With the closure of the Eyre Highway due to bushfires, this is currently the quickest way to get between Western Australia and South Australia by sealed road. It’s one of the Australian longest roads. Appleyard said: Great news as a fly/drive couple from Brisbane. 151. For much of its length, it can be described as a long and lonely road. The Eyre Highway is a long and lonely road. [2] These are located 65 to 180 kilometres (40 to 110 mi) apart,[19] at Balladonia, Caiguna, Cocklebiddy, Madura, and Mundrabilla. Close. dangerousroads.org is not responsible for the information contained in these pages. [35]:93 Many travellers were unprepared for the harsh conditions and lack of services; they would cause a nuisance for station owners and other travellers by scrounging petrol, contaminating water supplies, leaving gates open, and committing acts of vandalism. [35]:367, The highway was rebuilt with a seven-metre-wide (23 ft) pavement, with shoulders partially sealed to a width of one metre (3 ft 3 in). How many travelled the Eyre highway before it was sealed. The Eyre Highway was officially opened in 1976. The Eyre Highway is the main connection across the Nullarbor Plain and the only sealed road that runs through the area. [51], The South Australian section was named Eyre Highway on 20 May 1943, with the portion from Murat Bay (Ceduna) to the state border declared a main road. [20][21] Travelling east, the highway descends through the Madura Pass just before the Madura roadhouse from the Nullarbor Plain to the coastal Roe Plains. Since 1976, the Eyre Highway is a fully sealed road and in many places runs alongside the original gravel track which was pushed through this vast outback region back in the 1940s. [16], Eyre Highway was assessed by the Australian Automobile Association in 2011 to be among the lowest risk highways in the country, based on total number of casualty crashes[a] per length of road. The Eyre Highway is the only sealed roadway between Western Australia and South Australia and is a key artery for road trains. [37], On 21 January 1942, Prime Minister John Curtin announced the war cabinet decision to name the newly constructed road Forrest Highway,[49] for military purposes. [56], Between Yalata and the state border, the highway was realigned and deviated considerably from the original unsealed route. This may prove to be a tourist winner. The Nullarbor gets its name from Latin for "no tree",[11] and the typical view is that of a straight highway and practically unchanging flat saltbush-covered terrain,[12] although some parts are located on ridges. I travelled the wartime built “old” Eyre Highway in both directions at the age of 8 with my father and older sister in 1948 in our 1939 Chev sedan, travelling back to South Australia following the death of my grandfather. The website is for information purposes only and we assume no liability for decisions made as a result of the information provided here. Travelling this expansive plain, you’ll experience the remoteness of the Great Victoria Desert, the pounding Southern Ocean of the Great Australian Bight and the beautiful Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. The Army was responsible for fuel, food, and communications, while the state government departments of Main Roads (Western Australia) and Highways (South Australia) managed the actual construction. Construction of Eyre Highway started in July 1941, exactly a hundred years after Edward John Eyre’s tremendous feat, and was completed six months later. It was named after explorer Edward John Eyre, who was the first European to cross the Nullarbor by land, in 1840–1841. Like so many of our major routes, it is awash with history, colour and stunning natural beauty. [50] Separately, the states' nomenclature committees were considering names for the road. The Eyre Highway, the only sealed road into Western Australia along the Nullarbor, has been closed for 10 days as fires burned more than 500,000ha on both sides. On Friday, the Eyre Highway — the only sealed transport route between Western Australia and the rest of the country — reopened after being closed for 12 days. A funding commitment of $125 million has been made to upgrade Eyre Highway between Border Village and Port Augusta, and Eyre Peninsula roads impacted by the recent closure of the Eyre Peninsula rail network – namely Tod Highway, Birdseye Highway, and Lincoln Highway. [35]:152–153 However, the maintenance and grading was hindered by a lack of rainfall – the road was smoothed out each year, and small sections were gravelled, but the soil the road was made from was too weak to be an effective road surface. Eyre Highway and Eyre Peninsula Roads . The Eyre Highway, the only sealed road linking South Australia and Western Australia, has reopened after it was closed for nearly two weeks due to bushfires. The highway begins in Norseman in Western Australia and runs across the Nullarbor via the town of Ceduna to end in Port Augusta, South Australia 1,660 kms (1,030 miles) away. The loneliness, remoteness and driver fatigue cause a high incidence of fatalities and accidents. Going east - at Port Augusta it splits into the Princes Highway taking you to Adelaide and the East Coast cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, and the Stuart Highway going all the way to Alice Springs and Darwin. [61], Map of South Australia and southern Western Australia with Eyre Highway highlighted in red. Posted: 10 Jan 2020 11:36 Contact justapassenger Sealing of Eyre Highway In preparation for the Commonwealth Games in Perth in 1962, the WA section of Eyre Highway was sealed and four centimetres of gravel was spread on Eucla airstrip so that it could support plane-loads of VIPs who were arriving for the opening ceremony. [41] In some cases the tanks were accompanied by amenity such as a shed,[42] or a hut and stove,[41] or even petrol and cafes at Ivy Tanks. [40] The finished road, while an improvement over the previous route, still was not much more than a track. [39] A northerly route, close to the Trans-Australian Railway, had been considered, but extensive limestone outcrops made it impractical. In October 1972 the Ceduna to Penong seal was completed, and the final link to be sealed, between Penong and the state border, was completed with a ceremony held on 29 September 1976 near Wigunda Tank, South Australia. [35]:388, Since the 1990s, regular maintenance and minor improvements have been an ongoing effort; $3.9 million was spent on these works in Western Australia in 1996. Eyre was the first European to cross the Nullarbor Plain, along with his Aboriginal companion Wylie in 1841. ***9AM UPDATE: Coolgardie-Esperance and Eyre highways reopened with caution*** 7AM: The Eyre Highway between WA and South Australia has reopened, though the road between Esperance and Kalgoorlie will remain closed until atleast tomorrow morning. The Eyre Highway, which connects Norseman in Western Australia to Port Augusta, was carved across the continent in 1941. Signed as National Highways 1 and A1, it forms part of Highway 1 and the Australian National Highway network linking Perth and Adelaide. After Kyancutta, the highway turns to the east towards the town of Kimba. [47] After receiving a letter from the South Australian Premier in May 1943, supporting the nomenclature committee's recommendation, Curtin agreed to the name, subject to approval from the Western Australian government. After passing through Wirrulla, Poochera, Yanninee and Wudinna, the highway arrives at Kyancutta where it meets the north end of the Tod Highway. Eyre Highway on the Nullarbor Plain between WA and SA closed due to fires. [35]:223 Construction began in 1960, at the Norseman end. The old Eyre Highway has since been abandoned, but still exists where it used to be, although it is rarely ever used. [37] The federal government did not see the road as important enough for its involvement. When you’re heading from East to West, it starts out in Port Augusta in South Australia and winds up in Norseman, Western Australia. A national highway was called for, but the federal government did not see the route as important enough until 1941, when a war in the Pacific seemed imminent. To use information contained on this site is to do so at your own risk. Before arriving at Ceduna, it enters the Eyre Peninsula. Since 1976, the Eyre Highway is a fully sealed road and in many places runs alongside the original gravel track which was pushed through this vast outback region back in the 1940s. In other words, it’s rather plain and boring, a sort of long and lonely road in the middle of nowhere -that is, until you take into consideration how many wild animals exists in southern Australia. The last section of road to be sealed – around 200 kms of highway up to the state border on the South Australian side – was opened in 1976. It was a century later before construction on the road began for the proposed highway that … Main Roads in Western Australia spent around a million dollars a year on rehabilitating 50-to-100-kilometre (30 to 60 mi) sections. In October 1972 the Ceduna to Penong seal was finished and the final link, between Penong and the State Border was completed with a ceremony held on September 29, 1976 near Wigunda Tank. The 450 mile project was commenced in 1961 and completed in 1969 at the cost of $9.5 million, funded by the State government. Though originally named Forrest Highway, after John Forrest, by the war cabinet, it was officially named and gazetted Eyre Highway, a name agreed upon by the states' nomenclature committees. Hundreds of travellers were left stranded when the 1660-kilometre highway was shut because of a large fire burning near Norseman. The highway was constructed between July 1941 and June 1942. The Nullarbor Plain is home to the earth’s largest piece of limestone. At first it was little more than a rough track, but was gradually sealed over the next thirty years. - ABC licensed Almost 340 people have been successfully evacuated from roadhouses on a remote Nullarbor highway after becoming stranded by bushfires that have closed down the border between Western Australia and South Australia. [22], Because of its remoteness, some widened sections of the highway serve as emergency airstrips for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Rating Australia's National Network for Risk, 2011", "Eyre Highway: Balladonia Hotel to Mundrabilla Roadhouse", "Sign at the start of 90 mile straight, Australia's longest straight road", "An inventory and condition survey of the Western Australian part of the Nullarbor region", "Nullarbor: Take the long way to Western Australia", "Naming of State Rural Roads – Eyre Peninsula", "Protected Areas of South Australia September (Map) 2014 Edition", "Army Presence in South Australia, 'Maintaining the Momentum, "Bridge named in honour of Joy Baluch AM", "Joy Baluch AM Bridge officially unveiled", Flinders Highway and Lincoln Highway road signs, "Nomination of the East-West Telegraph Line for a National Engineering Landmark", "The Trans-Australian Railway: Nomination For Award As A National Engineering Landmark", "Land Act, 1933–1956: Naming and Change of Name of Roads in the Coolgardie, Dundas and Esperance Road Districts (per 798/42)", "The Diamond in the Desert: The Story of the Giant Readymix Logo on the Nullarbor", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eyre_Highway&oldid=1009080009, All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English, WikiProject Australian Roads articles with a junction list using templates, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, National Highway 1 eastern terminus, National Highway A1 western terminus, T-junction: Eyre Highway continues north-east, Highway terminus: National Highway A1 continues south east as Augusta Highway, Western Australia. However, the entire highway is of two-way traffic Required car: The good news is that you don't need a 4x4 (4WD). In October 1972 the Ceduna to Penong seal was finished and the final link, between Penong and the State Border was completed with a ceremony held on September 29, 1976 near Wigunda Tank. The recent 12-day closure of the Eyre Highway due to the ongoing countrywide bushfires has highlighted the need for upgrades to outback roads across the country. [25], Edward John Eyre was the first European to traverse the coastline of the Great Australian Bight and the Nullarbor Plain by land, in 1840–1841, on an almost 2,000-mile (3,200 km) trip from Adelaide to Albany, Western Australia. The highway runs right through the town of Ceduna in South Australia on the eastern side of the Nullarbor. The Eyre Highway is named after John Eyre. The first motorcar crossed the Nullarbor Plain in 1912. Went over the first time late 77, it was dirt from Madura to Ceduna. (1978), This page was last edited on 26 February 2021, at 16:36. The Eyre Highway is the main road that connects South Australia with the south of Western Australia.It runs for 1668 km. [33], An inland route across the Nullarbor was established with the 1912 to 1917 construction of the Trans-Australian Railway, from Port Augusta via Tarcoola to Kalgoorlie. You are still completely responsible for your decisions, your actions, and your safety. It then continues north-east until it intersects with the Augusta Highway and Stuart Highway,[25][26][27] north-west of the Joy Baluch AM Bridge which crosses Spencer Gulf at Port Augusta. [3] Eyre Highway is part of the National Highway route between Perth and Adelaide, and also forms part of Australia's Highway 1. [7][8] Road trains (A-double or B-triple) up to 42.5 metres (139 ft) are permitted on Eyre Highway, with Quads upto 49.5 metres (163 feet) between Ceduna and Colona Station turnoff[9] but are limited to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). It then crosses the top of the Eyre Peninsula as it continues eastwards for 470 kilometres (290 mi), before reaching Port Augusta. Sealing. Stretching between Port Augusta in South Australia and Norseman in Western Australia the Eyre Highway covers an astonishing 1,675 kilometres of land across plains as far as the eye can see. Dept. Out of five stars, approximately 10% was rated as one- or two-star in Western Australia, generally towards the Norseman end, and 91% was rated three- or four-star. (ABC Goldfields: Rhiannon Stevens) Ms Lal told the ABC there had been some scary situations along the way. [13], Main Roads Western Australia and the Department for Infrastructure & Transport in South Australia monitor traffic volume across the states' road networks, including various locations along Eyre Highway. Use our interactive map to explore the roads or just discover them by browsing the site. A proposal for a single name to be used in both states was put by the Western Australian committee to the South Australian committee when the highway was completed. Though the Eyre Highway is dotted with roadhouses, the Nullarbor is still a remote area and when travelled by road you can expect to pay high prices for fuel and food. On the Eyre Highway, crossing the Nullarbor Plain, you drive between Caiguna and Balladonia onto Australia's longest straight-lined road. [36] In 1938 the Royal Automobile Club of Western Australia (RAC) called for a national highway to be constructed by the federal government, as it would be a strategic defence road, provide another link between Western Australia and other states, and improve the tourist experience. [45], In the 1930s and 1940s, the Western Australian Nomenclature Advisory Committee[c] had been choosing directional names for the state's main arterial roads (such as Great Eastern Highway),[47] while the South Australian Highways Department had been naming the major roads to other states after explorers (such as Flinders Highway, named after Matthew Flinders). [35]:93–96, While initial estimates placed the construction cost at £125,000 over a period of four months, it actually cost twice as much, and was not completed until June 1942,[35]:95–96 though the road was sufficiently trafficable and in use by January of that year. The 1675km highway is the main sealed road that links Western Australia and South Australia by crowning the Eyre Peninsula then crossing the Nullarbor Plain. Constructed between 1875 and 1877, it followed the same route across the Nullarbor and along the Great Australian Bight, after John Forrest retraced Eyre's route in 1870 and confirmed its suitability. From either direction, the Old Eyre Highway travels pretty much parallel to the new highway and around 12-15km away to the north. [14]:5 In South Australia, the estimated annual average daily traffic as of September 2015 varied between 500 and 1500 west of Lincoln Highway, and was 2700 to the east. The formed width was 30 feet (9 m), with some sections[b] lightly gravelled over a 16-foot (4.9 m) width. About the Eyre Highway. It is signed as National Highway 1 in Western Australia,[4] and National Highway A1 in South Australia. The historical memorials committee of the Royal Geographical Society in South Australia was disappointed in 1938 that no road had been named after Eyre, despite its suggestion that the road from Port Augusta towards Perth should be Eyre Highway. Taking a route east from Norseman, with some detours around limestone ridges, would allow a road to be formed quickly and easily. The Nullarbor highway is actually called the Eyre Highway and is approximately Work undertaken from 1987 to 1988 reached out 110 kilometres (68 mi) east of Cocklebiddy, and 225 kilometres (140 mi) had been completed by June 1990. At first it was little more than a rough track, but was gradually sealed over the next thirty years. Eyre Highway Via , Norseman, 6443. A friend in Margaret River, an ex-biker turned Baptist priest, remembers driving across on his Harley dodging potholes the size of oil drums. Since 1976, the Eyre Highway is a fully sealed road and in many places runs alongside the original gravel track which was pushed through this vast outback region back in the 1940s. The Eyre Highway is one of Australia’s greatest road trips. Not all service stations are open 24-hours, so if you are not travelling daylight hours then you will need to plan accordingly. The road received yearly maintenance, but further, more expensive works were not warranted due to the low traffic volume of approximately fourteen vehicles per day. [43][44] The establishment of Ivy Tanks in any form was being lost by the 1980s. In South Australia, 49% was rated as one- or two-star, mostly from Yalata to Ceduna, and across the Eyre Peninsula, with the remaining 51% rated as three- or four-star. The old Eyre Highway has not been maintained for 40 years, and the condition the road is in varies greatly depending on the exact part of … Shoulder sealing and audio tactile line marking – widening the sealed road width and improved line marking to address fatigue safety risks. [35]:186–7, Work to seal Eyre Highway was undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s. The road is in good condition and well maintained. Two names were suggested: Great Western Highway, in line with similar directional names in Western Australia, and Eyre Highway, after the explorer. With a war in the Pacific seemingly imminent, construction soon began, in July 1941. These airstrips are signposted, have runway "piano keys" painted on the road, and turnaround bays for small aircraft. The old Eyre highway is now nothing more than a track. Eyre Highway runs from Norseman in Western Australia, past Eucla, to the state border. Was shut because of a large fire burning near Norseman 54 ], Eyre Highway around. 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