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Statistics:

• Length: 62 km
• Eastern Terminus: Princes Hwy (A1) & Princes Mwy (M1) at Albion Park Rail
• Western Terminus: Hume Hwy (M31) and Canyonleigh Rd at Sutton Forest (Hoddles Cross Roads)
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Albion Park Rail, Albion Park, Tullimbar, Tongarra, Macquarie Pass, Mount Murray, Robertson, Burrawang, Moss Vale and Sutton Forest

Route Numbering:

• Current: A48

• Former:

• Multiplexes:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: HW25 1

General Information:

The Illawarra Highway is a key link in the state's road network, connecting the Illawarra with the Southern Highlands, the Hume Highway and via the Hume Highway: Melbourne and southwestern New South Wales.

Consisting mostly of single carriageway undivided road, the route traverses Macquarie Pass, which is a narrow and windy section of road built to climb the Illawarra Escarpment. The route primarily services small rural and semi-rural communities.

Multiplexes along the route include:

• Tourist Drive 8 for 27 km between Albion Park and Robertson
• Tourist Drive 14 for 14 km between Moss Vale and Sutton Forest
• Tourist Drive 15 for 22 km between Robertson and and Moss Vale

History:

• 4 July 1898: Macquarie Pass opens to traffic.
• 1936: Shellharbour Council sought the co-operation of neighbouring shires and municipalities, and the Illawarra tourist zone, to have the then Macquarie Pass road taken over by the Main Roads Board. 2
• 2009: RTA undertook extensive safety work on Macquarie Pass including the installation of 'Beware Trucks on Curve' signs. 3
• July 2012: Installation of vehicle activated signs on Macquarie Pass, with the aim to improve road safety by advising motorists of speed and wet weather hazards. 4
• November 2015: 60 km/h zone extended to Yellow Rock Rd Tullimbar. 5
• July 2017: Slope stabilization, widening of road shoulders, installing guardrail and replacing drains underneath the road on Macquarie Pass. 6
• May 2018: At Robertson and Burrawang, shoulders widened and guard rail installed, plus 2 vehicle activated signs installed at this location, the road shoulders were widened and a widened painted median installed. 7 Repairs carried out to the bridge, guard rails and embankments at the Hume Hwy (Hoddles Crossroads) interchange. 8

1 Roads & Traffic Authority, Schedule of Classified Roads and State & Regional Roads, 31 January 2011
2 Sydney Morning Herald, 17 October 1936, Page 15.
3 Parliament of New South Wales, Hansard & Papers, Legislative Assembly, Questions, 9329 - Macquarie Pass
4 Roads and Maritime Services, Media Releases, Vehicle Activated Signs For Moss Vale Road, Macquarie Pass And Jamberoo Mountain Road, 17 July 2012
5 Roads & Maritime Services, Media Releases, Motorists encouraged to slow down on Illawarra Highway at Tullimbar, 30 October 2015
6 Roads & Maritime Services, Media Releases, Safety to be improved for motorists on Macquarie Pass, 12 July 2017
7 Roads & Maritime Services, Media Releases, Safety improvements on the way along the Illawarra Highway, 14 May 2018
8 Roads & Maritime Services, Media Releases, Shovels out for work on Illawarra and Hume Highways interchange, 1 May 2018

Last updated: 02-Jan-2019 20:07

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