Length:

2031 km (Toowoomba to Chinchilla: 166 km)

Termini:

Eastern: Pacific Motorway (M1 / M3) and Gateway Motorway (M1), Eight Mile Plains

Western: NT-QLD Border, Camooweal

Miscellaneous:

Continues as Barkly Highway (NH66) in Northern Territory

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Rangeville, East Toowoomba, South Toowoomba, Harristown, Newtown, Wilsonton, Cotswold Hills, Torrington, Charlton, Gowrie Mountain, Kingsthorpe, Oakey, Jondaryan, Dalby, Yaralla, Baining, Apunyal, Macalister, Warra, Brigalow, Boonarga and Chinchilla

Current: A21

Multiplexed with: A3 49 82

Former: A2 54

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

18B (Toowoomba to Dalby (except Toowoomba Second Range Crossing))

18C (Warrego Highway (Dalby to Miles))

General Information:

M2 / A2 is the main link from Brisbane to the Northern Territory. It varies from motorway standard in the Brisbane metropolitan area, to dual carriageway rural highway standard between Brisbane and Toowoomba, and rural highway standard beyond Toowoomba. The route is the only sealed link between Flinders Highway and Capricorn Highway apart from Gregory Development Road between Emerald and Charters Towers.

The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborough, an Australian explorer of the 19th century. The Barkly Highway is the only major route connecting Queensland and the Northern Territory.

A3 (New England Highway), for 400 metres, Toowoomba

State Route 49, for 400 m, Dalby

State Route 82, for 4 km, Dalby

1849: Surveyor J.C. Burnett found a better route to the north to replace the road from Brisbane over the Toowoomba Range (via Gormans Gap, south of the city). This new route was to later become Toll Bar Road. ²

1853: A gang of twelve workers cleared and constructed a better road along the route of what would become Toll Bar Road. ²

January 1855: Toll Bar Road opens. A simple gatehouse was erected at the top of the range, near the current intersection of Ipswich and Curtis Streets in Toowoomba. A bar crossing the road and a fence either side stopped traffic and enabled toll collection of approximately two pence. Toll Bar Road consisted of a rough stone pavement on very steep grades. As the road was unsealed and very steep, with grades as much as 14%, it was subject to severe scouring during heavy rains. ²

13 December 1921: Brisbane-Toowoomba Road was declared a Main Road under the Main Roads Act, 1920. ²

24 September 1932: The Main Roads Commission proclaimed the Toll Bar Road a State Highway when it became part of the Lockyer-Darling Downs Highway. ²

1938: A major upgrade of the range road took place. The most significant change was to the uppermost section, with the new route reaching the top of the range further north. ²

December 1939: Work to upgrade the range road completed. ²

29 January 1940: A two-lane bitumen Toowoomba range road was formally opened by the Honourable H.A. Bruce, Minister for Public Works, MLA. The new range road was a vast improvement on the old Toll Bar Road as it provided a 6.1 m wide bitumen surfaced pavement over a length of 3.7 km and climbed a total height of 350 m. The average rate of climb was nearly 9%, although the actual grades varied between 7.5% and 10.5% with the exception of a short flattening in the vicinity of a saddle which had become known as "Essex Evans" due to the fact that the poet George Essex Evans (1863-1909) once resided at this location. ²

1964: The Main Roads Department commenced the duplication of the road at an estimated cost of £185 000. By 1964 the traffic volume had reached 2300 vehicles per day, of which approximately 500 were heavy trucks and semi-trailers. The alignment of the upgrading project was along the existing road from the foot of the range proper to the saddle at Essex Evans. However, an entirely new up-lane from Essex Evans to the top was constructed on the southern side of the existing road. The new up-lane was slightly longer, with improved horizontal and vertical alignment and an increased width of 7.3 m. The basic route used up until 2019, has remained unaltered since 1940. ²

4 April 1997: Opening of the Oakey Bypass. ⁴

2004: Warrego Highway renumbered to A2 under the QMR Strategic Tourism Routes plan. ³

April 2016: Construction begins on Toowoomba Range Second Crossing.

8 September 2019: Toowoomba Range Second Crossing completely open to traffic, and A2 became A21.

This page concentrates on the former alignment between Toowoomba and Chinchilla

Toowoomba to Chinchilla

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign, near Tourist Road (TD1) at East Toowoomba. May 2008.

Image © Peter Renshaw

Warrego Highway At Rangeville:

Warrego Hwy (A2) at Rangeville, outside the tourist information centre, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Detour Route:

Detour route trailblazer at Rangeville, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at South Toowoomba approaching Hume St and New England Hwy (A3), May 2011. The A3 duplex starts here.

Image © Rob Tilley

New England Highway:

Corner of Warrego Hwy (A2), Hume St and New England Hwy (A3) at South Toowoomba, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

Corner of Warrego Hwy (A2), Hume St and New England Hwy (A3) at South Toowoomba, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at South Toowoomba approaching Ruthven St and New England Hwy (A3), May 2011. The A3 duplex ended here. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Michael Greenslade from July 2004.

Image © Rob Tilley

New England Highway:

Corner of Warrego Hwy (A2), Ruthven St and New England Hwy (A3) at South Toowoomba, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

Corner of Warrego Hwy (A2), Hume St and New England Hwy (A3) at South Toowoomba, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Trailblazer:

Trailblazer assembly at South Toowoomba, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign obscured by power pole at Harristown approaching Gore Hwy (A39), May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Gore Highway:

Corner of Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gore Hwy (A39) at Harristown, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Troys Road:

Warrego Hwy (A2) at the Troys Rd interchange at Torrington, April 2004.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Chinchilla to Toowoomba

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Wilsonton, near Druce St, approaching Tor St and Bridge St, July 2004. A2 turned right beyond this sign.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

Northbound AD sign on Gore Hwy (A39) approaching Warrego Hwy (A2) at Harristown in Toowoomba, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign assembly on the corner of Gore Hwy (A39), Warrego Hwy (A2) and Anzac Av at Harristown, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Distance Sign:

RD sign on Warrego Hwy (James Street) at Newtown, near Clifford Gardens Shopping Centre, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at the West Street (TD1) intersection at Toowoomba, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign facing northbound traffic from West Street (TD1) in Toowoomba, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign facing northbound traffic from West Street (TD1) in Toowoomba, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching New England Hwy (A3) & Ruthven St in Toowoomba. October 2005. This sign has since had the SR85 and NR42 shields coverplated with A3. The A3 duplex starts from this intersection.

Image © Paul Rands

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign near the New England Hwy (A3) & Ruthven St in Toowoomba. October 2005. This sign has since had the SR85 shield coverplated with A3. The A3 duplex starts from this intersection.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign assembly at the corner Warrego Hwy (A2), New England Hwy (A3) and Ruthven St in Toowoomba, May 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching New England Hwy (A3) & Hume St in Toowoomba. October 2005. This sign has since had the SR85 shield coverplated with A3. The A3 duplex ends at this intersection.

Image © Paul Rands

New England Hwy & Hume St Intersection:

Intersection directional signs at the New England Hwy and Hume Street intersection in Toowoomba. SR85 was replaced with A3 since this photo was taken. October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Approaching James and Cohoe Street Intersection:

Warrego Hwy (James St) (A2) in Toowoomba, approaching James St (TD1) and Cohoe St (A2 and unnumbered). October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

James and Cohoe Street Intersection:

Corner of Warrego Hwy (James St) (A2), James St (TD1) and Cohoe St (A2 and unnumbered) in Toowoomba. October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Steep Descent Sign:

Sign warning of the steep descent down the Toowoomba Range, East Toowoomba, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Margaret Street:

Corner of Warrego Hwy (A2) and Margaret St, East Toowoomba, January 2019.

Image © Dean Sherry

Tourist Road Intersection:

Despite the sign saying its Margaret St, this is the junction with Tourist Rd (TD1) in East Toowoomba. Tourist Rd joins up with Margaret St. October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Warrego Hwy from Tourist Rd (TD1) in East Toowoomba. April 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on the Warrego Hwy facing Tourist Rd (TD1) in East Toowoomba. April 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley