List of road routes in New South Wales facts for kids
Road routes in New South Wales help drivers find their way around the state, whether they're in busy cities, quiet country areas, or beautiful scenic spots. Today, all main roads have a letter (M, A, B, or D) and a number. 'M' routes are for big motorways, 'A' routes are for important roads that connect places across the country, 'B' routes are for important roads within the state, and 'D' routes are special detours for motorways when they are closed. This system includes official highways, city motorways, and other key roads.
Contents
How Road Routes Started
Road numbers first appeared in New South Wales in 1954. This was when "National Routes" were introduced across all of Australia. These routes had a white shield with black writing. One of the most famous was National Route 1, also known as 'Highway 1', which goes all the way around Australia!
Later, in 1964, Sydney got three "Ring Roads" to help traffic flow. These had a blue circular shield. But they only lasted 10 years and were removed in 1974.
In 1973, "Freeway Routes" were added. They looked a bit like American highway signs, with blue rounded shields and a red crest. However, most of these signs were taken down by 1992.
A big change happened in 1974 when the "National Highway" network was created. Some National Routes were upgraded to National Highways, marked with green and gold shields. At the same time, the "State Routes" system began. These had blue rounded shields and replaced Sydney's old Ring Roads. Many other State Routes were set up across New South Wales for city roads and smaller country highways.
Then, in 1992–1993, Sydney introduced the "Metroad" system. These were white hexagonal shields with blue writing. They showed Sydney's main roads that go into and around the city. Metroads took over many existing State Routes and parts of National Routes in the city.
The biggest change came in 2013. The state decided to replace all the old National Routes, National Highways, and Metroads with a new system called "alphanumeric routes". This means each route now has a letter (M, A, B, or D) and a number.
- M routes are for motorways.
- A routes are for roads important to the whole country.
- B routes are for roads important to the state.
- D routes are for detours around major motorways.
Instead of shields, these new route numbers are shown as yellow text on green rectangular signs with a white outline. This new system is now almost the only one used in New South Wales, except for Tourist Routes. The change happened between May and December 2013. In 2020, the white border was removed from the signs to match other states in Australia.
What are Alphanumeric Routes?
M routes: Motorways for Fast Travel
Transport for NSW says M routes are "motorway standard roads". This means they are usually big roads with at least two lanes going in each direction, designed for faster travel. Unlike some other places, New South Wales doesn't use a different colour for toll roads (roads you have to pay to use). Toll roads are just marked clearly.
| Route | Main Roads | From | To | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 M1 |
Pacific Motorway (Byron Bay–Ballina Bypass) |
NSW/QLD border | Woodburn | 127 km (79 mi) | This is part of Highway 1. It continues north into Queensland and south as A1. |
| Pacific Motorway (Maclean–Grafton Bypass) |
Woombah | Glenugie | 62 km (39 mi) | ||
| Pacific Motorway (Woolgoolga Bypass) |
Dirty Creek | Korora | 35 km (22 mi) | ||
| Pacific Motorway (Nambucca–Macksville Bypass) |
Raleigh | Warrell Creek | 42 km (26 mi) | ||
| Pacific Motorway (Clybucca–Kempsey Bypass) |
Eungai Creek | Thrumster | 79 km (49 mi) | ||
| Pacific Motorway | Beresfield | Wahroonga | 127 km (79 mi) | Also part of Highway 1. Continues north as A1 and south as A1. | |
|
Artarmon | Mascot | 62 km (39 mi) | This is the Highway 1 route through Sydney. Some parts are tolled. | |
| Princes Motorway | Waterfall | Oak Flats | 62 km (39 mi) | Part of Highway 1. Continues north as A1 and south as A1. | |
 M2 |
|
Baulkham Hills | Artarmon | 25 km (16 mi) | This road is tolled. |
 M4 |
Lapstone | Rozelle | 49 km (30 mi) | This road is tolled east of Parramatta. | |
 M5 |
|
Prestons | Mascot | 29 km (18 mi) | This road has tolls. |
 M7 |
Westlink M7 | Prestons | Baulkham Hills | 40 km (25 mi) | This road opened in 2005 and is tolled. |
M8 |
WestConnex M8 | Beverly Hills | Rozelle | 14 km (9 mi) | This road opened in 2020 and is tolled. |
M11 |
NorthConnex | Wahroonga | West Pennant Hills | 9 km (6 mi) | This road is tolled. |
M12 |
M12 Motorway (Sydney) under construction | Westlink M7, Cecil Hills | Northern Road, Luddenham | 14 km (9 mi) | This route is still being planned. |
 M15 |
Hunter Expressway | Lower Belford | Cameron Park | 26 km (16 mi) | This road opened in 2014. |
 M23 |
Federal Highway | Yarra | NSW/ACT border | 55 km (34 mi) | Continues into the ACT. |
 M31 |
|
Prestons | NSW/VIC border | 513 km (319 mi) | Continues into Victoria. |
A routes: Important National Connections
Transport for NSW describes A routes as "routes of national significance". These roads are numbered between 1 and 49.
| Route | Main Roads | From | To | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A1 |
Pacific Highway | Woodburn | Woombah | 34 km (21 mi) | This is part of Highway 1. It connects with M1 sections. |
| Pacific Highway | Glenugie | Dirty Creek | 25 km (16 mi) | ||
| Pacific Highway | Korora | Raleigh | 29 km (18 mi) | ||
| Pacific Highway | Warrell Creek | Eungai Creek | 14 km (9 mi) | ||
|
Thrumster | Beresfield | 223 km (139 mi) | Also part of Highway 1. | |
| Pacific Highway | Wahroonga | Artarmon | 13.5 km (8 mi) | Also part of Highway 1. | |
|
Mascot | Waterfall | 32 km (20 mi) | This is the Highway 1 route through Sydney. | |
| Princes Highway | Oak Flats | NSW/VIC border | 415 km (258 mi) | Also part of Highway 1. Continues into Victoria. | |
A2 |
|
Windsor | Seven Hills | 22.8 km (14 mi) | Connects to the M2 motorway. |
 A3 |
|
Mona Vale | Blakehurst | 51 km (32 mi) | |
 A4 |
|
Rozelle | Sydney | 10.8 km (7 mi) | Connects to the M4 motorway. |
 A6 |
|
Carlingford | Heathcote | 41 km (25 mi) | |
A8 |
|
Mona Vale | North Sydney | 22.8 km (14 mi) | |
 A9 |
|
Windsor | Campbelltown | 63 km (39 mi) | |
 A15 |
New England Highway | NSW/QLD border | Lower Belford | 540 km (336 mi) | Continues into Queensland. Connects to M15. |
|
Cameron Park | Newcastle West | 16.4 km (10 mi) | This route changed when the Hunter Expressway opened in 2014. | |
 A20 |
Sturt Highway | NSW/VIC border | Tarcutta | 597 km (371 mi) | Continues into Victoria and South Australia. |
 A22 |
|
Liverpool | Ultimo | 31 km (19 mi) | |
 A25 |
Barton Highway | Yass | NSW/ACT border | 40 km (25 mi) | Continues into the ACT to Canberra. |
 A28 |
|
Edmondson Park | Wahroonga | 41 km (25 mi) | |
 A32 |
|
NSW/SA border | Lapstone | 1,146 km (712 mi) | Continues into South Australia. |
 A34 |
|
Liverpool | Newtown | 26 km (16 mi) | |
 A36 |
Princes Highway | Ultimo | Kogarah | 11.3 km (7 mi) | |
 A37 |
|
Sandgate | Bennetts Green | 16.4 km (10 mi) | This route was changed in 2014. |
A38 |
|
North Ryde | Dee Why | 17.8 km (11 mi) | |
 A39 |
Newell Highway | NSW/QLD border | NSW/VIC border | 1,057 km (657 mi) | Continues into Queensland and Victoria. |
 A40 |
|
Seven Hills | Rozelle | 27.3 km (17 mi) | |
 A41 |
|
Bathurst | Table Top | 422 km (262 mi) | |
 A43 |
|
Greta | Halloran | 109 km (68 mi) | This route was extended in 2014. |
 A44 |
|
Emu Plains | Haberfield | 50 km (31 mi) | This route was extended in 2019. |
 A48 |
Illawarra Highway | Sutton Forest | Albion Park | 61 km (38 mi) | |
 A49 |
Central Coast Highway | Doyalson | Kariong | 50 km (31 mi) |
B routes: Important State Roads
Transport for NSW defines B routes as "routes of state significance". These roads are numbered between 51 and 99. The only exception is the Monaro Highway, which is B23 to match its number in other states.
| Route | Main Roads | From | To | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 B23 |
Monaro Highway | NSW/ACT border | NSW/VIC border | 206 km (128 mi) | Continues into the ACT and Victoria. |
 B51 |
Kamilaroi Highway | Narrabri | Willow Tree | 188 km (117 mi) | |
 B52 |
|
NSW/ACT border | NSW/ACT border | 12.4 km (8 mi) | Continues into the ACT. |
| Kings Highway | NSW/ACT border | Batemans Bay | 115 km (71 mi) | Continues into the ACT. | |
B53 |
|
Morisset | Wallsend | 35 km (22 mi) | |
 B55 |
Castlereagh Highway | NSW/QLD border | Marrangaroo | 633 km (393 mi) | Continues into Queensland. |
 B56 |
Oxley Highway | Coonabarabran | Port Macquarie | 446 km (277 mi) | |
B57 |
|
Speers Point | Charlestown | 9.5 km (6 mi) | |
 B58 |
Riverina Highway | Deniliquin | East Albury | 201 km (125 mi) | |
 B59 |
|
Lithgow | Vineyard | 90 km (56 mi) | |
 B60 |
Bruxner Highway | Tenterfield | West Ballina | 185 km (115 mi) | |
B62 |
|
Lismore | Ewingsdale | 40 km (25 mi) | |
B63 |
|
Adamstown Heights | Nelson Bay | 60 km (37 mi) | |
 B64 |
Mid-Western Highway | Hay | Cowra | 413 km (257 mi) | |
 B65 |
|
Thirroul | Shellharbour | 39 km (24 mi) | This route was created in 2009. |
B68 |
|
Cessnock | Beresfield | 31 km (19 mi) | |
 B69 |
|
Campbelltown | Cataract | 35 km (22 mi) | |
B70 |
|
Halloran | Noraville | 14.3 km (9 mi) | |
 B71 |
Mitchell Highway | NSW/QLD border | Nyngan | 339 km (211 mi) | Continues into Queensland. |
 B72 |
Snowy Mountains Highway | Mount Adrah | Stony Creek | 333 km (207 mi) | |
 B73 |
|
Aylmerton | Bomaderry | 68 km (42 mi) | |
B74 |
Wyong Road | Mardi | Long Jetty | 11.7 km (7 mi) | |
 B75 |
Cobb Highway | Wilcannia | NSW/VIC border | 571 km (355 mi) | Continues into Victoria. |
 B76 |
|
Bourke | Tyndale | 843 km (524 mi) | This route was extended in 2020. |
 B78 |
Waterfall Way | Armidale | Raleigh | 170 km (106 mi) | |
 B79 |
Silver City Highway | NSW/QLD border | Buronga | 582 km (362 mi) | Continues into Victoria. |
 B81 |
|
Molong | Bowning | 215 km (134 mi) | |
B82 |
|
Greta | Cooranbong | 50 km (31 mi) | This route was changed in 2014. |
 B83 |
|
Wahroonga | Somersby | 55 km (34 mi) | |
 B84 |
Golden Highway | Dubbo | Whittingham | 313 km (194 mi) | |
 B85 |
Goldfields Way | Wyalong | Old Junee | 116 km (72 mi) | |
 B87 |
Kidman Way | Bourke | Bundure | 643 km (400 mi) | |
 B88 |
Picton Road | Wilton | Cataract | 27 km (17 mi) | |
B89 |
|
West Wallsend | Belmont | 23 km (14 mi) | |
 B91 |
|
NSW/QLD border | Glenugie | 212 km (132 mi) | Continues into Queensland. This route was extended in 2020. |
 B94 |
|
Griffith | Bowning | 279 km (173 mi) | |
 B95 |
Fossickers Way | Warialda | Tamworth | 190 km (118 mi) |
D routes: Detours for Motorways
New South Wales is the only state in Australia that uses D routes. These are special detour routes you can use if a motorway is closed or can't be used. Currently, there are only two D routes: D1 (a detour around the M1 Pacific Motorway) and D5 (a detour around the M5 South-Western Motorway).
| Route | Main Roads | From | To | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
D1 |
|
Wahroonga | Doyalson | 98 km (61 mi) | This route uses parts of B83 and A49. |
D5 |
|
Beverly Hills | Arncliffe | 8.4 km (5 mi) | This route uses part of A3. |
Tourist Drives: Scenic Routes for Fun
Tourist Drives are special routes designed to take you through beautiful or interesting areas. They often have signs with a 'T' and a number.
| Route | Main Roads | From | To | Length (km) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Pacific Drive |
|
Loftus | Stanwell Park | 40 km (25 mi) | A scenic drive along the coast. |
| Stanwell Park | Bulli | 17 km (11 mi) | |||
| Bulli | Fairy Meadow | 8 km (5.0 mi) | |||
Blue Mountains Drive |
|
Leura | Katoomba | 7 km (4.3 mi) | This route was formerly Tourist Drive 5. Part of Cliff Drive is closed to cars. |
Tourist Drive 1 Jenolan Caves |
|
Hartley | Kelso | 117 km (73 mi) | Some parts of Jenolan Caves Road have been closed due to landslides. |
|
Tourist Drive 1 Cooma |
|
Cooma | Cooma | 250 km (160 mi) | This is a loop route through the Snowy Mountains. |
|
Tourist Drive 1 |
|
Tooraweena | Coonabarabran | 74 km (46 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 2 |
|
Glenthorne | Twelve Mile Creek | 154 km (96 mi) | This is the second oldest tourist drive in New South Wales. |
Tourist Drive 4 Jervis Bay |
|
Falls Creek | Huskisson | 11 km (6.8 mi) | |
|
Tourist Drive 4 Inverell |
|
Warialda | Inverell | 151 km (94 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 6 The Lakes Way – Forster |
The Lakes Way | Bulahdelah | Taree | 80 km (50 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 7 Kangaroo Valley |
|
Berry | Bomaderry | 30 km (19 mi) | |
|
Tourist Drive 7 Oracle's Way |
|
Stanthorpe | Tenterfield, NSW | 65 km (40 mi) | This is a loop route. |
Tourist Drive 8 |
|
Goulburn | Bywong | 85 km (53 mi) | |
|
Tourist Drive 8 Manning Valley |
|
Taree / Wingham | Wauchope | 122 km (76 mi) | Some parts of this road are unsealed. |
Tourist Drive 9 Jamberoo |
|
Kiama | Robertson | 33 km (21 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 10 Ocean Drive |
|
Kew | Port Macquarie | 40 km (25 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 11 Mount Keira |
|
Mount Keira | West Wollongong | 20 km (12 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 12 Picton |
|
Camden | Alpine | 58 km (36 mi) | |
|
Tourist Drive 12 |
|
Kempsey | South Bellimbopinni | 95 km (59 mi) | This is a winding route. |
Tourist Drive 13 Wombeyan Caves |
|
Goulburn | Wombeyan Caves | 77 km (48 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 14 Moss Vale |
|
Mittagong | Sutton Forrest | 28 km (17 mi) | |
|
Tourist Drive 14 & 15 Nambucca Heads |
|
Eungai | Nambucca Heads | TD14:
29 km (18 mi) TD15: 17 km (11 mi) |
This route changes from TD14 to TD15. |
Tourist Drive 15 Fitzroy Falls |
|
Bowral | Moss Vale | 63 km (39 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 16 Bundanoon |
|
Goulburn | Sutton Forrest | 50 km (31 mi) | |
|
Tourist Drive 16 Bellingen Shire |
|
Urunga | Urunga | 12 km (7.5 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 17 Berrima |
|
Moss Vale | Mittagong | 22 km (14 mi) | |
|
Tourist Drive 17 |
|
Armidale | Armidale | 245 km (152 mi) | This is a loop route. |
Tourist Drive 18 |
|
Raleigh | Bonville | 15 km (9.3 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 19 |
|
Armidale | Uralla | 66 km (41 mi) | About 20km of this road is unsealed. |
Tourist Drive 21 |
|
Uralla | Bendemmer | 138 km (86 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 22 |
|
Grafton | Yamba | 66 km (41 mi) | This route includes a free vehicle ferry. |
Tourist Drive 24 Bangalow |
|
Lismore | Ewingsdale | 40 km (25 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 25 |
|
Tamworth | Willow Tree | 79 km (49 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 26 Evans Head |
|
Woodburn | Broadwater | 32 km (20 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 27 |
|
Dubbo | Whittingham | 314 km (195 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 28 Ballina |
|
Wardell | Knockrow | 49 km (30 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 30 Byron Bay |
|
Byron Bay | Ballina | 32 km (20 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 32 Mount Burrell |
|
North Lismore | Murwillumbah | 78 km (48 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 33 Wollombi |
|
Calga | Wollombi | 68 km (42 mi) | |
| Wollombi | Cessnock | 29.0 km (18.0 mi) | |||
| Cessnock | Branxton | 20.1 km (12.5 mi) | |||
Tourist Drive 34 |
|
Murwillumbah | Numinbah | 27 km (17 mi) | This route continues into Queensland. |
Tourist Drive 36 |
|
Byangum | Chillingham | 29.1 km (18.1 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 38 Tweed Coast Way |
|
Crabbes Creek | Chinderah | 32.1 km (19.9 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 40 Brunswick Valley |
|
Childerah | Brunswick Valley | 48.4 km (30.1 mi) | |
Tourist Drive 42 Tomewin |
|
Kynnumboon | Tomewin | 10.3 km (6.4 mi) | This route continues into Queensland. |
Images for kids
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New South Wales
See also
- Highways in Australia for highways in other states and territories
- Highways in New South Wales for details about officially gazetted highways
- List of road routes in the Australian Capital Territory
- List of road routes in the Northern Territory
- List of road routes in Queensland
- List of road routes in South Australia
- List of road routes in Tasmania
- List of road routes in Victoria
- List of road routes in Western Australia
