Statistics:
- Length:
- 117 km (Pyrmont to Seven Hills: 30 km) (Windsor to Lithgow: 87 km)
- Termini:
- Eastern: Western Distributor (unnumbered) above Pyrmont St, Pyrmont.
- Western: Great Western Hwy (NR32) and Caroline Av (unnumbered), Lithgow.
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Pyrmont, Rozelle, Drummoyne, Huntleys Point, Huntleys Cove, Gladesville, Ryde, West Ryde, Ermington, Rydalmere, North Parramatta, Northmead, Old Toongabbie, Winston Hills, Seven Hills, Windsor, Clarendon, Richmond, North Richmond, Kurmond, Kurrajong, Kurrajong Hills, Kurrajong Heights, Bilpin, Berambing, Mt Tomah, Bell, Dargan, Clarence and Lithgow.
Route Numbering:
- Current: A4 A40 B59
- Former: 40 53 55 77 7
- Multiplexed with: 4
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- HW13 (North Parramatta to Wentworthville)
- MR165 (Pyrmont to Rydalmere)
- MR184 (Windsor to Bell)
- MR309 (Rydalmere to North Parramatta)
- MR516 (Bell to Lithgow)
- MR644 (Wentworthville to Seven Hills)
General Information:
State Route 40 was major route of New South Wales, which was eventually split into two sections. The eastern section was an arterial road linking various western and inner western suburbs with Sydney's CBD. The western section was an alternative route over the Blue Mountains, connecting the state's west to Sydney.
The eastern part of the route had several features along it such as Iron Cove Bridge, Western Distributor (which is a series of viaducts connecting to several streets in the CBD of Sydney) and the Gladesville Bridge. Both the Western Distributor and Gladesville Bridge (and the associated Burns Bay Road (former SR21)) were to form part of the F3 Freeway from Sydney to the Hunter Region of NSW.
The western section of the route was quite windy and hilly once off the Cumberland Plain, as it crosses the Great Dividing Range. The line it follows dates back to the 1800s. The route passes through residential and commercial areas, as well as some rural and large tracts of forested areas.
James Ruse Drive:
The James Ruse Drive section of SR40 is named after the first European landholder in the Parramatta area. 3
Gladesville Bridge:
Gladesville Bridge is an arch bridge that spans the Parramatta River. At the time of its completion in 1964, Gladesville Bridge was the longest single span concrete arch ever constructed. Gladesville Bridge is the largest of a complex of three bridges, including Fig Tree Bridge and Tarban Creek Bridge, designed to carry a never built North West Freeway. 4
The current bridge replaced the original Gladesville Bridge, which was completed in 1881. It was about 300 metres to the west of the modern bridge. It featured a swing section on the southern end of the bridge that could be opened to permit sailing ships and steamers with high funnels to pass. It stood on iron cylinders with a sandstone pier at each end of the bridge. The sandstone piers are all that remain today of the original bridge. Construction on the new bridge started in 1959. 4
Iron Cove Bridge:
The original bridge was constructed of wrought iron lattice girders and opened in 1882 after four years of construction. The area was sparsely populated in the 1880s and the opening of the new bridge not only helped accessibility, it provided a new western route to Sydney via Balmain. 4
A decision to replace the original bridge was made in 1939 just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Design work began in 1942 and construction commenced in 1947. The bridge was officially opened by Hon. J.J. Cahill, MLA, Premier and Colonial Treasurer of NSW on the 30th July, 1955. 4
ANZAC Bridge:
The ANZAC Bridge opened in 1995 and was formerly the Glebe Island Bridge. (ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). 2
The bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in Australia, with a main deck length of 805 metres, including a 345 metre span between the towers. The two 128 metre towers support 128 cables, and is eight lanes wide. 2
On Remembrance Day, 11 November 1998, the New South Wales Government bestowed the bridge to the NSW Returned Serviceman’s League for re-naming as ‘The Anzac Bridge’ and unveiled a monument of a digger bowed in silent reflection. The monument is located at the western end of the bridge on the northern side. A second bronze statue, of a New Zealand digger, followed on the southern side in April 2008. 2
A handful of sand from Gallipoli rests under the foot of the digger as a permanent connection with comrades who fell and remain at the Gallipoli Battlefield in Turkey. 2
Western Distributor:
The Western Distributor is a network of motorway feeder roads linking the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney CBD, Cross City Tunnel to the main arterial roads to the Western suburbs of Sydney, such as Parramatta Road (via City West Link) and Victoria Road (SR40).
When it was built, it was intended to be the southern end of the F3 Freeway, as it was where the North West Freeway was planned to finish, however due to protests from inner city residents, this plan never came to fruition. The Western Distributor was opened in stages starting in September 1972 3
Multiplexes along the route include:
- Metroad 4, for 3 km, from Pyrmont to Rozelle.
History:
- 1823: Exploration of a route from Windsor to Lithgow by Archibald Bell (Junior). 5
- 1881: Original Gladesville Bridge opened. 6
- 1903: Glebe Island Bridge built. At the time it was among the first electrically operated opening bridges in the world. 7
- 1939: Work begins to improve the condition of Bells Line of Road, as an unemployment relief program. Work commenced in the Bell area. 10
- 1950: Completion of improvement works along Bells Line of Road. 7
- 1962: Arch of the Gladesville Bridge completed. 8
- 2 October 1964: The Gladesville Bridge, along with Tarban Creek Bridge and Fig Tree Bridge, opened to traffic. The bridges were originally planned by the NSW Department of Main Roads (DMR) to form part of a north-western expressway serving the northern suburbs of Sydney. Whilst the expressway was never built, the Gladesville Bridge, at the time of construction the longest concrete arch bridge in the world. 8
- June 1966: Construction of Parramatta River Bridge along Parramatta Bypass, now James Ruse Drive. 3
- 1970: Work begins on Western Distributor. 9
- September 1972: The first section of the Western Distributor taking traffic out of Sydney opened. 11
- Nov 1975: Construction of Kissing Point Road Interchange at Parramatta. 3
- June 1977: Construction of James Ruse Drive from Kissing Point Road to Pennant Hills Road at North Parramatta. 3
- September 1979: Construction of Parramatta Bypass Stage 2 (Pennant Hills Rd to Windsor Rd). 3
- September 1980: Work on Parramatta Bypass Stage 3 (Windsor Rd interchange and extension to Kleins Rd). 3
- August 7 1981: The 'Pyrmont Flyover' section of the Western Distributor opened.
- December 1981: Extension of Briens Rd (now Cumberland Hwy) from Kleins Rd to Old Windsor Rd and Hammers Rd. 3
- April 1992: Construction of the replacement Glebe Island Bridge main bridge commenced. 7
- June 1992: Construction of the Kissing Point Rd north-facing ramps on James Ruse Dr. 3
- December 1992: The James Ruse Dr / Victoria Rd interchange at Rydalmere opened to traffic. 3
- 21 July 1994: James Ruse Drive / Victoria Road Interchange officially opened by then Minister for Main Roads Bruce Baird. 12
- November 1993: Western tower of the replacement Glebe Island Bridge completed. 7
- September 1994: Eastern tower of the replacement Glebe Island Bridge completed. 7
- July 1994: Western deck of the replacement Glebe Island Bridge completed. 7
- June 1995: Eastern deck of the replacement Glebe Island Bridge completed. 7
- 24 July 1995: Two halves of the replacement Glebe Island Bridge joined. 7
- 3 December 1995: The ANZAC Bridge, originally named Glebe Island Bridge, was opened by the Premier of New South Wales, The Hon. Bob Carr MP. 13
- 11 November 1998: On Remembrance Day, the New South Wales Government bestowed the bridge to the NSW Returned Serviceman’s League for re-naming as ‘The ANZAC Bridge’ and unveiled a monument of a digger bowed in silent reflection. The monument is located at the western end of the bridge on the northern side. A second bronze statue, of a New Zealand digger, followed on the southern side in April 2008. 13
- 2007: State Route 40 is split into 2 sections after it was decommissioned between Windsor and Rydalmere. The route was then rerouted via North Parramatta, Northmead, Old Toongabbie and Seven Hills. 3
- February 2009: Richmond Road between Windsor and Richmond renamed Hawkesbury Valley Way, in conjunction with the completion of the Windsor Flood Evacuation route. 14
- 2010: Removal of final SR40 remnants along Windsor Rd at McGraths Hill. 14
- 30 January 2011: Inner West Busway was completed and the project open to traffic. 15
- 2013: State Route 40 decommissioned and replaced with alphanumeric route numbers.
Click or tap here for the former alignment between Rydalmere and Windsor
Click or tap the map to enable panning and zooming
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, Signposting Guidelines.
3 Sam Laybutt (
OzRoads).
4 Seven Bridges Walk, Bridge History.
5 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority, Bells Line of Road corridor study Summary, November 2005.
6 City of Ryde, Library.
7 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority, Anzac Bridge history.
8 NSW Government, State Library of NSW, Arch of the Gladesville Bridge completed 1962.
9 NSW Government, State Library of NSW, Safety scaffolding on Western Distributor.
10 Department of Main Roads, The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4.
11 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority, RTA Thematic History, A component of the RTA Heritage and Conservation Register, 2nd Edition, 2006.
12 Tyler Bullock.
13 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority.
14 Paul Mech.
15 NSW Government, Roads and Traffic Authority, Inner West Busway Victoria Road.