Freeways in Australia
This is a list of freeways (or motorways/expressways) in Australia, sorted by states and territories and their corresponding routes. This list includes tollways / toll roads such as the CityLink freeway system in Melbourne. This list has over 70 entries. The only jurisdiction in Australia without freeways is the Northern Territory and Jervis Bay Territory. New South Wales has the largest and densest freeway network in Australia.
Australian Capital Territory
Canberra region
- Commonwealth Ave
Other Freeways
New South Wales
New South Wales has the largest number and highest density of motorways in Australia, with the majority being located in Sydney City or the metropolitan areas.
Sydney region (Urban Motorways)
- Speed limit varies between 60 km/h and 110 km/h.
- Gore Hill Freeway
- Warringah Freeway
- Sydney Harbour Tunnel (tolled for southbound traffic)
- Cahill Expressway
- Eastern Distributor (tolled for northbound traffic)
- Southern Cross Drive
- General Holmes Drive, the Airport Tunnel
- Lane Cove Tunnel (tolled)
- M2 Hills Motorway (tolled from
Western Sydney Orbital, Blacktown to Lane Cove Road)
(St Ives to Belrose, freeways grade road)
- M4 Western Motorway (tolled east of Church Street, Parramatta)
- M4 East (tolled)
- Rozelle Interchange (Opening 2023)
- Western Distributor Freeway
- M5 South-West Motorway (tolled East of Heathcote Road, Liverpool)
- M5 East Motorway (tolled)
- Westlink M7 (tolled)
- Westconnex M8 (tolled)
- M4 - M8 Link
- Western Harbour Tunnel
- Beaches Link
- James Ruse Drive (North of Hassall Street)
- Hume Motorway (Urban Mwy from M5/M7 up to A9/B69 Narellan Road)
- Camden Bypass (This route has a newly built intersection and as such is no longer a freeway)
No route number
- Cross City Tunnel (tolled)
- Northconnex (opening soon)
Newcastle region
- Speed limit varies between 60 km/h and 110 km/h.
- Pacific Motorway (Sydney to Newcastle) (Formerly known as the F3)
Wollongong region
- Princes Motorway (Formerly known as the F6)
(Formerly F8) Memorial Drive (Wollongong)
Coffs Harbour + Port Macquarie Region
- Pacific Highway, 82% of which is of motorway or dual carriageway standard, with the remainder under construction and proposed for completion by 2020.
- Pacific Motorway, Newly opened in 2018 (Port Macquarie to Raleigh)
Rural region (Rural Motorways)
- Speed limit varies between 80 km/h and 110 km/h.
- Pacific Motorway (Northern NSW, from Ballina to QLD border)
- Pacific Motorway (Port Macquarie to Raleigh)
- Pacific Motorway (Sydney to Newcastle) (Formerly known as the F3)
- Pacific Highway, 82% of which is of motorway or dual carriageway standard, with the remainder under construction and proposed for completion by 2020.
- M4 Western Motorway(Emu Plains and West to A32 Gt Western Hwy)
Barton Highway >20% of which is of motorway or dual carriageway standard.
- Hume Motorway
- Hume Highway, 100% of which is dual carriageway standard.
Under construction
- NorthConnex (Major multibillion-dollar tollway/tunnel, connecting the M1 Pacific Motorway to M2 Hills Motorway) - To be completed by 2020
- WestConnex (Major multibillion-dollar tollway/tunnels, connecting the M4 Western Motorway to A4 Western Distributor and M5 East) - To be completed by 2023.
- Sydney Gateway (Connecting Sydney Airport to the St Peters Interchange and WestConnex)
In planning
- Rozelle Interchange
- M6 Motorway (Sydney)(F6 extension) - To be Complete by 2026.
- Western Harbour Tunnel & Beaches Link (Major multibillion-dollar tollway/tunnels, connecting WestConnex with the Gore Hill Freeway and Northern Beaches)
- Western Sydney Airport Motorway (Major multimillion-dollar motorway, connecting the future Western Sydney Airport to M7 Westlink)
Queensland
Brisbane region
- Bruce Highway
- Gateway Motorway (Gateway Bridge crossing over Brisbane River)
- Pacific Motorway
- Ipswich Motorway (Goodna to Dinmore)
- Warrego Highway (Dinmore to Muirlea)
- Logan Motorway (Gailes to Drewvale, Electronically Tolled)
- Gateway Motorway (Electronically Tolled)
- Inner City Bypass
- Pacific Motorway
- Riverside Expressway
- Gympie Arterial Road
- Legacy Way
- Western Freeway
- Centenary Motorway
- Logan Motorway (Drewvale to Loganholme, Electronically Tolled)
- Ipswich Motorway (Goodna to Rocklea)
- Airport Link Tunnel (Electronically Tolled)
- Clem Jones Tunnel (Clem7) (Electronically Tolled)
Regional Queensland
- Toowoomba Bypass
- Warrego Highway (Helidon Spa to Charlton)
- Gore Highway (Charlton to Athol)
South Australia
In South Australia, expressway may refer to a controlled access highway with no at-grade intersections or a limited access road of slightly lower standard with at-grade intersections at some locations.
Unlike some other states, South Australia only uses the 'M' designation on grade separated freeways
- Northern Expressway
- North–South Motorway (incomplete, under construction in stages)
- Southern Expressway
- Gawler Bypass - freeway grade road
Under construction
- Southern Expressway: Darlington Upgrade of South Road due to be complete in 2020.
- North–South Motorway: Regency Road to Pym Street upgrade of South Road due to be complete in 2022.
Tasmania
While the overall quality of Tasmania's highway network has been constructed to a high standard, its grade separated freeway network is limited. In the past, Hobart and Launceston have each had comprehensive transport studies conducted, proposing grade separated freeways running through and around them. While some of these roads have been constructed, the majority are limited access featuring at-grade intersections. Devonport and Burnie are the only major population centres with freeway standard roads linking each other. There has been repeated proposals in recent years to fully upgrade the Midland Highway to grade separated freeway standards.[1][2]
This List is limited to Tasmania's freeway-standard roads.
Rural region
- Bass Highway (Burnie to Devonport and Prospect to Illawarra Main Road)
- Midland Highway (South Launceston to Breadalbane)
Victoria
Victoria has the second largest number and second highest density of motorways in Australia (behind New South Wales), with the majority being located in Melbourne City or the metropolitan areas. While most of Australia has a low population density over a large area, where towns are sparse or located a significant distance from each other; Victoria has towns located throughout the entire state, with large numbers of inhabitants, in both urban and rural areas (many of which are major) such as Ballarat or Bendigo.
Melbourne region (Urban freeways)
- Speed limit varies between 60 km/h and 100 km/h.
- CityLink (Southern Link, Fully electronically tolled)
- Monash Freeway
- Princes Freeway (from Werribee-Main Road or Duncans Road)
- West Gate Freeway (also Tourist Route 2
)
- CityLink (Western Link, Fully electronically tolled)
- Tullamarine Freeway
- Eastern Freeway
- EastLink (Fully electronically tolled)
- Frankston Freeway
- Metropolitan Ring Road
- Western Ring Road
Rural region (Rural freeways)
- Speed limit varies between 100 km/h and 110 km/h.
- Princes Freeway (West)
(Melbourne to Werribee section is classified as an 'Urban Freeway'.) - Geelong Ring Road
- Princes Freeway (East)
(Narre Warren to Pakenham section is classified as an 'Urban Freeway'.)
Note: 'East' and 'West' sections are officially part of the same freeway and route corridor.
- Western Freeway
(Deer Park Bypass section is classified as an 'Urban Freeway'.)
- Goulburn Valley Freeway
- Calder Freeway
(Melbourne to Taylors Lakes section is classified as an 'Urban Freeway'.)
Under construction
- Princes Highway Duplication (Winchelsea to Colac) - Expected to be Complete by mid 2019.
- Princes Highway Duplication (Traralgon to Sale) - Expected to be Complete by mid 2019.
- Mordialloc Freeway (9km Northern extension of Mornington Peninsula Freeway.) (Major freeway, connecting Springvale Road to Dingley Bypass.) - To be completed by late 2021
- West Gate Tunnel (Major multibillion-dollar tollway/tunnel, connecting the M1 West Gate Freeway to M2 Citylink) - Currently in Planning Phase - Expected to be complete in 2022.
- Western Highway Duplication (Buangor to Stawell) - Currently Suspended, Commenced Construction in 2017
- Mordialloc Freeway (9km Northern extension of Mornington Peninsula Freeway.) (Major freeway, connecting Springvale Road to Dingley Bypass.) - To be completed by late 2021
In planning
- M47 North East Link (Major multibillion-dollar tollway/tunnel, connecting the M80 Ring Road to M3 Eastern Freeway) - Currently in Planning Phase - To be Complete by 2027.
Western Australia
Western Australia has three freeways – Kwinana Freeway, Mitchell Freeway, and Graham Farmer Freeway – as well as sections of several highways which are subject to control of access[4][5] and only have grade-separated intersections.[6]:3 Such highways may be described as freeway-standard[6][7][8] or expressway-standard.[9][10]
State Route 2 - Kwinana Freeway[6] (also part of National Route 1 between Leach and Canning Highways)
- Mitchell Freeway[6]
State Route 3 - Reid Highway (Erindale Road to Altone Road)[6]
- Roe Highway (Morrison Road to Great Eastern Highway Bypass, Great Eastern Highway Bypass to Tonkin Highway, Tonkin Highway to Kwinana Freeway)[6]
State Route 4 - Tonkin Highway (Great Northern Highway to Hale Road, Mills Road to Champion Drive[6])
State Route 7 - Leach Highway (Airport Drive to Welshpool Road)[10]
State Route 8
Under construction
- Mitchell Freeway Extension (Hester Ave to Romeo Road)
- Roe Highway (Kalamunda Road grade separation)
- North Lake Road / Armadale Road upgrade (Kwinana Freeway to Tapper Road)
In planning
- Mitchell Freeway Extension (Romeo Rd to Moore River)[6]
- Roe Highway Extension (Perth Freight Link) (Kwinana Freeway to Stirling Highway)
- Roe Highway upgrade (Kalamunda Road to Great Eastern Highway Bypass, Morrison Road to Great Northern Highway)
- Reid Highway upgrade (Erindale Road to Mitchell Freeway, Altone Road to Great Northern Highway)
- Tonkin Highway upgrade (Hale Road to Mills Road)
- Tonkin Highway upgrade (Champion Drive to Thomas Road)
- Tonkin Highway Extension (Thomas Road to South Western Highway, Pinjarra)
- Bunbury Outer Ring Road (Forrest Highway to Bussell Highway)
- Great Eastern Highway Bypass upgrade (Roe Highway to Great Eastern Highway)
- Perth-Adelaide Highway 'Orange Route' - (Roe Highway, Stratton to Great Eastern Highway, Wundowie)
- Whiteman-Yanchep Highway (Tonkin Highway/Gnangara Road to Mitchell Freeway (proposed)/Yanchep Beach Road)
- Stephenson Freeway (Oceanic Drive, City Beach to Mitchell Freeway, Stirling)
- Fremantle-Rockingham Highway - Upgrade of Stock and Rockingham Roads (Forrest Road/Roe Highway to Naval Base) and Extension (Naval Base to Ennis Avenue, Cooloongup)
See also
- Highways in Australia
- Highway 1
- National Highway (Australia)
- Transport in Australia
- Road transport in Australia
- Toll roads in Australia
- List of roads and highways
- List of Australian airports
- List of Australian ports
References
- "Plan for four-lane Midland Highway". The Examiner. December 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
- "Abbott Doorstop in Launceston - Midland Highway upgrade". Liberal Party of Australia. February 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
- "PTUA - 'The Alternative to Melbourne's Freeway Explosion'". Retrieved 26 July 2007.
- Main Roads Western Australia (10 April 2018). "Control of Access". Road Information Mapping. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- Main Roads Western Australia. Road Information Mapping System (Map). Government of Western Australia. Map layer "Control of Access".
- "Managed Freeways Policy Discussion Paper" (PDF). Main Roads Western Australia. June 2012. pp. 3, 25–26. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
- Main Raods Western Australia (30 November 2018). "News and Information: FAQ's". Northlink WA. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
Tonkin Highway will be upgraded to freeway-standard
- Luff, Bryce (23 January 2019). "Motorists take to new stretch of highway". PerthNow. Seven West Media. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019. Additional archives: 27 March 2019, 27 March 2019.
- Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities. "Perth Airport Gateway WA". Australian Government. Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
upgrade of the Leach Highway to expressway standard
- Seeber, Elisia (13 September 2015). "Grand Gateway to Perth Airport opens". PerthNow. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
Leach Highway has been upgraded to expressway standard