Albany Highway
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Albany Highway is a generally north-south highway in the south of Western Australia which links the state's capital Perth with its oldest settlement, Albany. The highway is approximately 420 km (262 miles) in length, is designated State Route 30 and separates Western Australia's Great Southern region from its South West region. Outside of Perth the highway is a sealed single carriageway with regular overtaking lanes in some undulating areas.
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[edit] History
It was originally called Albany Road and was first proposed in 1853 by Lt William Crossman of the Royal Engineers, who examined and reported on various possible Perth-Albany routes. The road was originally built of wood block and limestone by convicts in the 1850s, and was later sealed.
[edit] Description
[edit] Metropolitan road
Departing Perth, the highway commences at the Causeway interchange in Victoria Park and for its first 4 km is a two-lane high street serving Victoria Park's town centre, while nearby four-lane Shepperton Road serves as the area's main conduit of traffic (it also carries the Route 30).
At Welshpool Road, the two roads merge and for 26 km Albany Highway serves as the main route for Perth's southeastern region, varying between a four- and six-lane mostly undivided carriageway. Due to the highway's evolution, this part of the highway is dominated by commercial shopping precincts in Bentley, Cannington, Maddington, Gosnells and Kelmscott and drivers must negotiate countless sets of traffic lights. One of Perth's most infamous stretches of roads is Albany Highway in Cannington. Due to the high volume of commuters making their way to Westfield Carousel, this section is frequently gridlocked; even on a weekend! It is recommended that this section be bypassed via the Kenwick Link, the Tonkin & Leach Highways, and Welshpool Road (East), Orrong Road, and Manning Road. In the Perth section of the highway, Tonkin Highway to the east carries most of the north-south heavy vehicle traffic, and Albany Highway is used mostly by light vehicles.
[edit] Regional highway
At Armadale the highway doglegs east (the road that continues straight ahead is South Western Highway). As one keeps heading south-south-east, signs of human activity becomes more sparse as the highway crosses the Darling Scarp, and the scenery transitions to native forest. Further south it transitions again to pastureland, with farming activities being mostly livestock rearing and some orchards. Albany Highway serves as something of an express route, with the service towns in the region being located approximately 30 km to the east along Great Southern Highway - in particular Narrogin, Wagin and Katanning.
Closer to Albany, there are large tracts of blue gum eucalypt plantations. In terms of safety, the road is generally free of hazards caused by straying farm animals, though as with most rural and remote Australian roads, kangaroos are an everpresent danger.
The only major towns on the road between Perth and Albany are Williams, Kojonup and Mount Barker, with roadhouses at North Bannister, Crossman and Arthur River.
[edit] Major intersections
[edit] Swan River to Welshpool Road
For its first 4 km, Albany Highway is a two-lane high street serving Victoria Park's town centre, while nearby four-lane Shepperton Road serves as the area's main conduit of traffic (it also carries the Route 30).
As Albany Highway is not limited access, a large number of the roads that Albnay Highway are connected to are not controlled. The major interchanges are at-grade and controlled.
- Causeway Interchange, Victoria Park and Burswood
The Causeway to Perth CBD;
Canning Highway to South Perth, Applecross and Fremantle;
Great Eastern Highway to Belmont, Western Australia, Perth Airport and Midland; and
Shepperton Road to East Victoria Park.
- Duncan Street/McMillan Street, Victoria Park
- Mint Street, East Victoria Park
- Oats Street/Hill View Terrace, East Victoria Park
- Interchange, St James and East Victoria Park
[edit] Welshpool Road to Armadale Road
Signed as :
- John Street/Ashburton Street, Bentley
Leach Highway, Bentley
Manning Road, Cannington to Curtin University- Cecil Avenue, Cannington (at Westfield Carousel
Nicholson Road to Thornlie and Canning Vale- → William Street/Kenwick Link, Beckenham
- Wanaping Road/Royal Street, Kenwick
- → Austin Avenue/Kenwick Link, Kenwick and Maddington
- Kelvin Road/Olga Road, Maddington (to Centro Maddington, Huntingdale and Canning Vale
Fremantle Road, Gosnells (at Gosnells Railway Markets, to Gosnells- Ferres Drive, Gosnells (was terminus of Tonkin Highway until 2001)
Tonkin Highway, Gosnells- Denny Avenue/Gilwell Street, Kelmscott (at Kelmscott Village)
Brookton Highway, Kelmscott and Mount Nasura
- Interchange, Armadale and Bedfordale
South Western Highway to Serpentine, Pinjarra and Bunbury
Armadale Road to Jandakot and Spearwood- Albany Highway.
[edit] Beyond Perth metropolitan area
Albany Highway then doglegs east, and continues to leave the Perth metropolitan area.
to Jarrahdale- (at North Bannister) to Wandering
- (at Bannister) to Boddington
- (at Crossman) to Boddington, Wandering and Pingelly
- (at Williams) → to Boddington, Dwellingup, Collie and Darkan
- (at Williams) ← to Narrogin, Wickepin and Kulin
(at Arthur River) → Coalfields Road to Darkan, Collie and Bunbury- (at Arthur River) ← Coalfields Road to Wagin, Dumbleyung and Lake Grace
- (at Kojonup) to Katanning, Broomehill, Gnowangerup and Boyup Brook
(near Cranbrook) Great Southern Highway to Cranbrook, Tambellup, Katanning and Wagin
(at Mount Barker) Muirs Highway to Denmark and Manjimup- (at Mount Barker) to Stirling Range National Park and Porongorup National Park
[edit] Albany
- Interchange, Orana
- South Coast Highway to Elleker, Denmark, Walpole
- South Coast Highway (Chester Pass Road) to Ravensthorpe
- North Road to Middleton Beach and Emu Point
- Hanrahan Road to Frenchman Bay
- Interchange, Albany
- York Street (Albany CBD and Port)
- Lockyer Avenue to Centennial Park and Spencer Park
- Middleton Road to Middleton Beach
[edit] References
- Edmonds, Leigh (1997). The vital link: a history of Main Roads Western Austrlaia 1926-1996. Nedlands, Western Australia: University of Western Australia Press. ISBN 1-875560-87-4.
 Freeways and highways in Perth, Western Australia |
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| Freeways: | Graham Farmer Freeway · Kwinana Freeway · Mitchell Freeway |
| Highways: | Albany Highway · Brookton Highway · Canning Highway · Great Eastern Highway (Bypass) · Great Northern Highway · Leach Highway · Reid Highway · Roe Highway · South Western Highway · Stirling Highway · Tonkin Highway · West Coast Highway |
