Metroad
|
A Metroad route marker as used in Sydney and Brisbane |
Metroads are the primary
road routes serving the
Sydney and
Brisbane metropolitan areas in
Australia. The Metroads form a network of radial and circumferential routes throughout the city, lengths of some which are of
freeway grade.
 |
National Route 1 ends and Metroad 1 begins at Waterfall on the southern outskirts of Sydney. |
Historically,
National Routes passed through city centres and formed some of the main throughfares within Australia's largest cities. However urban growth led to massive congestion in the inner city areas. To bypass these centres, new roads were either constructed or main suburban roads were linked together to form
ring roads linking one National Route to the other. The earliest scheme was adopted in Sydney in 1970s, the Ring Road scheme. They had special markers for identification.
Growth of urban sprawl made intra-urban navigation difficult. Many States introduced
State Route systems in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s and many roads within metropolitan areas were included. This scheme was adopted by most major cities. In Sydney the State Routes superseded the Ring Road scheme. Urban freeways in Sydney and Brisbane had their own route marking scheme.
However, it was later realised that the multiplicity of urban route marking schemes led to confusion. In the 1990s, these were streamlined in the new Metroad scheme. This scheme ensures that main priority routes are clearly identified and marked. As far as possible urban freeways are absorbed into the system. It was adopted in Sydney in 1993 and Brisbane in 1996. Metroads usually completely replaced the State Routes and National Routes along their routes, however, State Routes not on designated Metroads were usually left untampered.
Sydney Metroads are given the designation
M (number) if they are of motorway standard, other Sydney Metroads and all Brisbane Metroads are sometimes known as
Metroad (number).
Sydney Metroads
*
Metroad 1 -
Wahroonga to
Waterfall via the M1
Eastern Distributor*
Metroad 2 -
Milsons Point to
Windsor via the
M2 Hills Motorway*
Metroad 3 -
Blakehurst to
Mona Vale*
Metroad 4 -
Sydney to
Lapstone via the M4 Western Motorway
*
Metroad 5 -
Sydney Airport to
Campbelltown via the
M5 South Western Motorway*
Metroad 6 -
Heathcote to
Beecroft *
Metroad 7 -
Casula to
Wahroonga via the
Westlink M7 motorway
*Metroad 8 - (vacant designation - reserved for future use)
*
Metroad 9 -
Campbelltown to
Windsor*
Metroad 10 -
Artarmon to
Mona ValeSections of Metroads 1, 2, 5, and 7 form the
Sydney Orbital Motorway circumnavigating the Sydney metropolitan area.
Brisbane Metroads
The numbering system for Brisbane Metroads is straightforward, with odd numbers for north-to-south alignments and even numbers for east-to-west alignments. Unlike Sydney, Brisbane Metroads do not use the "M" prefix. "M" prefix is used exclusively for "M" routes under the alphanumeric system. "
M1" has now replaced the Metroad 1 symbol on that corridor only.
*
Metroad 2 -
Cunningham Highway (National Highway 15)/
Warrego Highway (National Highway A2) Junction to
Gateway Motorway (Metroad 1)
*
Metroad 3 -
Pacific/
Gateway Motorway Junction (Metroad 1) to
Gympie Arterial Road/
Gateway Motorway Junction (Metroad 1)
*
Metroad 4 -
Ipswich/
Logan Motorway Junction (Metroad 2) to
Pacific/
Gateway Motorway Junction (Metroad 1)
*
Metroad 5 -
Ipswich Motorway (Metroad 2) to
Gympie Road (Metroad 3)
*
Metroad 6 -
Logan/
Gateway Motorway Junction (Metroad 4) to
Pacific Motorway (Metroad 1)
*Metroad 7 (Brisbane)
*Metroad 8 (Brisbane)
*Metroad 9 (Brisbane)
*Metroad 10 (Brisbane):
*Gladstone Rd Dutton Park - South Brisbane
*Cordelia & Merivale St
*Annerley Rd Dutton Park - Annerley
* Please continue!
*
Highways in Australia*
Queensland Motorways*
Information on Sydney's Metroads
