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Statistics:

• Length: (NSW, Vic and SA Total) 976 km (Barmera to Nuriootpa: 147 km)
• Northern Terminus: SA-Vic border at Yamba, east of Renmark.
• Southern Terminus: Corner of Main North Road (A1) and Grand Junction Road (A16) at Gepps Cross in Adelaide's inner northern suburbs
• Miscellaneous: Continues in NSW as Sturt Hwy (A20) from SA-Vic Border at Yamba
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Barmera, Kingston-On-Murray, Waikerie, Blanchetown, Truro and Nuriootpa

Route Numbering:

• Current: A20

• Former:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: 07200 1

General Information:

The Sturt Highway and Main North Road are major routes connecting New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The highway connects the Hume Highway (A31) in NSW with the Newell Hwy (A39) and other major routes of South Western NSW. The route also connects with the Calder Highway (A79) in Victoria.

The highway itself varies from 2-lane rural highway in the less populated areas to multilaned main road in some of the larger towns along the route to freeway standard and 6-lane arterial road standard in Adelaide.

The route receives Auslink funding from the Federal Government, recognising its importance as a major Australian highway for freight and travel.

The Sturt Highway is named after Charles Sturt, who explored south western New South Wales, the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers and also parts of central Australia in the 1800s.

History:

• 1869: A private punt was established at Blanchetown to cross the River Murray. 2
• 1879: The private punt at Blanchetown replaced by a government operated service. 2
• 1922: The punt at Blanchetown relocated due to the opening of Lock 1. Operation of a ferry commenced at Kingston-On-Murray over the River Murray. 2
• December 1954: Second ferry installed at Blanchetown due to increased traffic. 2
• 24 April 1964: Opening of bridge over River Murray at Blanchetown. 2
• 1969: Work begins on bridge over River Murray at Kingston-on-Murray to replace a ferry. 2
• 1974: Upgraded from National Route 20, with the introduction of the National Highway system.
• 1980s: Nuriootpa & Greenock bypassed. 3
• 1998: Changed to National Highway A-20 with the implementation of the alphanumeric route numbering system in SA, also completion of the Mickens Bridge to Truro realignment (an 8 km alignment and bridge, north of the old carriageway). 4
• 2007: Upgrades of intersections including Murray Street at Nuriootpa, realignment of the Belvidere Road junction and extension of the existing overtaking lane adjacent to Moppa Road with relocated lighting at the Old Kapunda Road and Moppa Road junctions. 5
• 2010: Completion of the duplication of Sturt Hwy between Gawler and Nuriootpa. 6
• November 2013: Two heavy vehicle parking bays on the Sturt Highway upgraded, west of Nuriootpa and east of Truro. Upgrades included new surfacing, signs, shelters, seats and bins. 7
• December 2014: Installation of approximately 3.5 km of audio tactile pavement markings between Truro and Accommodation Hill. 8
• January 2015: Safety upgrades on Sturt Highway, 13 km east of Truro. Works included 220 metres of shoulder sealing and safety barrier replacement over Anna Creek on the Sturt Highway near Three Chain Road. 9
• 14 September 2015: Point-to-point speed cameras activated on an 18 kilometre stretch of the Sturt Highway between Kingston on Murray and Lowbank. 10
• 2019: Installation of new guard rails and bridge barriers and widening of road pavement across several bridges on Sturt Highway. Bridges upgraded include: Paringa Causeway Bridges 1 & 2, Paringa Causeway Bridges 3 & 4, Bookmark Bridge, Salt Creek Bridge and Kingston Bridge. 11
• February 2019: Change of speed limit on the Sturt Highway at Blanchetown from 110km/h to 80km/h. The altered speed limit applies from east of the heavy vehicle inspection station and ends east of the intersection with Hunter Road / Paisley Road. 12

Barmera to Nuriootpa			Nuriootpa to Barmera
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Approaching Coats Road / Joyce Street: Westbound at Cobdogla. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Distance Sign: RD sign after the Murray St junction at Nuriootpa. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Westbound as you leave Cobdogla, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: RD sign after the Murray St junction at Nuriootpa. October 2012. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Black Directional Sign: Black AD sign assembly approaching Loxton Rd, Kingston-On-Murray. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Murraylands Rd at Blanchetown, December 2003. Image © Michael Greenslade
	AD Sign: Advance directional sign approaching Petersen Road in Kingston-On-Murray, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Waikerie approaching Old Blanchetown Rd & Vasey Rd, December 2003. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Distance Sign: Westbound leaving Kingston-On-Murray, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Kingston-On-Murray, December 2003. Image © Michael Greenslade
	holmes Rd Approach: Westbound approaching Holmes Road at Kingston-On-Murray. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Barmera approaching Nookamka Tce, December 2003. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Approaching Ian Oliver Drive: Westbound near the Waikerie Bypass near Ian Oliver Dr, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands			Advance Directional Sign: Bypassed town AD sign approaching Old Sturt Hwy (B201) at Barmera, December 2003. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Approaching Ian Oliver Drive: AD sign for Ian Oliver Drive, the old Sturt Hwy alignment at Waikerie, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching blanchetown Rd: Westbound at Waikerie on the bypass as you approach Blanchetown Road, part of the former Sturt Hwy alignment, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Westbound RD sign as you leave Waikerie, December 2007. Click here for a photo of this location by Michael Greenslade from December 2003. Image © Paul Rands
	Stockyard Flat: Westbound at Stockyard Flat, as you approach an unnamed gravel road which travels to Morgan, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Sign listing available services in Blanchetown as you approach the town, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for Swan Reach Road at Blanchetown. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for Murraylands Road at Blanchetown. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Murraylands Rd at Blanchetown approaching Sturt Hwy (A20), December 2003. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Services Sign: Westbound services sign approaching Truro. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Truro: Westbound as you drive into Truro, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Truro: Westbound through the town of Truro. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	AD Sign: Approaching Truro-Eudunda Road, Truro, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign on the hill west of Truro, October 2012. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Ebenezer Road Approach: Heading southwest at Stockwell. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Heading southwest at Stockwell, October 2012. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Distance Sign: Heading southwest at Nuriootpa, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Approaching Murray Street: Advance directional sign approaching B19 - the Barossa Valley Way (Murray St) at Nuriootpa, December 2007. Click here for a photo of the old AD sign, taken Octover 2004 by Darrin Smith. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental AD Sign: Supplemental advance directional sign as you approach Murray St Nuriootpa, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Murray St Intersection: Looking southwest at the corner of Sturt Hwy and Murray St in Nuriootpa, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	ID Sign: Intersection directional sign facing Murray St traffic at Nuriootpa, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign on the Nuriootpa Bypass, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Peramangk Road intersection, looking southwest at Nuriootpa. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Greenock Road Overpass: The Sturt Hwy as it passes under Greenock Rd in Greenock, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	AD Sign: Advance directional sign approaching Adelaide and Seppeltsfield Roads at Greenock, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign after the intersection with Seppeltsfield and Adelaide Roads in Greenock, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Ahrens Road intersection, at She Oak Log. December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign located after the intersection with Ahrens Rd at She Oak, December 2007. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of A20 between Nuriootpa and Gepps Cross / Adelaide Click here for the continuation of A20 between Bamera and SA-Vic Border

1 Location SA Map Viewer
2 SA Memory, The river as a highway: Crossing the Murray
3 Peter Morris, Australian Minister for Transport, Press Release, $18 Million Gawler Bypass Gets Go Ahead, 9 May 1984
4 Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
5 Government of South Australia, Department of Transport, Energy & Infrastructure, The Sturt Highway Upgrade Gawler to Nuriootpa, Proejct Update, January 2007
6 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, Road Projects, Sturt Highway Upgrade
7 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, New roadside facilities for truck drivers, 29 Nov 2013
8 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Works on Sturt Hwy, 10 Dec 2014
9 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Sturt Hwy safety improvement, 19 Jan 2015
10 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Sturt Highway safer as point-to-point safety cameras switched on
11 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, Community Update, Regional Bridges Upgrade Project, Sturt Highway Bridges, Commencement of Works, 20 Dec 2018
12 Government of South Australia, Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure, News, Speed limit change on Sturt Highway at Blanchetown, 03 Feb 2017

Last updated: 01-Dec-2020 12:24

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