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Photo Gallery
New South Wales Road Photo Gallery:
National Route 1 (Southern Freeway (F6))
Highway 1 is Australia's coastal highway joining all
mainland's state capitals and coastal towns circumnavigating
the entire Australian continent. It is also the longest
numbered highway in the world.
The Southern Freeway is comprised of two sections:
the northern section between Waterfall and Bulli Tops
interchange and the southern section between Wollongong
suburb of Gwynneville to Yallah, a few kilometres north
of the Illawarra Highway (NR48), where it rejoins with
Princes Highway. Mount Ousley Road connects these two
sections together.
The main purpose of the freeway is to connect the metropolitan
areas of Sydney and Wollongong - the first and third
largest cities in the state respectively.
For photos of National Route 1 (Princes Hwy) from Yallah
to the NSW / Vic border, click
here
For photos of Mount Ousley Road, click
here
| Length: |
49
km |
| Route Numbers: |
Formerly
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Approach to
Southern Freeway
Southbound at Waterfall as you transition from Princes
Highway to the Southern Freeway. December 2005.
Image © Paul
Rands |
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Official End
of Metroad 1
Sign indicating southern end of Metroad 1 at Waterfall.
December 2005. Note the large amount of space in the
background. This and the cutting you can see was left
for the original F6 plan for the freeway to head through
the Royal National Park east of the existing highway.
Image © Paul
Rands |
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Approaching NR1 /
TD10 Split
Southbound at Waterfall as you approach the interchange
with the Old Princes Highway. December 2005.
Image © Paul
Rands |
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Old Princes
Highway Interchange
Looking southbound at Waterfall near the start
of the Southern Freeway. The right hand 'exit' is the
Old Princes Highway, formerly SR60, NR1 and ALT-NR1
at various stages of its life, now it's TD10 although
unsigned in this photo. Note the old flashing light
warning sign on the left. December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Old Princes
Highway Interchange
Looking southbound at Waterfall near the start
of the Southern Freeway. The right hand 'exit' is the
Old Princes Highway, formerly SR60, NR1 and ALT-NR1
at various stages of its life, now it's TD10.
Image © Sam
Laybutt (ozroads.com.au) |
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Official Start
of the Southern Freeway
Sign marking the start of the former F6. This area was
once the toll plaza and heavy vehicle checking station.
December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Distance Sign
Southbound at Waterfall, just after the former tolls
area. December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Cuttings between
Waterfall & Helensburgh
Looking southbound, December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional
Sign
Fork sign indicating the Helensburgh exit. Southbound
at Helensburgh, December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Scenic Route
Diagrammatic Sign
Southbound at Helensburgh, this sign is used to encourage
tourism to by-passed towns. December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Helensburgh
Interchange
This is the only interchange on the northern half of
the Southern Freeway, up until only a few years ago,
there were no exits between Waterfall and Bulli Tops.
December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Southbound at
Helensburgh
Looking south as you pass through some of the cuttings
after the Helensburgh interchange. December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Southbound at
Darkes Forest
Southbound carriageway as we get closer to the end of
the first part of the freeway. Note the fog signage,
this area is notorious for heavy fog, due to its close
proximity to the coast where warm and cold air can collide.
December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Old Princes
Highway Overpass
Looking south at Darkes Forest, December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Southbound at
Maddens Plains
Typical freeway scene, December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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VMS Sign
The variable message signs on the Southern Freeway play
a couple of different roles. Not only do they offer
information on road conditions and adjusted speed limits,
but they can check the speed of vehicles and warn the
driver to slow down. When these were first introduced,
they were multi coloured displays (green & orange)
and would tell you how fast you were actually going.
December 2005, southbound at Maddens Plains.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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End Freeway
Sign
We are 2 km from the end of the northern section of
the F6. Southbound at Maddens Plains, December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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End Freeway
Sign
We are 1 km from the end of the northern section of
the F6. Note the brown tourism sign for Sublime Point
lookout. Southbound at Maddens Plains, December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Southbound at
Bulli Tops
Looking south only a few hundred metres from
the end of this section of the freeway, December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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End Freeway
Sign
We are at the official end of the northern section of
the F6. Southbound at Bulli Tops, December 2005. Note
the old freeway green sign and old white End Freeway
placard.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Princes Highway
Interchange
This is included here as it transitions the
Southern Freeway to Mount Ousley Road. This is part
of the massive Bulli Tops Interchange that spans a couple
of kilometres. Southbound December 2005.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Princes Highway
Interchange
This is included here as it transitions the
Southern Freeway to Mount Ousley Road. This is part
of the massive Bulli Tops Interchange that spans a couple
of kilometres. Southbound December 2005 at the SR69
/ Appin Road exit, which you can also use to head back
to Sydney.
Image ©
Paul Rands |
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Northbound Distance Sign
RD sign on the ramp to the Southern Freeway at Bulli
Tops. December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Appin Road Off Ramp
Southbound ramp to SR69, December 2005 at Bulli Tops.
Image © Paul Rands
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Northbound Ramp
On ramp to the Southern Freeway from Appin Road, December
2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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End Freeway Sign
We are at the official end of the southern section
of the F6. Northbound at Gwynneville, January 2006.
Image ©
Paul Rands
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Irvine Street
Interchange
On ramp from Irvine Street at Gwynneville, January 2006.
Image ©
Paul Rands
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Irvine Street
Interchange
Signage for the on ramp from Irvine Street at Gwynneville,
January 2006.
Image ©
Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Advance directional sign for the Irvine Street interchange,
northbound at Gwynneville, January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Southern Freeway / Northern Distributor Split
Northbound carriageway as you travel through Gwynneville,
January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Lane Allocation Signage
Cantilever sign for lanes for destinations via NR1,
northbound, January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Relic End Freeway Sign
One of the very rare old F-series freeway signs still
in use January 2006. These date back to the early
1970s, the F-classifications for freeway were dropped
from signage in the 80s, but are still used for internal
RTA classifications. There is about 3 signs still
bearing this sheild in use across the state, all of
them bearing F6 and in the Illawarra. Northbound at
West Wollongong.
Image © Paul Rands
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Relic Freeway Sign & VMS
In the early part of the decade, the Southern Freeway
was widened to 3 lanes in each direction here at West
Wollongong. Old black signage with capital letters
was removed from the Gipps Street overpass, and all
other old road furnishings updated or removed. However,
even though a new variable message sign, sound barriers
and guard rails were installed, the old F6 sign remains
in place, January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Diagrammatic Sign
Northbound at West Wollongong, as you approach Reserve
Road is this sign showing lane options for the Northern
Distributor / Southern Freeway split. January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Diagrammatic Sign
Southbound at West Wollongong approaching Mt Keira
Road overpass. To the left of this sign is where the
freeway once ended, there was a ramp until the 1990s
that exited onto quiet Phillips Avenue outside the
primary school. The ramp had wood and wire fencing
along its length for its entire life. December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Exit signage for Princes Highway
Sign for the Figtree (SR60) exit at West Wollongong.
Special signage provisions (sign in the median) are
here because the ramp is on a corner and hard to see.
December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Ghosts Creek Bridge
The Southern Freeway is built on Ghosts Creek at West
Wollongong. The bridge shown here carries the Princes
Highway (SR60) and was named after the creek. The
bridge forms part of the Figtree / West Wollongong
interchange. This area was once the terminus for the
freeway before it was extended to Masters Road (SR153).
Image taken December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Advance Directional Signage for Princes Highway
Exit
Southern Freeway northbound as it passes by Figtree
near Preston Street. The signage over the left lane
is from about 1988 or 89, when upgrade works were
performed in this area to improve the interchange.
January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Advance Directional Signage for Masters Road
Exit
Southern Freeway southbound as it passes by Mangerton
near Walter Street. The AD sign is for the Masters
Road (SR153 - NSW's shortest state route) interchange.
December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Masters Road Interchange
Looking south through the SR153 interchange, December
2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Advance Directional Sign for Five Islands
Road Interchange
Southbound at Unanderra, this sign is for the SR155
interchange. December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Five Island Road Interchange
Southbound at Unanderra, this used to be the end of
the freeway. Back in the late 70s there used to be
2 exit signs here, green limited access road sign
to the left and a custom black exit sign to the right.
This interchange used to sport very old Californian
'Wrong Way Go Back' signs on the Sydney bound ramps
until 2000. December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Distance Sign
RD sign just after the Five Islands Road Interchange
at Unanderra, as you approach the Berkeley Road overpass.
Note the Nan Tien Temple in the background. December
2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Advance directional sign for the Northcliffe Drive
interchange. Southbound near Nolan Street Unanderra.
This sign is a direct remake of an original 1970s
sign except with road name placard added. December
2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Sign for the SR155 interchange as you pass through
a massive cutting near Flagstaff Hill at Berkeley.
December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Northcliffe Drive Interchange
Southbound through SR155 interchange at Berkeley.
This was once the terminus of the freeway. December
2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Northcliffe Drive Interchange
Southbound through SR155 interchange at Berkeley.
This was once the terminus of the freeway. December
2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Signage
Sign indicating that Dapto is accessible via the next
2 interchanges. December 2005, southbound at Kembla
Grange.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Sign for the Kanahooka Road interchange as you pass
through Kembla Grange. December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Sign for the Kanahooka Road interchange as you pass
through Brownsville, again this was once another terminus
of the freeway. December 2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Kanahooka Road Interchange
Westbound on Kanahooka Road as you pass through the
Southern Freeway interchange at Brownsville, December
2005.
Image © Paul Rands
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Kanahooka Road Interchange
Southbound as you pass through the Kanahooka Road
interchange at Brownsville, January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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AD Sign
Sign for the Fowlers Road interchange as you pass
through Kanahooka. January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Approach to Fowlers Road Exit
Fowlers Road interchange as you pass through Koonawarra,
again this was once another terminus of the freeway.
January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Fowlers Road Exit
Fowlers Road interchange as you pass through Koonawarra,
again this was once another terminus of the freeway.
January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Typical Freeway Scene
Average freeway conditions through Dapto, after Fowlers
Road. The section from Fowlers Road to Yallah was
completed in 1988 or 89. January 2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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Approaching Southern End of Freeway
Southbound as you head through the Dapto / Yallah
area, as you near the end of the freeway. January
2006.
Image © Paul Rands
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End of Freeway
Southern extremity of the Southern Freeway at Yallah,
January 2006. For the continuation south, see the
Princes
Highway page.
Image © Paul Rands
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