Road Photos &
Information: New South Wales
A43 |
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Doyalson Link Road, Old Pacific Highway, Stewart Avenue, Hannell Street, Industrial Drive, Maitland Road, Pacific Highway and New England Highway (A43) |
Statistics:
- Length: 112 km
- Northern Terminus: New England Hwy (A15) and
Hunter Expressway (M15) at Branxton
- Southern Terminus: Pacific Mwy (M1) at Jilliby
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Branxton,
Greta, Lochinvar, Maitland, Beresfield, Hexham, Sandgate, Mayfield,
Newcastle, Charlestown, Belmont, Swansea, Lake Munmorah, Doyleson and
Jilliby
Route Numbering:
- Current: A43
- Former:
- Multiplexes: A1
- Road Authority Internal Classification: SH9 (Branxton
to Hexham), SH10 (Doyalson to Newcastle West) and MR316 (Newcastle West
to Mayfield West) 1
General Information:
A43 is mostly an arterial route in the NSW Hunter
region. It's a major route and forms a link with the Central Coast,
Newcastle CBD and Maitland.
The section between Hexham and Mayfield West and also
Newcastle West and Doyalson is the former route of National Route 1
through the Hunter region. The section south of Swansea was also briefly
part of the National Highway system and signed as NH1. The Doyalson Link
Road (formerly Motorway Link section) between Wallarah and Doyalson is
super 2 expressway standard with a grade separated interchange with
Tooheys Road. The rest is mostly dual carriageway highway or urban
arterial road standard (either divided or undivided).
The route passes through mostly suburbia, although there
are some nature reserves scattered along the southern section of the
route.
The Newcastle West to Doyalson section features the
Swansea Bridge spanning the entrance to Lake Macquarie. More than 27,000
road vehicles use the bridge each day. The bridge opens about 2000 times
each year, and around five to six times per day, allowing up to 4500 boats
to pass through. The number of openings is significant when you compare
Swansea Bridge to other similar opening bridges in NSW eg the Spit Bridge
in Sydney opens eight times each day during the summer, allowing more than
100 boats per day to pass, and the Harwood Bridge north of Grafton opens
around 200 times a year. 2
Multiplexes along the route include:
- A1, for 4 km, between Tarro and Hexham
History:
- March 1933: The Great Northern Road was proclaimed the New England
Highway. 2
- 1880s: The original Swansea channel crossing, which
was a drawbridge, was built. 2
- 1909: Swansea drawbridge was replaced with a bridge
which incorporated a roadway, later to become the Pacific Highway. 2
- 1931: In May, after pressure from the Queensland
Government, the coastal highway linking Sydney and Brisbane was named
Pacific Hwy.
- 1944: Styx Creek Bridge widened. 2
- 1948: Proposal of the replacement existing Swansea
Bridge with a new one featuring a new opening span, south of Newcastle.
2
- 1955: The northbound bridge of the Swansea Bridge was
opened. 2
- 1956: Permanent vehicle weighing station established
by the DMR at Hexham where the Pacific Highway met the New England
Highway (since removed). 3
- 1983: Sydney-Newcastle Fwy from Somersby to Wallarah
Ck opens, which is connected to Motorway Link and both roads signposted
as NH1. 4
- 1987: Sydney-Newcastle Fwy extension from Wallarah Ck
to Morisett opens, NH1 is rerouted onto that extension. 4
- 1989: The duplicated section (southbound
carriageway) of the Swansea Bridge was opened. 2
- 1993: National Highway 15 replaced by National Route
1 between Tarro and Hexham.
- August 2005: Signals installed at the intersection of
Pacific Highway and Old Maitland Road at Sandgate, on the northbound
carriageway. 2
- March 2007: Commencement of grade separated
interchange with Weakleys Drive at Beresfield. 2
- October 2008: Opening of grade separated interchange
with Weakleys Drive at Beresfield.
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Reassurance Directional Sign:
Distance sign at Hexham, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance
Directional Sign:
AD sign on New England Hwy (A43) approaching Clift St at Branxton,
August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw |
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Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:
Supplemental AD sign at Hexham approaching Anderson Dr, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Distance
Sign:
Reassurance directional sign at Beresfield, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw |
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Advance Directional Signs:
AD signs at Hexham approaching Anderson Dr, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance
Directional Signs:
AD signs at the Anderson Dr interchange at Tarro, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw |
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Special Watch For Cyclists Sign:
Special 'Watch For Cyclists' sign approaching the railway overpass at Tarro, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Swansea Bridge:
Pacific Hwy (A43) as it crosses the entrance to Lake Macquarie via Swansea Bridge at Swansea. January 2013. The bridge on the left was built in 1989, and the bridge on the right was constructed in 1955. 5
Image © Paul Rands |
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Tarro Interchange:
New England Hwy (A43 / A1) at the Tarro Interchange with Anderson Dr, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Tarro Interchange:
New England Hwy (A43 / A1) at the Tarro Interchange with Anderson Dr, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Advance Directional Sign:
AD sign at Tarro for the John Renshaw Dr (A1) interchange, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Entering Beresfield:
New England Hwy (A43) as it enters the town of Beresfield, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:
Supplemental AD sign at Beresfield for the John Renshaw Dr (A1) interchange, July 2013.
Image © Paul Rands |
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John Renshaw Drive Interchange:
New England Hwy (A43) at the John Renshaw Dr (A1) interchange in Beresfield, July 2013. The A1 duplex ends at this interchange.
Image © Paul Rands |
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John Renshaw Drive Interchange:
New England Hwy (A43) at the John Renshaw Dr (A1) interchange in Beresfield, July 2013. The A1 duplex ends at this interchange.
Image © Paul Rands |
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Intersection
Directional Sign:
ID sign facing Clift St, Branxton, August 2013.
Image © Peter Renshaw |
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1 Roads &
Maritime Services, Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional
Roads, August 2013.
2 Roads & Traffic Authority
3 Dept of Main Roads, Annual Report,
1956, p 62
4 Wyong Shire, Celebrating 60 Years
publication, 2007
5 Lake Macquarie City Council, The second Swansea Bridge
Last updated: 02-Jan-2019 19:28
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