NATIONAL ROUTE 1
Princes Highway Section
NR1 trailblazer on the Tilba BYpass. Jul 2005.
Length: 447km
Northern Terminus: Princes Hwy & Southern Fwy, Yallah
Southern Terminus: NSW/VIC Border, 48km south of Eden
Continuation: The Princes Hwy becomes the A1 when it enters Victoria
Focal Points: Sydney, Wollongong, Nowra, Batemans Bay, Bega, Eden, Orbost (Vic)
RTA Internal Classification: State Highway No. 1
The Princes Highway is the transport backbone of NSW's South Coast. It is two-lane undivided highway from near Kiama south to the Victorian Border with small sections of wider road through various townships. National Route 1 joins the highway from the F6 Freeway at Yallah and follows it the entire trip to Victoria. For more information and photos follow the links below.
Explore NR1 Princes Hwy section:
History of the Princes Highway
Photo (Yallah-Victoria)
Former Alignment: Yallah to Dunmore
Former Alignment: Dunmore to Bombo
Former Alignment: Kiama
Former Alignment: Gerringong
Former Alignments: Nowra
Former Alignment: Falls Creek
Former Alignment: Tomerong
Former Alignment: Cockwhy Range
Former Alignments: Batemans Bay
Former Alignment: Corunna
Former Alignment: Tilba Tilba
Former Alignment: Allsopps Creek to North Bega
Former Alignment: Bega
Former Alignment: Merimbula
Snapshot: Victorian Border
Michael Greenslade tells this story:
"The story goes that in 1984 a group of surveying students from RMIT
took part in an expedition to locate the spring that marks the
beginning of the Murray River. It was the first time since the
original border was designated in 1860.
An error was discovered which had led to the straight line from the
source of the Murray to Cape Howe being off whack by a few degrees
(incidentally, this straight line is known as the Black-Allan line
after the first team of surveyors that established it).
This discovered error meant that NSW had been maintaining 14 metres
of the Princes Hwy that was supposed to be Victoria's."
Notable events in the history of Princes Hwy:
Aug 1881 - First (southbound) bridge over Shoalhaven River, Nowra
19 Oct 1920 - "Prince's Highway" named at a ceremony at the top of Bulli Pass
1925 - Main Roads Board commenced reconstruction and sealing of the highway
1927 - First railway bridge at Yallah
8 Aug 1928 - Proclaimed State Highway No. 1
Nov 1929 - Wandandian Creek deviation
1930s - Bomaderry Deviation
May 1931 - Yallah-Dunmore Deviation
Jun 1931 - Bridge over Wagonga River, Narooma
1932 - Palwambra Mountain Deviation between Mogo and Moruya
1933 - Deviation on north side of Ulladulla (bypassing Mollymook)
1935 - Mt Pleasant Lookout constructed
1936 - Broughton Creek Deviation
Dec 1936 - Bridge over Brogo River, Brogo Pass
1938 - Gerringong Bypass
Dec 1939 - Cockwhy Range Deviation
1940s - Brogo Pass
1941 - Possessive form removed from name - became "Princes Hwy"
Dec 1947 - Bridge construction commenced over Clyde River, Batemans Bay
1950 - Sealed from Batemans Bay to Moruya
Jun 1955 - National Route 1 signage erected (Brisbane-Adelaide)
Aug 1956 - Corunna Deviation
Nov 1956 - Bridge over Clyde River, Batemans Bay (replaced ferry)
Mar 1957 - Bridge over Tuross River at Bodalla
Mar 1960 - Allsopps Ck-North Bega Deviation
Mar 1965 - Jack Seiffert Bridge over Towamba River, Kiah and sealing completed
Apr 1965 - bridge over Minnamurra River, Minnamurra
Nov 1966 - Bridge over Nullica River, S of Eden
Dec 1966 - Bridge over Moruya River, Moruya
1971 - Northbound bridge across Macquarie Rivulet
Sep 1972 - Deviation between Boydtown Creek and Kiah
1975 - Currumbene (Parma) Creek Deviation (7.8-11.23km south of Nowra)
Sep 1975 - Bridge over Bega River, Bega and deviation opened
Sep 1980 - Bridge over Shoalhaven River, Nowra duplicated (new northbound bridge)
Sep 1981 - East Street Deviation, Nowra
Oct 1981 - Batemans Bay Deviation
Dec 1982 - Bridge over Merimbula Lake, Merimbula (bypassed Jan 1992)
Dec 1984 - New concrete bridge (northbound) across railway line at Yallah
1987 - Yallah railway overpass duplication
Dec 1987 - Kiama Bypass (commenced Dec 83)
Aug 1989 - Roundabout at the intersection with SR79 at Bomaderry
Sept 1990 - Macquarie Rivulet bridge duplication
Aug 1990 - Tilba Bypass
Nov 1990 - Widening from Yallah to Oak Flats completed
Jan 1992 - Merimbula Bypass
1993 - Oak Flats to Dunmore Upgrade EIS exhibited
Dec 1993 - Wolumla to Yellow Pinch realignment
July 1995 - Tomerong Bypass
Feb 1996 - McLeods Hill Deviation
Aug 1997 - Myrtle Gully Deviation
19 Oct 2001 - Oak Flats Interchange
3 June 2002 - Yellow Pinch to Milligandi realignment
Nov 2005 - North Kiama Bypass