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Freeways in Australia

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See also: Highways in Australia

Australian Capital Territory

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Canberra region

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  • Federal Highway - Between State Border with New South Wales, and Antill Street Roundabout. M23 designation diverts at the Majura Parkway interchange, while Federal Highway continues as A23.
  • Majura Parkway
  • Monaro Highway - Between Majura Parkway and Lanyon Drive. Upgrades of the road are currently underway to extend the Freeway section of the Highway to Johnson Drive in the South of Canberra.[1]

Other freeways (no route number)

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  • M23 Federal Highway
    M23 Federal Highway

New South Wales

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See also: Highways in New South Wales and List of road routes in New South Wales

New South Wales has the largest number and second highest density of motorways in Australia (behind Victoria), with the majority being located in Sydney City or the metropolitan areas.

Sydney region (urban motorways)

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  • Speed limit varies between 60 km/h and 110 km/h.

  • Mona Vale Road (St Ives to Belrose, freeways grade road)
  • Homebush Bay Drive (Freeway grade for southbound only)


  • The Northern Road

(Oran Park to Bringelly, freeway grade road as part of the Northern Road Upgrades)


  • Warringah Road Underpass

Unnumbered freeway-grade roads

Hunter and Central Coast region (rural and urban motorways)

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  • Speed limit varies between 60 km/h and 110 km/h.

  • Teal Street and Stockton Bridge (Freeway Grade Road)[3][4]
  • Nelson Bay Road – 30% of this road is freeway grade (See full freeway grade route here [1])

  • Motorway Link road ( only, not part of )
  • Pacific Highway ( only, not part of ) – See full freeway route here [2]

South Coast region (rural and urban motorways)

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  • Memorial Drive (Wollongong) – Most of this road is freeway grade[5] – (The south 4 km of the road and the north 3 km of the road are, the central bit is not though)

Rural region (rural motorways)

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  • Speed limit varies between 90 km/h and 110 km/h.

  • Barton Highway – 21% of which is of motorway or dual carriageway standard, with the remainder under construction and proposed for completion by the end of 2023. See freeway route here [3]

Under construction

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  • M1 Princes Motorway Extension
  • Pacific Motorway

  • Sydney Gateway (Connecting Sydney Airport to the St Peters Interchange and WestConnex) [4] – To be opened by November 2024.

  • Barton Highway duplication project (To be completed by mid 2023)

  • Newcastle Inner City Bypass Stage 5

In planning

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  • M1 Pacific Motorway
    M1 Pacific Motorway
  • M2 Hills Motorway
    M2 Hills Motorway
  • M4 Western Motorway
    M4 Western Motorway
  • M5 East Motorway
    M5 East Motorway
  • M7 WestLink
    M7 WestLink
  • M8 WestConnex
    M8 WestConnex
  • M23 Federal Highway
    M23 Federal Highway
  • M25 Barton Highway
    M25 Barton Highway
  • M31 Hume Motorway
    M31 Hume Motorway

Northern Territory

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While the Northern Territory does not have any official freeways, parts of the Stuart Highway and the Tiger Brennan Drive are freeway grade roads with grade separate intersections.

See full freeway route here [6]

Queensland

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Brisbane region

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'No shield'

Motorway grade roads

  • Moreton Bay Road (Freeway grade from Chandler to Capalaba)

Former motorways

Gold Coast region

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Sunshine Coast region

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Regional Queensland

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  • M1 Gateway Motorway
    M1 Gateway Motorway
  • M2 Warrego Highway
    M2 Warrego Highway
  • M3 Pacific Motorway
    M3 Pacific Motorway
  • M4 Port of Brisbane Motorway
    M4 Port of Brisbane Motorway
  • M5 Western Freeway
    M5 Western Freeway
  • M6 Logan Motorway
    M6 Logan Motorway
  • M7 Ipswich Motorway
    M7 Ipswich Motorway

South Australia

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See also: Metropolitan Adelaide Transport Study

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

Planned/proposed

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  • M1 South Eastern Freeway
    M1 South Eastern Freeway
  • M2 North-South Motorway
    M2 North-South Motorway

Tasmania

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The Brooker Highway at Claremont

While 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 have been repeated proposals in recent years to fully upgrade the Midland Highway to grade-separated freeway standard.[8][9]
This List is limited to Tasmania's freeway-standard roads.

Hobart region

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Tasman Highway approaching Hobart city center.
See also: Hobart Area Transportation Study

Rural region

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Victoria

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Main article: Road transport in Victoria

Victoria has the second largest number (behind New South Wales) and highest density of freeways in Australia, 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. In addition to the roads listed below, Victoria has a number of dual carriageway standard Highways that are given an "M" designation. Whilst these roads are not officially Freeway standard, many of them may have a number of grade-separated intersections along the route. These routes are not listed below.

Melbourne region (urban freeways)

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  • Freeways within Greater Melbourne,[10] speed limit varies between 60 km/h and 100 km/h.

Note: "East" and "West" sections of Princes Freeway are officially part of the same freeway and route corridor.

  • Western Freeway (from Derrimut to Melton West, continues past Melton West as Rural Freeway) – Not entirely freeway standard, In Rockbank there is residential property, business and local road access with 90 km/h speed limit.

  • Hume Freeway (from Thomastown to Wallan, continues past Wallan as Rural Freeway) – Not entirely freeway standard, In Kalkallo there is residential property, business and local road access with 80 km/h speed limit.

Other freeway grade roads

These roads are officially designated by the Victorian Government as Freeways and may include some freeway signage, but are generally not considered part of the Melbourne freeway network.

  • Airport Drive (from Western Ring Road to Sharps Road, officially Freeway grade road)[11]
  • Batman Avenue (from CityLink to Exhibition Street, officially Freeway grade road, Fully electronically tolled)[12]

Rural region (rural freeways)

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On freeways outside of Greater Melbourne,[10] the speed limit varies between 80 km/h and 110 km/h.

Note: "East" and "West" sections of Princes Freeway are officially part of the same freeway and route corridor.

  • Western Freeway (continues at Melton West towards Melbourne as Urban Freeway)

  • Hume Freeway (continues at Wallan towards Melbourne as Urban Freeway) – Not entirely freeway standard, In Avenel and West Wodonga there is local road access with 80 km/h speed limit.

  • Calder Freeway (continues at Sunbury towards Melbourne as Urban Freeway)

Under construction

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  • West Gate Tunnel – Under major construction, expected to be complete in 2025.
  • North East Link – Under early construction, expected to be complete in 2028.
  • Western Highway Duplication (Buangor to Stawell) – Commenced early construction in 2017, currently on hold due to environmental concerns[15]
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  • M1 Princes Freeway
    M1 Princes Freeway
  • M2 Tullamarine Freeway
    M2 Tullamarine Freeway
  • M3 Eastern Freeway
    M3 Eastern Freeway
  • M8 Western Freeway
    M8 Western Freeway
  • M11 Mornington Peninsula Freeway
    M11 Mornington Peninsula Freeway
  • M31 Hume Freeway
    M31 Hume Freeway
  • M39 Goulburn Valley Freeway
    M39 Goulburn Valley Freeway
  • M79 Calder Freeway
    M79 Calder Freeway
  • M80 Western Ring Road
    M80 Western Ring Road

Western Australia

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Western Australia has three named freeways – Kwinana Freeway, Mitchell Freeway, and Graham Farmer Freeway – but in addition has several highways that are in the process of being upgraded to full freeway standard and are considered part of the Perth freeway network. Their designation may remain as a highway though due to state restrictions on heavy vehicles (e.g. road trains) that are prevented by law from travelling on any road classed as a freeway.

Perth metro freeways

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Rural expressways / freeways

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  • Forrest Highway – Southern extension of Kwinana Freeway at Mandurah through to Bunbury
  • Bussell Highway – Bunbury to Capel and from the south side of Capel to Busselton

Under construction

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Perth

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  • Mitchell Freeway southbound widening – A third southbound lane is being added from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue as well as an extra lane will be built from Hepburn Avenue entry ramp to Warwick Road exit ramp.
  • Tonkin Gap project – the currently heavily congested section of Tonkin Highway between Collier Road and Great Eastern Highway upgraded to 3 lanes each way dual carriageway
  • Mitchell Freeway southbound – Installation of smart freeway technology with ramp metering from Hester Avenue to Vincent Street [9]

Rural

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  • Wilman Wadandi Highway extension – the Bunbury Outer Ring Road will be a freeway between Forrest Highway and South Western Highway[18]
  • Albany Ring Road – phase 1, with phase 2 to commence straight after completion of phase 1

In planning

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Perth

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  • Mitchell Freeway Extension (Romeo Road to Moore River)[16]
  • Roe Highway Extension (Perth Freight Link) (Kwinana Freeway to Stirling Highway). Was under construction but this was halted at the last change of government. Its future remains unclear.
  • Roe Highway upgrade (Great Eastern Highway Bypass to Great Northern Highway)
  • Reid Highway upgrade (Tonkin Highway 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)
  • Whiteman-Yanchep Freeway (Tonkin Highway/Gnangara Road to Mitchell Freeway (proposed)/Yanchep Beach Road)[19]
  • Orrong Road Upgrade – Orrong Road to be upgraded to a 4 lane trenched expressway with service roads alongside from Graham Farmer Freeway to Leach Highway, rising onto a viaduct over Leach Highway and Division Street/Bell Street. May be extended in the future along Orrong and Welshpool Roads as far as Tonkin Highway.
  • Great Eastern Highway Bypass, where all current at grade intersections are planned to be removed and the road upgraded to full freeway standard.

Rural

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  • Mitchell Freeway
    Mitchell Freeway
  • Graham Farmer Freeway
    Graham Farmer Freeway

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Monaro Highway upgrade". 21 February 2024.
  2. ^ "F6 Extension". Roads Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  4. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Construction of $1.8 billion Coffs Harbour bypass gets underway | 7NEWS". 16 December 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via YouTube.
  7. ^ "M1 Pacific Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace". 30 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Plan for four-lane Midland Highway". The Examiner. December 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  9. ^ "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.
  10. ^ a b "Greater Melbourne and urban zones".
  11. ^ "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  12. ^ "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  13. ^ "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  14. ^ "Google Maps Street View - Ringwood Bypass".
  15. ^ "Western Highway upgrade suspended over VicRoads planning blunder". The Age. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g "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.
  17. ^ 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
  18. ^ "Bunbury Outer Ring Road Stages 2 and 3" (PDF). Main Roads Western Australia. August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  19. ^ "Whiteman Yanchep Highway". Main Roads Western Australia. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
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