Sydney-Newcastle Freeway

Infobox Australian Road
road_name = Sydney Newcastle Freeway
route_

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route_

route_

photo =
caption = Formerly F3
length = 127
direction = North-South
start =
finish =
est = 1963
through = Minmi, Awaba, Mandalong, Warnervale, Tuggerah, Ourimbah, Somersby, Peats Ridge, Mt White, Berowra
route =
exits = ""'

The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a convert|127|km|mi|0|lk=on|abbr=on stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales and is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation.

In addition to the National Highway 1 designation, the motorway at one stage carried the Freeway Route 3 (F3) designation. This route numbering system, introduced in 1973, was to provide distinctive route numbering and signage for freeways in Sydney and the surrounding areas. Although the route was never signed with the F3 route marker (the numbering system was removed in 1982), the route is now widely known as the F3, with this title being used not only colloquially but on all state and federal government documents and web sites. The median crossover signs (located every 1km) feature an F3 identification sign, in addition, The sign at the Wahroonga entrance to the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway also reads F3 FREEWAY.

Route

The freeway starts with the junction of the Pacific Highway and Pennant Hills Road at Pearce's Corner, Wahroonga in Sydney's north. From here it goes north, skirting the western edge of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park before meeting the Hawkesbury River at Brooklyn. After crossing the Hawkesbury the motorway passes through the Brisbane Water National Park, crossing Mooney Mooney Creek with a convert|480|m|ft|0|lk=on|abbr=on long, convert|75|m|ft|0|abbr=on high Mooney Mooney Bridge before reaching the first main interchange on the Central Coast at Kariong.

After reaching Kariong the motorway continues through rural and semi-rural areas of the Central Coast with interchanges provided at Ourimbah, Tuggerah, Warnervale and also Kiar, near Doyalson. From the Doyalson interchange the freeway continues to the west of Lake Macquarie with interchanges near Morisset, Cessnock, Toronto and Cardiff.

After the Cardiff interchange a link road takes traffic into Newcastle via Wallsend while the motorway continues north to reach its finish with a 2-lane roundabout at the junction of Weakleys Drive and John Renshaw Drive, Beresfield. From here the National Highway route continues to Brisbane via the New England Highway (accessed via Weakleys Drive), with traffic on Highway 1 taking John Renshaw Drive and the New England Highway eastbound to meet the Pacific Highway at Hexham.

Interchanges

History

Planning began for the freeway in 1952, with the aim of providing a high-speed replacement for a section of the Pacific Highway which was built in 1928 and was struggling to cope with the increased traffic volume. Furthermore it was planned that the freeway would connect to the freeway systems being proposed for both Sydney and Newcastle, providing a city-to-city freeway link. However, for several reasons the goal and route of the freeway changed significantly so that today it serves to bypass Newcastle rather than to go into it.

Firstly, the route between Mount White and Kariong was originally planned to go further east than the current route with an easier crossing of Mooney Mooney Creek. By the time that construction was to begin on this section resistance from the National Parks and Wildlife Service to the proposed route forced the government to take a route through Calga which at the time would have formed part of a route to Singleton.

The route through Wyong Shire changed as well; instead of passing along the western edge of the Tuggerah Lakes, development in that area resulted in the freeway moving further west with a link road being constructed to meet the Pacific Highway near Doyalson.

Perhaps the most significant effect on the freeway's route and its connections was the anti-freeway movement of 1972. Strong public resistance to freeways being constructed within cities along with less than favourable results from government inquiries resulted in unconstructed freeway projects being cancelled and those under construction being revised or cut short. For the Sydney-Newcastle Freeway, this meant that the connecting Lane Cove Valley and North Western Expressways in Sydney would not be built - forcing traffic to travel along the Pacific Highway between Wahroonga and the city. In addition, the freeway would now go to the west of Lake Macquarie rather than the east and bypass Newcastle. Sections of State Route 123, one of the two expressway routes that the freeway would have connected to in Newcastle, have been constructed (with calls to complete the whole route between Bennetts Green and Sandgate), while the freeway route between Belmont and Bennetts Green and the connecting expressway route to Merewether are still reserved with the possibility that they could be constructed in the future.

The major stages in the construction of the freeway are: [cite web|url=http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/completedprojects/sydneynewcastle/index.html|title=Sydney-Newcastle Freeway|publisher=NSW Roads and Traffic Authority|date=2006-06-20|accessdate=2008-01-09]
*April 1963 - Construction begins on a 7-km section of dual carriageways from the Hawkesbury River to Mount White. This section was opened as a toll road in June 1965. The toll was removed in 1990 when the Federal Government decreed that all National Highways should be toll free.
*December 1967 - Opening of Berowra to Hawkesbury River section as a toll road.
*April 1979 - Opening of the current 6 lane Hawkesbury River bridge. At this time the toll from each of the north and south sections open (20 cents for each section) was combined with the new bridge (which linked both sections) for a toll of 50 cents. This was collected at the existing Berowra toll booths.
*December 1983 - Opening of the Somersby to Wallarah Creek section.
*December 1986 - Opening of a convert|15|km|mi|0|abbr=on section between Calga and Somersby
*22 March 1989 - Berowra to Wahroonga section opened [cite news| title = Motorists Rejoice as Bypass Opens| author = Mary Boson and Nicole Taylor| date = 23 March 1989| publisher = The Sydney Morning Herald]
*December 1990 - Freeway completed from Wallarah Creek to Palmer's Road
*December 1993 - Palmer's Road to Minmi section opened
*December 1997 - The second "Missing link" between Ourimbah and Kangy Angy opened.
*December 1998 - Final stage of freeway opened between Minmi and John Renshaw Drive, Beresfield.
*December 2004 - Completion of widening between Calga and Jolls Bridge.
*October 2010 - Expected completion of six lanes from Wahroonga to Kariong achieved.

Ongoing controversy

As a result of being one of the few ways to travel between Sydney and the Central Coast (and also being the major route), the freeway has suffered a fair share of trials and tribulations, generally through traffic volume related to on-road accidents, or natural disasters, in particular bushfire. [http://www.auslink.gov.au/publications/reports/pdf/Sydney_Brisbane_Corridor_Strategy.pdf Auslink Sydney Brisbane Corridor Strategy, p15]

Bushfires have caused closure of the freeway and the nearby railway line and Pacific Highway between the Sydney Basin and the Hawkesbury River on a number of occasions in recent decades. The most recent disaster of this type was recorded on 21 and 22 January 2007, when a fire broke out in the adjoining Kuring-gai Chase National Park. The fire forced the closure of the two roads and the railway line between Sydney and the Central Coast, resulting in traffic congestion. As such, arguments for a second major freeway north from the Sydney metropolitan area continue to be pushed forward. [http://www.dotars.gov.au/roads/F3toM7Review/pdf/F3toM7_final.pdf 2482_m3tof7_txt_v8.indd ] ]

This particularly includes the Federal Government's proposal for a new motorway connecting the Sydney-Newcastle freeway near Mount White to the northwestern corner of the M7.

So far in 2008, accidents have extremely crippled and delayed the F3 Freeway holiday traffic from the Hawkesbury River to Wahroonga for 6 hours, just days from one another at the section where there is widening work taking place from a four-lane dual carriageway to a six-lane dual carriageway.

Due to the large number of accidents and blockages, the RTA is implementing a $28 million emergency plan for the freeway which involves implementing a 40kph contraflow scheme to allow vehicles to travel around an accident. [http://163.189.7.150/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectsregional/centralcoast/f3_tmp.html F3 Freeway emergency traffic management plan]

SOURCES:
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/01/2151742.htm]
* [http://news.theage.com.au/firey-f3-smash-lands-driver-in-hospital/20080201-1pf9.html]
* [http://news.theage.com.au/truckies-not-to-blame-for-f3-problems/20080131-1p6z.html]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/31/2150598.htm]
* [http://news.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/traffic_service_to_save_stuck_motorists_539322]
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23135147-5001031,00.html]
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23134924-5006009,00.html]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/crash-blocks-highway-again/2008/01/30/1201369229556.html]
* [http://news.theage.com.au/freeway-reopened-after-fivecar-crash/20080130-1p18.html]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/30/2150385.htm]
* [http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,23132455-5005961,00.html]
* [http://news.smh.com.au/freeway-reopened-after-fivecar-crash/20080130-1p18.html]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/30/2150288.htm?section=australia]
* [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,23132197-5001021,00.html]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/pileup-as-another-truck-hits-wall-on-f3/2008/01/30/1201369204748.html]
* [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23132183-1702,00.html]
* [http://news.theage.com.au/stranded-motorists-deserve-an-apology/20080130-1ozx.html]
* [http://liverpool.yourguide.com.au/news/national/general/build-a-new-f3/1172039.html]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/30/2149787.htm]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/truck-smash-causes-freeway-frustration/2008/01/29/1201369135272.html]
* [http://news.theage.com.au/motorists-stuck-for-hours-after-f3-crash/20080129-1oqd.html]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/freeway-reopens-after-truck-crash/2008/01/29/1201369123648.html]
* [http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmViaXoucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYSUyRjc0OC5odG1sJmFsbD0x]
* [http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmViaXoucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYSUyRjc0Ni5odG1sJmFsbD0x]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/29/2149117.htm]
* [http://news.smh.com.au/motorists-stuck-for-hours-after-f3-crash/20080129-1oqd.html]
* [http://news.theage.com.au/motorists-stuck-for-hours-after-f3-crash/20080129-1oqd.html]
* [http://maitland.yourguide.com.au/news/local/general/double-amount-of-drivers-booked-over-weekend/1170767.html]
* [http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23125321-1702,00.html]
* [http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/news/latest_releases?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LmViaXoucG9saWNlLm5zdy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYSUyRjczMi5odG1sJmFsbD0x]
* [http://news.theage.com.au/aloisi-misses-mariners-training-again/20080125-1o6l.html]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/11/2136396.htm]
* [http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/speed-demons-hoon-in-on-central-coast/2008/01/31/1201714150564.html]
* [http://news.google.com.au/news?hl=en&q=f3+freeway&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tab=wn&scoring=n&sa=N&start=0]

Traffic count

About 90,000 vehicles travel the freeway between Wahroonga and the Tuggerah interchange each day.Fact|date=June 2008 Approximately 65,000 vehicles travel between the Tuggerah interchange and the northern end of the freeway at Beresfield each day.Fact|date=March 2008

Upgrades and proposed connections

Plans are currently underway for extensions at and near both ends of the F3:

*A freeway standard Sydney Bypass has been intended as part of the National Highway system for decades. At the southern end, an underground route will link the freeway at Pearce's Corner, Wahroonga with the M2 Motorway near the Pennant Hills Road interchange. This will provide the motorway standard "missing link" between the F3 and the Sydney Orbital Network that was originally to be provided by the cancelled Lane Cove Valley Freeway section of the North West Expressway. [http://www.ministers.dotars.gov.au/jl/releases/2007/February/L016_2007.htm Federal minister's press release] Many previous corridor's have been proposed and all have been abandoned. Due to community concern, The Honorable Mahla Pearlman carried out an independent review, which was completed in August 2007. The review concluded that the proposed tunnels under Pennant Hills Road should proceed, but urged that planning for the longer term connection between the F3 and the M7 should also commence immediately.

*Towards the northern end, the F3 to Branxton link will branch off the freeway at the Newcastle Link Road interchange and connect to the New England Highway at the Belford Bends Deviation west of Branxton. This will allow traffic to bypass Maitland and its surrounding suburbs.

*As part of the upgrade of the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the New South Wales/Queensland border, a freeway link will be constructed between the F3 near Black Hill and the Raymond Terrace Bypass. [http://upstart2.theoutfit.co.nz/maunsell/_rta/f3_4_1.asp F3 to Pacific Highway route study] This section is currently a major bottleneck during holiday and long weekend periods, with delays lasting hours not uncommon. The layout of the two bridges at Hexham was designed primarily for local commuter traffic to and from Newcastle, rather than for access to the current end of the freeway. Northbound traffic from the freeway uses a single lane ramp onto the northbound Hexham Bridge, while southbound traffic must use the right lane of the southbound bridge to access the right turn lanes at traffic lights just past the end of the bridge. When completed, freeway conditions will extend to the northern end of the Raymond Terrace bypass.

*The Southern section from Wahroonga to just north of Ku-ring-gai Chase Road was built six lanes wide. The F3 freeway is six lanes wide from Cowan to the Kariong Interchange. The section between Cowan and Mt Colah is currently only four lanes wide and will be widened in three stages; Stage 1 - Cowan to Berowra, stage 2 - Berowra to Kar-in-gai and stage 3 - Kar-in-gai to Mt Colah (including a northbound lane for the Mt Colah hill and also a 3 lanes exiting to the Pennant Hills Road at the end of the F3), currently only 2 lanes. Major widening roadworks commenced in May 2007 on stage 1; a convert|5|km|mi|0|abbr=on section from 4 lanes to six lanes between Berowra and Cowan and on stage 2 roadworks commenced in June 2008 for widening of the freeway from 4 lanes to 6 lanes. All three widening stages between Mt Colah and Cowan are scheduled to be completed by October 2010. When completed, this will provide a "minimum" of 6 lanes for convert|43|km|mi|0|abbr=on from Wahroonga to Kariong. [http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectssydney/f3widening/index.html RTA F3 widening information]

ee also

*Freeways in Australia
*Freeways in New South Wales

References

External links

* [http://www.ozroads.net.au/NSW/Freeways/F3/f3.htm Sydney-Newcastle Freeway at Ozroads] Detailed site containing many existing and historical photos.
* [http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/trafficreports/northsydcameras/index.html NSW RTA F3 Real-Time Traffic Cameras]

Road infrastructure in Sydney