F6 SOUTHERN FREEWAY
The backbone of the Illawarra
Looking south at Maddens Plains, on the Illawarra Escarpment. April 2005.
Length: 49km
Northern Terminus: Princes Highway, Waterfall
Southern Terminus: Princes Highway, Yallah
Gap: 16km from the top of Bulli Pass to Gwynnieville
Route Markers: National Route 1
Former route markers: Freeway Route 6 (1973-late 1980s)
RTA Internal Classification: Main Road No. 6006
Construction timeline:
Captain Cook Bridge - May 1965
Waterfall to Bulli Tops - July 1975
Helensburgh Interchange - Nov 2000
Mt Ousley Rd to Northern Distributor - March 1964
Northern Distributor to Philips Ave, West Wollongong - July 1963
Northern Dist to West Wollongong 2nd carriageway - 1965
Northern Distributor grade-separated interchange - Dec 1998
West Wollongong to Gladstone Ave - June 1966
Gladstone Ave to Northcliffe Drive - Dec 1973
Five Islands Rd to Northcliffe Dr 2nd carriageway - July 1975
Northcliffe Dr to Kanahooka Rd - Dec 1978
Kanahooka Rd to Fowlers Rd - Sep 1981
Fowlers Rd to Princes Hwy, Yallah - Sep 1986
Fowlers Rd to Princes Hwy 2nd carriageway - May 1987
Explore the F6 Southern Freeway:
Construction Info/History
Historic Photos
Northern Terminus: Waterfall
Bulli Tops Interchange
Mount Ousley Road
Further Reading (Off-site):
F6 Southern Freeway - Bradley Torr
Current Photos of the F6 Southern Freeway |
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Looking south from Kooraban St at Waterfall towards the interchange that marks the beginning of the F6. July 2004. |
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Looking north at the Waterfall interchange. Dec 2004. |
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Looking north near Waterfall. The overpass in the distance is Cawley Road, an unsealed road that was recently closed. Dec 2005. |
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1km AD sign for the Helensburgh Interchange. This sign used to say "Old Princes Hwy" but was changed to Lawrence Hargrave Dr not long before it was closed. The yellow patch on the sign reads "Closed south of Coalcliff". April 2005. |
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AD sign showing Tourist Drive 10 route that was removed after Lawrence Hargrave Drive was closed. July 2003. |
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Princes Hwy southbound at the Helensburgh Interchange. Note the lack of a SR60 shield and the NR1 shield is on a coverplate over an alpha-numeric route shield. July 2004. |
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Northbound 1km AD sign for Helensburgh Interchange. Note it appears that SR60 has been decommissioned north of Bulli Tops. Dec 2005. |
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Freeway green signage indicating 2km to the end of the freeway at Bulli Tops. April 2005. |
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Looking south on the Princes Highway through the sprawling Bulli Tops Interchange. July 2004. |
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AD sign on Mount Ousley Rd signalling the beginning of the southern section of the F6 at Gwynnieville. July 2004. |
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The first southbound RD sign on the southern section of the F6. July 2004. |
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Looking south at University Ave in Gwynnieville. July 2004. |
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Approaching the F6 from the Northern Distributor (F8). March 2005. |
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Gantry signs for the Northern Distributor interchange, northbound on Gipps Rd overpass. Dec 2004. |
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Northbound AD sign for the Northern Distributor interchange. July 2004. |
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Looking south at Reserve St in West Wollongong. This section of freeway was widened to six lanes as part of the Northern Distributor interchange project. July 2004. |
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AD signage on Mount Keira Road for the northboun onramp at Robsons Road. This was where the first stage of the freeway terminated in 1963. July 2004. |
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Southbound AD sign for the Princes Highway at Ghosts Creek Interchange, July 2004. |
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This sign, northbound on Princes Hwy at Ghosts Creek, was installed as a temporary sign during roadworks in about 1998 and has not since been replaced. March 2005. |
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Unusual reference to the "Southern Freeway" name at Ghosts Creek Interchange. March 2005. |
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Unusual exit signage northbound on the F6 at Ghosts Creek. It is uncommon in NSW to have signage advertising the straight destinations at the exit gore. July 2004. |
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Early 1990s style road name on this AD sign. Mar 2005. |
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AD sign for Masters Road exit. April 2005. |
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AD signage on Masters Road for the freeway. July 2004. |
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Antiquated F6 signage on Masters Road at Drummond Street. April 2005. |
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Southbound AD signage for Five Islands Road. Unusually, the 1km signage for Five Islands Rd & Northcliffe Drive interchanges do not include a focal point for straight ahead. Jul 2004. |
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Gantry signage westbound on Five Islands Road at the F6. Dec 2004. |
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Freeway green ID sign at Five Islands Road. Dec 2004. |
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RD sign southbound from Five Islands Road. Unusual that the sign has no focal points other than Nowra and Melbourne. This sign was replaced in 2008 with the new sign also including Dapto and Kiama. July 2004. |
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Exit signage southbound at Northcliffe Drive. Another uncommon instance of a thru destination sign at the exit gore. The Illawarra Escarpment mountain ranges are in the background. July 2004. |
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Northbound RD sign at Northcliffe Drive. July 2004. |
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Direct replica of an original AD sign from the F6, northbound approaching Northcliffe Drive. July 2004. |
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Unusual destination "Kanahooka Road Exit" on this AD sign at Kanahooka Rd. Dec 2004. |
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Incorrect SR60 shield - should say "To SR60" - at Fowlers Road interchange, Dapto. Dec 2004. |
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Simple and concise AD signage on Fowlers Road at the freeway. July 2004. |
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Freeway green gore ID sign at Fowlers Road. There are several of these remaining along the freeway. Dec 2004. |
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Looking south at the end of the F6 at Yallah. Dec 2004. |
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Looking north at the start of the F6 at Yallah. Dec 2004. |
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Northbound Princes Highway, Yallah, with the first mention of the freeway start. Dec 2004. |