New South Wales Road Photo Gallery:
National Highway 1 (Sydney - Newcastle Freeway) (Warooonga to Cowan Upgrade)
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is the
major arterial highway between Sydney and Newcastle.
Starting life as the Berowra-Calga Tollway, the F3 has
been gradually extended and improved until the Palmdale
/ Ourimbah gap and Lengahans Drive bypass were completed in the
late 90's. The F3 replaced several sections of very
windy road between Berowra and the southern reaches
of Newcastle.
This page looks at the upgrade works from Wahroonga to Cowan.
Milestones in the history of the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway include:
April 1963 - Construction begins on a 7 km section of dual carriageways north from the Hawkesbury River. This section was opened as a toll road in 1965. The toll was removed around 1990 when the Federal Government decreed that all National Highways should be toll free.
Late 1960s - Opening of Berowra to Hawkesbury River section as a toll road.
Mid 1970s - Opening of the current 6 lane Hawkesbury River bridge. At this time the toll from each of the north and south sections open (20¢ for each section) was combined with the new bridge (which linked both sections) for a toll of 50¢. This was collected at the existing Berowra toll booths.
December 1983 - The Somersby to Wallarah Creek section of the freeway opens.
December 1986 - 15 km section of the Freeway opens between Calga and Somersby.
December 1988 - 15.5 km of freeway completed between Berowra and the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga, with the official opening on the 19th March 1989.
December 1990 - Freeway completed from Wallarah Creek to Palmer's Road.
December 1993 - Palmer's Road to Minmi section opened.
December 1997 - "Missing link" between Ourimbah and Kangy Angy opened (this stayed as a remnant of the old highway with traffic controlled by a roundabout until the upgrade was complete)
December 1998 - Final stage of freeway opened between Minmi and John Renshaw Drive, Beresfield.
December 2004 - Completion of widening between Calga and Jolls Bridge.
April 2006 - Hi-tech wet weather speed limit system designed to monitor weather conditions and automatically reduce and enforce the speed limit in wet weather, worth $2.3 million, implemented between the Hawkesbury River and Mount White.
Length:
127 km
Route Numbers:
Formerly
Forthcoming Alphanumeric:
Thanks to Sam
Laybutt (ozroads.com.au)
for help on this page. Other information courtesy of the NSW Roads & Traffic Authority, Hornsby Shire Council, and Wikipedia.
Upgrade Signage Sign detailing the upgrade works in the Berowra area, May 2007.
Altered Traffic Conditions Traffic moved onto the left shoulder of the freeway to allow an additional lane to be added to the centre of the freeway in each direction. Northbound in Berowra, May 2007.
Formerly 
