20. June 2008. Image © Michael Mak
	Advance Directional Sign: Westbound AD sign approaching Lake Albert Road and Tarcutta Street in East Wagga Wagga, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	AD Sign: Advance directional sign approaching Best and Edmondson Streets in Wagga Wagga, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Docker Street intersection in Wagga Wagga, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign : Westbound AD sign approaching the roundabout with Pearson Street and Olympic Highway at Wagga Wagga, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the Pearson Street / Olympic Highway (NR41) roundabout at Wagga Wagga, December 2007. The NR41 duplex starts here. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign at South Wagga Wagga, as you travel westbound, showing the NH20 / NR41 duplex, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Olympic Hwy Intersection: The end of the NR41 duplex as Olympic Highway splits from the Sturt Highway at Moorong. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign located after the Olympic Hwy intersection at Moorong. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Services / Tourist Sign: Westbound sign at Collingullie for the town of Lockhart as you approach the junction with Lockhart Road. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Lockhart Road Intersection: Westbond approaching the Lockhart Road intersection at Collingullie. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD as you head northwest after the Lockhart Road intersection in Collingullie, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Mundowy Lane: Westbound advance directional sign for the Mundowy Lane intersection at Collingullie, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Fruit Fly Zone Sign: Sign indicating carrying fruit into the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone is prohibited. Collingullie, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign as you leave the town of Collingullie, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Fruit Disposal Bin Sign: Sign indicating the up coming fruit disposal bin at Galore. All fruit must be dropped into the bin before proceeding into the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Welcome to the Riverina Murray Irrigation Area: Tourism distance based sign indicating the Riverina Murray Irrigation Area at Galore, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Gillenbah: Travelling northwest into the town of Gillenbah, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	AD Sign: Advance directional sign approaching the intersection with the Newell Highway at Gillenbah, December 2007. The NH39 duplex starts from this up coming intersection, with the Sturt Hwy turning left. Image © Paul Rands
	Load Limits Sign: Sign Gillenbah as the highway heads west from the Newell Highway intersection, April 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Services Sign: Looking northwest as you approach the intersection with Kidman Way at Darlington Point, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Kidman Way intersection, Darlington Point. December 2007. The SR87 duplex starts here. Image © Paul Rands
	Kidman Way Intersection: The other end of the Kidman Way intersection, which is staggered, at Darlington Point, December 2007. The SR87 duplex ends here. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering South Hay: Westbound as you enter South Hay, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign for the Cobb & Mid Western Highways intersection, westbound at South Hay. December 2007. The Sturt Highway does not enter the Hay town centre, it bypasses it south of the Murrumbidgee River. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Cobb (NR75) & Mid Western Highways (NR24) roundabout, westbound at South Hay. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the Cobb Highway / Mid Western Highway / Sturt Highway roundabout at South Hay. This sign is facing southbound Cobb / Mid Western Highway traffic, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the Cobb Highway / Mid Western Highway / Sturt Highway roundabout at South Hay. This sign is facing westbound Sturt Highway traffic, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on the Cobb Highway / Mid Western Highway / Sturt Highway roundabout at South Hay. This sign is facing westbound Sturt Highway through traffic, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Westbound RD sign after the roundabout for the Cobb & Mid Western Highways at South Hay, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Hay Plain: Westbound on the Hay Plain near South Hay. The scene here is typical for the Sturt Highway between Gillenbah and South Hay, and also from South Hay to Balranald, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of the Sturt Highway (NH20) between Hay and the New South Wales - Victorian Border

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