Length:

68 km

Termini:

Northern: Hume Mwy (M31), Aylmerton

Southern: Princes Hwy (A1) and Cambewarra Rd (unnumbered), Bomaderry

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Aylmerton, Braemar, Mittagong, Bowral, Fitzroy Falls, Kangaroo Valley and Bomaderry

Current: B73

Multiplexed with: 7 8 14 15

Former: 79 80 89 31 31

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

MR260 (Aylmerton to Bowral)

MR261 (Bowral to Bomaderry)

General Information:

B73 is an important route linking the New South Wales Southern Highlands with the coastal regions of the Illawarra and Shoalhaven.

The route services residential, commercial and rural areas and connects with many tourist attractions such as Corbett Gardens in Bowral for the annual tulip festival, Fitzroy Falls and Kangaroo Valley. The road passes through signficant conversation areas and makes a steep descent down several mountain passes including Cambewarra Mountain and Barrengarry Mountain.

Another feature of the route is Hampden Bridge at Kangaroo Valley, which is a suspension bridge built between 1895 and 1898. The bridge is the second major suspension bridge in NSW, and now the only surviving timber decked vehicular suspension bridge constructed in the nineteenth century. The bridge has the Kangaroo River running beneath it. The main span length is 77 metres, sandstone tower height of 16.8 metres and height above water also of 16.8 metres. The main cables of the bridge consist on each side of fourteen 36 mm diameter wire ropes, each with a specified tensile strength of 79.6 tonnes. The bridge is signposted for a maximum truck load of 42.5 tonnes, with no more than one truck to be on the bridge at a time, and is lanemarked to only provide a single lane. Hampden Bridge was built to replace the timber truss bridge of 1875 to 1879, which was in a state of decay by 1893. ²

Tourist Drive 7, for 14 km, from Princes Hwy (A1), Bomaderry to Berry Mtn Rd (TD7), Kangaroo Valley.

Tourist Drive 8, for 33 km, from Princes Hwy (A1), Bomaderry to Myra Vale Rd (TD8), Fitzroy Falls.

Tourist Drive 14, for 11 km from Moss Vale Rd (TD14), Bowral to Hume Mwy (M31), Aylmerton.

Tourist Drive 15, for 10 km, from Myra Vale Rd (TD8), Fitzroy Falls to Illawarra Hwy (A48), Avoca, and for 9 km, from Kangaloon Rd (TD15), Glenquarry to Moss Vale Rd (TD15), Bowral.

1875: Timber truss bridge constructed over Kangaroo River at Kangaroo Valley. ²

1895: Construction begins on current Hampden Bridge over Kangaroo River at Kangaroo Valley. ²

1898: Hampden bridge opens to traffic. ²

1959: An experiment using advisory speed signs on curves on what is now the Old Hume Highway (and Remembrance Drive) between Camden and Berrima was successful and was extended to other roads.

1980s: The railway level crossing at Mittagong bypassed with an overpass.

1992: Mittagong Bypass opens to traffic and the old route becomes Old Hume Highway.

2003: Completion of works to widen curves on Cambewarra Mountain. ³

July 2012: Installation of vehicle activated signs on Moss Vale Road, with the aim to improve road safety by advising motorists of speed and wet weather hazards. ⁴

March 2013: B73 route number introduced.

July 2015: Completion of widening and stopping bays on Moss Vale Road at Barrengarry and on Cambewarra Mountain. ⁵

September 2017: Completion of bypass lane added to the roundabout of Moss Vale Rd (B73), Princes Hwy (A1) and Cambewarra Rd at Bomaderry. ⁶

June 2018: Changes made to line marking on Moss Vale Rd on Cambewarra Mountain at one location to allow motorists another opportunity to overtake. There were also changes at one other location to stop motorists from overtaking where it is not considered safe as visibility of oncoming motorists is limited. ⁷

August 2018: Works begin on Moss Vale Road on drainage improvements, slope stabilisation and repairs to Hampden Bridge and road surfaces along the route. ⁸

Bomaderry to Aylmerton

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Main Rd at Cambewarra Village, June 2010.

Image © Paul Mech

Sheepwash Road:

Corner of Nowra Rd and Sheepwash Rd, December 2006. B73 turns right at this location.

Image © Paul Rands<

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Moss Vale Rd (TD15) at Bowral, approaching Kangaloon Rd (B73 / TD15) and Funston St (B73 / TD14), October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on the roundabout of Kangaloon Rd (B73 / TD15), Funston St (B73 / TD14) and Moss Vale Rd (TD15) at Bowral, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign facing Funston St (B73 / TD14) at the junction with Station St (B73 / TD14) and Railway Pde in Bowral, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Station St (B73 / TD14) approaching Bowral St roundabout, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Merrigang Street:

Corner of Station St (B73 / TD14) and Merrigang St, Bowral, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Pioneer Street:

Corner of Bowral Rd (B73 / TD14) and Pioneer St, Mittagong, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Old Hume Highway:

Bowral Rd (B73 / TD14) at the junction with Old Hume Hwy (B73 / TD14) at Mittagong, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign on Old Hume Hwy (B73 / TD14) at Mittagong, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Entering Braemar:

Old Hume Hwy (B73 / TD14) as it enters the town of Braemar, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Braemar Avenue:

Corner of Old Hume Hwy (B73 / TD14) and Braemar Av at Braemar, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

End Tourist Drive 14 Sign:

Sign indicating the end of TD14 at Aylmerton, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Hume Motorway:

Old Hume Hwy (B73 / TD14) at the interchange with Hume Mwy (M31) at Aylmerton, October 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Aylmerton to Bomaderry

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Old Hume Hwy (B73) approaching Main St (TD17) (former Hume Hwy) and Bowral Rd (B73 / TD14), Mittagong, May 2018.

Image © Paul Rands