Brookton Highway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brookton HighwayWestern Australia |
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|---|---|
| General information | |
| Type | Highway |
| Length | 112 km (70 mi) |
| Route number(s) |  State Route 40 |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |  Albany Highway (State Route 30), Kelmscott, Perth |
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| East end |  Great Southern Highway (State Route 120), Brookton |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Roleystone, Karragullen, Westdale, Brookton |
| Highway system | |
| Highways in Australia National Highway • Freeways in Australia Highways in Western Australia |
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Canning Road (State Route 41)
The Brookton Highway is an important road in Western Australia. It is about 112 kilometers (70 miles) long. This road connects the southern Perth suburb of Kelmscott to the town of Brookton. Brookton is located in the southern Wheatbelt region. The highway is known as State Route 40. However, the road actually goes much further than Brookton. It passes through towns like Corrigin, Kondinin, and Hyden. It finally ends near Ravensthorpe at the South Coast Highway.
What can you see along the Brookton Highway?
When you start driving from the west, the road goes through thick jarrah forests. These forests are part of the Darling Scarp hills. As you travel further east, the land becomes flat. You will see farms that grow wheat. There are also woodlands filled with wandoo trees.
The Brookton Highway is a key link between Perth and Esperance. It is used a lot for moving goods and for tourism. Big trucks, like those carrying grain or farm animals, use this road. Many tourists also use it, especially to visit famous places like Wave Rock.
How was the Buckingham Bridge rebuilt?
In 2011, a big bushfire happened in Kelmscott and Roleystone. This fire sadly destroyed the Buckingham Bridge on February 6, 2011. The original bridge was made of timber and built in 1935.
A temporary bridge was quickly built over the Canning River. It opened on March 4, 2011. This temporary bridge was made using a lot of rock, crushed limestone, and other materials. However, very heavy trucks could not use it. They had to take a different route. This part of the highway is very busy, with up to 4,000 vehicles using it every day.
The Buckingham Bridge was later replaced with a strong, new permanent bridge. This new bridge is made of concrete and steel. It was built a little to the south of the temporary one. This way, traffic could keep moving without problems. The new Buckingham Bridge opened to traffic on July 25, 2013.
