O'Connell Road is a New South Wales rural road linking Oberon to the regional highway hub of Bathurst, where several roads including Great Western Highway, Mid-Western Highway, Mitchell Highway and Bathurst-Ilford Road join.
O'Connell Road | |
|---|---|
  Northwest end Southeast end | |
| Coordinates |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Rural road |
| Length | 41.7 km (26 mi)[1] |
| Gazetted | August 1928 (as Main Road 256)[2] February 1934 (as Main Road 253)[3] |
| Maintained by | Transport for NSW, Oberon Council, Bathurst Regional Council |
| Tourist routes |  Tourist Route 1 |
| Major junctions | |
| Northwest end |  Great Western HighwayKelso, New South Wales |
| Goulburn-Oberon Road | |
| Southeast end | Rupert Street Oberon, New South Wales |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | O'Connell |
Route
editO'Connell Road commences at the roundabout with Great Western Highway in Kelso, New South Wales (just east of Bathurst) and heads in a southeasterly direction, crossing the Fish River just north of O'Connell, and continuing southeast until it eventually terminates in Oberon. It is fully sealed over its entire length and of high enough standard to accommodate B-double trucks.
In conjunction with Goulburn-Oberon Road from Hume Highway to Oberon, this scenic route provides a leisurely and surprisingly direct route between Bathurst and Goulburn. It is designated part of Tourist Route 1.
History
editThe passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[4] through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (MRB, later Transport for NSW). Main Road No. 256 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with Great Western Highway near Bathurst to Oberon (and continuing southwards via Taralga to the intersection with Hume Highway at Goulburn);[2] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[5] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Main Road 256 on 8 April 1929.
The Department of Main Roads, which had succeeded the MRB in 1932, truncated the northern end of Main Road 256 to Oberon, and extended the western end of Main Road 253 over it instead, from Oberon to Bathurst, on 13 February 1934.[3]
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[6] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, O'Connell Road today is declared part of Main Road 253, from Bathurst to Oberon (and continuing eastwards via the Jenolan Caves and Hampton to the intersection with Great Western Highway at Hartley).[7]
Major intersections
edit| LGA | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathurst | Kelso | 0 | 0.0 | Great Western Highway (A32) – Bathurst, Marrangaroo | Northeastern terminus of road and Tourist Route 1, runs south as Littlebourne Street to O'Connell Road |
| Brewongle | 7.2 | 4.5 | Tarana Road – Tarana | ||
| Fish River | 16.4 | 10.2 | O'Connell Bridge | ||
| Oberon | O'Connell | 18.7 | 11.6 | Mutton Falls Road – Tarana | |
| Oberon | 30.0 | 18.6 | Mayfield Road – Mayfield | ||
| 41.1 | 25.5 | Abercrombie Road (southwest) – Taralga, Goulburn Albion Street (east) – Oberon | Roundabout | ||
| 41.6 | 25.8 | Carrington Avenue (Tourist Route 1) – Oberon, Jenolan Caves | Tourist Route 1 continues east along Carrington Avenue | ||
| 41.7 | 25.9 | Rupert Street – Oberon, to Abercrombie Road – Taralga, Goulburn | Southwestern terminus of road | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| |||||
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "O'Connell Road" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. National Library of Australia. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Main Roads Act, 1924-1931". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 33. National Library of Australia. 23 February 1934. p. 873. Archived from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
- ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
- ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
- ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
- ^ Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 August 2022.