Length:

XX km

Termini:

Eastern: SA-VIC Border

Western: Main North Road (NR1) and Grand Junction Road (unnumbered), Gepps Cross

Miscellaneous:

Continued as NR20 in Victoria

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Yamba, Paringa, Renmark, Barmera, Waikerie, Truro, Nuriootpa, Gawler, Elizabeth and Gepps Cross

Current: A20

Former: 20 20

XX

General Information:

National Route 20 was a major route connecting South Australia with Victoria and New South Wales.

The highway itself varied from 2-lane rural highway in the less populated areas to multi-lane main road in some of the larger towns, to freeway standard and 6-lane arterial road standard in Adelaide.

The Sturt Highway is named after Charles Sturt, who explored south western New South Wales, the Murrumbidgee and Murray Rivers and also parts of central Australia in the 1800s.

1869: A private punt was established at Blanchetown to cross the River Murray. ¹

1879: The private punt at Blanchetown replaced by a government operated service. ¹

1888: First bridge at Renmark built over River Murray constructed in timber by the Chaffey Brothers, to connect their new irrigation settlement with Adelaide. ¹

1922: The punt at Blanchetown relocated due to the opening of Lock 1. Operation of a ferry commenced at Kingston-On-Murray over the River Murray. ¹

1927: Opening of Paringa Bridge over the River Murray at Renmark, when the railway line was extended from Paringa to Renmark. The bridge carried both road and rail traffic. ¹

1933: The Chaffey Brothers' timber bridge at Renmark was replaced by a timber and steel bridge. ¹

December 1954: Second ferry installed at Blanchetown due to increased traffic. ¹

January 1959: Construction on a new bridge (called the Distillery Bridge) began at Renmark. It was made of pre-stressed concrete, a first for South Australia. ¹

January 1960: Completion of Distillery Bridge at Renmark. ¹

1963: Opening of Gawler Bypass as super-2 road with at-grade junctions. ²

24 April 1964: Opening of bridge over River Murray at Blanchetown. ¹

1969: Work begins on bridge over River Murray at Kingston-on-Murray to replace a ferry. ¹

1976: Northern Barossa Deviation opens.

1980s: Nuriootpa & Greenock bypassed. Extension and duplication of Gawler Bypass. ²

1992: National Route 20 replaced by National Highway 20. ³

1995: Monash Deviation opened, bypassing the towns of Berri and Glossop.

1998: Changed to National Highway A20 with the implementation of the alphanumeric route numbering system in SA, also completion of the Mickens Bridge to Truro realignment (an 8 km alignment and bridge, north of the old carriageway). ⁴

Adelaide (Gepps Cross) to VIC Border

NEW Trailblazer:

NR20 trailblazer at Gawler West on Two Wells Rd, at the Winckel Bridge over Gawler River, January 2008. This section of Two Wells Rd was once part of NR20 prior to the extension of Gawler Bypass during the early 1980s.

Image © Michael Greenslade

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Two Wells Rd, Buchefelde, approaching Gawler Bypass Rd (NR20), January 2008.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign assembly near Vaughan Tce, Berri, November 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign facing Zante Rd at Berri, November 2016.

Image © Paul Rands

Old Intersection Directional Signs:

Old NR20 signs facing Sheill Road in Berri. November 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

Old Intersection Directional Signs:

Old NR20 signs facing Hoskin Road in Berri. November 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands

VIC Border to Adelaide (Gepps Cross)

Directional Sign:

Sign acting as a reassurance in the town of Berri. November 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from December 2007.

Image © Paul Rands