| Road Photos & Information: South Australia |
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Sturt Highway & Main North Road
(National Highway A20 / A20) |
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Statistics:
- Length: (NSW, Vic and SA Total) 976 km (SA: 267 km)
- Northern Terminus: SA-Vic border at Yamba, east of Renmark.
- Southern Terminus: Corner of Main North Road (A1) and Grand Junction Road (NH-A16) at Gepps Cross in Adelaide's inner northern suburbs
- Miscellaneous: Continues as Sturt Hwy (NH-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:
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 (NH31) in NSW with the Newell Hwy (NH39) and other major routes of South Western NSW. The route also connects with the Calder Highway (A79) in Victoria. In South Australia the route connects with the Barrier Hwy (A32) and other signficant routes within Adelaide's metropolitan area.
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, recognizing 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:
- 1927: Opening of Paringa Bridge over the River Murray
- 1960s: Opening of Gawler Bypass
- 1974: Upgraded from National Route 20, with the introduction of the National Highway system
- 1976: Northern Barossa Deviation opens
- 1980s: Nuriootpa & Greenock bypassed
- 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)*
- 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**
- 2008: Gawler Interchange duplication and the Gawler to Daveyston duplication*
*Information courtesy of Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
**Information courtesy of SA Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure
