Road in Sydney, Australia
- Distinguish from the road of the same name in
Cape Town
,
South Africa
, on the eastern side of
Table Mountain
.
Southern Cross Drive
is a 4.8 km (3 mi)
dual carriage
untolled
motorway
in
Sydney
,
New South Wales
,
Australia
. Part of the
M1
and
Sydney Orbital Network
, the road, a
freeway
that opened in 1969, links South Dowling Street (and
Eastern Distributor
just beyond) at
Kensington
in the north to
General Holmes Drive
at
Sydney Airport
in the south.
Route
[
edit
]
Southern Cross Drive commences at the interchange with South Dowling Street (and the southern end of
Eastern Distributor
, around 500m beyond) and Link Road and heads south as a 6-lane, dual-carriageway road, tracing past the western border of
The Australian Golf Club
in
Kensington
and through
The Lakes Golf Club
in
Eastlakes
, before turning westwards over Wentworth Avenue towards the eastern boundary of
Sydney Airport
, where it turns south again to eventually merge with
General Holmes Drive
.
With the development of many other motorways and freeways, Southern Cross Drive is part of the 110-kilometre (68 mi)
Sydney Orbital Network
, providing links without interruption between
Greater Western Sydney
,
Eastern Suburbs
, the
North Shore
and
Hills District
. It allows a continuous link from
M5 Motorway
, General Holmes Drive,
Westlink M7
,
Eastern Distributor
,
Cahill Expressway
,
Sydney Harbour Tunnel
,
Sydney Harbour Bridge
,
Warringah Freeway
,
Gore Hill Freeway
,
Lane Cove Tunnel
and
M2 Hills Motorway
.
In August 2013, the Southern Cross Drive carried about 20,000 vehicles per day, both north and southbound.
[3]
South of Wentworth Avenue and north of Botany Road, Southern Cross Drive is elevated above the
ARTC
Southern Sydney Freight Line
.
[4]
History
[
edit
]
Southern Cross Drive was originally built to provide access to the
Sydney central business district
for suburbs in
Southern Sydney
and South Eastern Sydney, and originally terminated at Wentworth Avenue at
Pagewood
. The Gardeners Road bridge was completed in 1969, elevated above Southern Cross Drive at Eastlakes.
[5]
A road project to extend Southern Cross Drive further south-west as an elevated roadway over Wentworth Avenue, Botany and Mill Pond Roads ? and over reclaimed swampland including Mill Pond, Mill Steam, and Botany Dams, much of which has been reclaimed for
golf courses
(including the Eastlakes Golf Club,
The Lakes Golf Club
and
Bonnie Doon Golf Club
) ? to connect directly to General Holmes Drive on the eastern border of
Sydney Airport
, opened in February 1988.
The passing of the
Main Roads Act of 1924
[6]
through the
Parliament of New South Wales
provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (later the
Department of Main Roads
, and eventually
Transport for NSW
). With the subsequent passing of the
Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929
[7]
to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, the
Department of Main Roads
(having succeeded the MRB in 1932) extended the southern end of Main Road 593 from its old terminus on South Dowling Street at the intersection with O'Dea and Todman Avneues further along South Dowling Street and along the entire length of Southern Cross Drive on 22 January 1993.
[2]
Despite its role as a grade-separated expressway, the road is not officially gazetted as one by
Transport for NSW
classification, and is still considered today to be a main road.
[8]
The passing of the
Roads Act of 1993
[9]
updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Southern Cross Drive retains its declaration as part of Main Road 593.
[8]
The route was allocated State Route 64 in 1974; when the Southern Cross Drive extension opened in 1988, it was extended along with it.
[10]
It was replaced by National Route 1 when the
Sydney Harbour Tunnel
opened in 1992, then by Metroad 1 in 1993.
[11]
With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, Metroad 1 was replaced by route M1.
[12]
There were plans to construct south-facing ramps from Gardeners Road to Southern Cross Drive, proposed in 2005.
[13]
[14]
Exits and interchanges
[
edit
]
Gallery
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
Google
(12 July 2023).
"Southern Cross Drive"
(Map).
Google Maps
. Google
. Retrieved
12 July
2023
.
- ^
a
b
"State Roads Act"
.
Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales
. No. 7. National Library of Australia. 22 January 1993. pp. 223?30.
Archived
from the original on 27 March 2023
. Retrieved
11 July
2023
.
- ^
"Airport East Precinct: Addendum review of environmental factors"
(PDF)
.
Roads & Maritime Services
. April 2016. p. 30
. Retrieved
8 October
2016
.
- ^
SMEC Holdings
(June 2014).
"Appendix J: Review of Environmental Factors"
(PDF)
.
WestConnex Enabling Works ? Airport east precinct: Review of Environmental Factors
.
Roads & Maritime Services
. p. 20
. Retrieved
8 October
2016
.
- ^
"Metroads: Steel bridges"
.
The History of Sydney: Late 20th Century: 1946 - 2000
. Visit Sydney Australia. 2015
. Retrieved
8 October
2016
.
- ^
State of New South Wales,
An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board
Archived
11 August 2022 at the
Wayback Machine
10 November 1924
- ^
State of New South Wales,
An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith.
Archived
12 August 2022 at the
Wayback Machine
8 April 1929
- ^
a
b
Transport for NSW
(August 2022).
"Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads"
(PDF)
. Government of New South Wales. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 25 August 2022
. Retrieved
1 August
2022
.
- ^
State of New South Wales,
An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes.
Archived
11 August 2022 at the
Wayback Machine
10 November 1924
- ^
"NSW State Route 64: Deccommissioned"
.
OzRoads: The Australian Roads
. Retrieved
8 October
2016
.
[
self-published source
]
- ^
"NSW Metroad 1: Former Alignment: Southern Cross Drive to Cahill Expressway"
.
OzRoads: The Australian Roads
. Retrieved
8 October
2016
.
[
self-published source
]
- ^
"Road number and name changes in Sydney"
(PDF)
.
Roads and Maritime Services
. Transport for NSW - Roads and Maritime. 2013. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on 1 April 2019
. Retrieved
23 July
2020
.
- ^
"Southern Cross Drive and Gardeners Road, Eastlakes"
.
Roads & Maritime Services
. Archived from
the original
on 9 June 2008.
- ^
"RTA Annual Report 2006 Appendices"
(PDF)
.
Roads & Traffic Authority
. 30 June 2006. p. 151
. Retrieved
8 October
2016
.
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