Statistics:
- Length:
- 580 km
- Termini:
- Northern: NSW-QLD Border, Jennings
- Southern: New England Hwy (NR1) and John Renshaw Dr (NR1), Beresfield
- Miscellaneous:
- Continued as New England Hwy (NH15) in Queensland
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Beresfield, Thornton, Ashtonfield, East Maitland, South Maitland, Maitland, Rutherford, Windella, Lochinvar, Harpers Hill, Greta, Branxton, Lower Belford, Belford, Whittingham, Singleton, Dunnoly, Darlington, McDougalls Hill, Rixs Creek, Glennies Creek, Camberwell, Ravensworth, Liddell, Muswellbrook, Aberdeen, Segenhoe, Scone, Parkville, Wingen, Murulla, Blandford, Murrurundi, Ardglen, Willow Tree, Wallabadah, Gowrie, Garoo, Goonoo Goonoo, Timbumburi, Kingswood, Hillvue, South Tamworth, Tamworth, East Tamworth, Nemingha, Tintinhull, Kootingal, Moonbi, Bendemeer, Kentucky, Uralla, Arding, Saumarez, Armidale, Tilbuster, Black Mountain, Guyra, Llangothlin, Ben Lomond, Glencoe, Stonehenge, Glen Innes, Yarrowford, Dundee, Deepwater, Bolivia, Sandy Flat, Tenterfield, Tarban and Jennings
Route Numbering:
- Current: A15 A43
- Former: 15 15
- Multiplexed with: 34 38
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- HW9
General Information:
National Highway 15 is one the major routes in New South Wales and Queensland. It links the farming regions of NSW to the ports at Newcastle and also to other major roads to Sydney and it's also a link to Brisbane's metropolitan area. The route consists of single carriageway 2-lane rural highway through to multi-lane divided sections.
Multiplexes along the route include:
- National Route 34, for 40 km, between Tamworth and Bendemeer.
- National Route 38, for 200 m, Glen Innes.
History:
The New England Highway originally formed part of the Great Northern Road from Sydney via Wiseman's Ferry to the Queensland border (near Mt Lindesay), taking shape as settlement spread northward from the lower Hunter Valley. By 1851 the Great Northern Road had reached the Gap, two miles beyond Murrurundi. In 1858 it was classified as one of three Main Roads in the colony (Great Western and Great Southern) and extended from Morpeth via Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Scone, Murrurundi and Tamworth, to Armidale, a distance of about 236 miles. Captain Martindale, Chief Railway Commissioner, who was also responsible for roads, stressed the need for bridges as in many cases long circuits had to be made to find a crossing over a stream. In 1860 arrangements were in progress for building 90 culverts and minor bridges and for forming new sections of road, including a new ascent to Murrurundi Gap, which was previously steep with sharp dangerous turns. In 1865 the section of road between Muswellbrook and Murrurundi was metalled and a deviation suggested between Blandford and Murrurundi to skirt the Page River, obviating two bridges, however, such a deviation was never constructed. With the construction of the Northern Railway line from Newcastle, commenced in the 1850s and reaching Murrurundi in 1872, attention was diverted away from roads and sections of the Great Northern Road were in poor condition. Despite the impact of the railway, roads developed steadily and considerable progress was made in the bridging of rivers and creeks. 2
- 1874: The first bridge over the McDonald River at Bendemeer was constructed.
- 1893: Construction of Fitzgerald Bridge over Hunter River at Aberdeen (now southbound carriageway). 2
- 29 September 1905: A steel and timber truss bridge was opened over the McDonald River in Bendemeer, which replaced the 1874 structure.
- 1930s: Deviation to route over the Liverpool Range, upgrades to the Nundle Road intersection at Nemingha. 3
- March 1933: The Great Northern Road was proclaimed the New England Highway. 2
- 1953: The Blandford Bridge, built to replace an earlier timber bridge that was destroyed by flood. 2
- 1954: Main Road 374, running from Tenterfield to Wallangarra was designated as part of State Highway 9 and named as part of the New England Highway, and the section of the New England Highway from Tenterfield to Mount Lindesay was renumbered as State Highway 24 and renamed the Mount Lindesay Highway. This was due to the construction of a sealed road from Boonah through Cunninghams Gap to Warwick in the early 1950s. The sealed road encouraged much more traffic to travel from Brisbane to Tenterfield via Warwick than via Beaudesert and the unsealed route on to Tenterfield.
- 1960s: A section of the highway at Willow Tree, which featured the last single-lane bridge on the highway and was replaced as part of a larger project. The former route takes in a section of Merriwa Road, a section of Boambil Creek Road and the length of Murrurundi Road at Willow Tree to Kankool.
- 1973: The DMR established a weighbridge at Kankool. 2
- 1980s: The steep and winding Devil's Pinch section of the New England Highway, 30 kilometres north of Armidale, realigned and upgraded. A section of the highway north of Uralla bypassed and now named Barleyfields Road. First Moonbi Hill route upgraded, bypassing a steep and winding section up the range.
- 1985: Bendemeer bypassed.
- 23 September 1993: Tamworth Inner City Bypass via Scott Road and Murray Street opened to traffic. 4
- 18 December 1994: Armidale Bypass opened to traffic by then Minister for Small Business and Minister for Regional Development, Ray Chappell. 4 The section of New England Highway between Armidale Airport and the southern end of the town centre became part of Waterfall Way (SR78) as a result.
- 1996: Traffic signals installed at the junction New England Hwy and Weakleys Dr at Beresfield. 5
- 18 September 1997: John Renshaw Drive Overpass opened by then MP John Tierney. 4
- 28 January 1999: Belford Bends Deviation opened to traffic by then MP John Tierney. 4
- March 1999: Belford Bends Deviation fully completed. 4
- 2001: Completion of the Rose Valley deviation at Bendemeer. 6
- 2004: Duplication of Blandford Bridge. 2
- December 2005: Opening of the Devils Pinch realignment project, 30 kilometres north of Armidale. The upgrade replaced or improved about three kilometres of narrow highway, which runs through steep terrain that is subject to landslips. 6
- 2006: Commencement of construction of new railway overpass and highway realignment at Halcombe Hill between Muswellbrook and Aberdeen. 2
- 12 January 2007: Contract awarded to FRH Group to build the Weakleys Drive / New England Highway interchange. 7
- Late 2007: Completion of the realignment at Halcombe Hill between Muswellbrook and Aberdeen.
- March 2007: Construction commences on grade separation of the junction of Weakleys Dr and New England Hwy. 5
- 10 October 2008: Weakleys Dr / New England Hwy interchange opens to traffic. The project cost was around $51.8 million. 8
- 2013: National Route 15 decommissioned.
1 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority, Schedule of Classified Roads and State & Regional Roads, 31 January 2011.
2 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority.
3 Australian Government, National Library of Australia.
4 Tyler Bullock.
5 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority, Weakleys Drive interchange project page.
6 Australian Government, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
7 Australian Government, Department of Transport and Regional Services, Media Release, Contract Awarded For Weakleys Drive Interchange, 12 January 2007.
8 The Herald, Weakleys Drive Overpass To Open, 9 October 2008.