Silver City Highway

Silver City Highway New South Wales
Map of the far west of New South Wales, with the Silver City Highway highlighted in red.
General information
Type	Highway
Length	683.7 km (425 mi)[1]
Route number(s)	B79 (Curlwaa – Broken Hill) A32 (within Broken Hill) Nil (Broken Hill – NSW/Qld border)
Major junctions
South end	Sturt Highway (A20) Buronga, New South Wales
	Calder Highway Barrier Highway (A32)
North end	Thargomindah Road NSW/Qld border
Location(s)
Major settlements	Buronga, Dareton, Wentworth, Broken Hill, Tibooburra
Restrictions
General	Limited fuel and supplies available, especially outside of settlements.[2] Unsealed sections north of Broken Hill are often impassable after rain.[3]
Highway system
Highways in Australia National Highway • Freeways in Australia Highways in New South Wales

The Silver City Highway is a 684-kilometre-long (425 mi) highway that links Buronga, New South Wales to the Queensland border via Wentworth, Broken Hill, and Tibooburra, in the arid Far West region of New South Wales. A short branch also connects to the Calder Highway on the Victorian border at Curlwaa. This branch is also signed as the Calder Highway, despite legally being part of the Silver City Highway. Parts of the highway north of Broken Hill are unsealed.

Route description

The route passes through largely arid terrain, although there are multiple irrigated areas between Buronga and Wentworth in the highway's south. There is relatively flat terrain between Wentworth and Broken Hill that forms arid pastures for grazing. Around Broken Hill and a little to the north the Barrier Range is encountered, which is more hill than the rest of the route encountered so far, but not mountainous. North of there the country is once again relatively flat, thought there are further hills around Milparinka. Near Tibooburra the terrain becomes a stony desert, this kind of terrain is known in Australia as gibber. There are some unsealed sections of highway north of Broken Hill.^[4]

Creeks to the north of Broken Hill are generally crossed straight across the riverbed, whether the road has been sealed or not. There is signage to help drivers gauge depth of the waters if there does happen to be flows after rains. The highway also roughly follows the route Charles Sturt took when he explored the area, during his search to find the fabled inland sea.^[1][4] The Silver City Highway and its spur are classified as HW22 (Highway 22) by Roads & Maritime Services.^[5] The route is signed as B79 between the Abbotsford Bridge in Curlwaa, New South Wales and Broken Hill.^[6][7]

Along the Murray River

Calder Highway (branch) intersection, from the north.

The highway begins at its intersection with the Sturt Highway in the town of Buronga in the far south-west of New South Wales. Buronga is located immediately across the Murray River from the city of Mildura in Victoria. From here the highway heads northwesterly through a pocket of farmland at the locality of Mourquong, before turning on a more westerly heading. The road then traverses arid savanna before again reaching the farmland surrounding Dareton. The road takes on the name Tapio Street within the urban area. Continuing west the enters into more farmland at Curlwaa. Here the road comes to a T-insection where a turn to the west is required to stay on the Silver City Highway. The road to the east is also gazetted as a spur of the highway and is signed as the Calder Highway, to which it connects a short distance away across the single lane Abbotsford Bridge over the Murray River. Continuing west on the highway, the farmland largely continues the entirety of the short distance to Wentworth. Upon entering Wentworth, the road takes on several names within the town's urban area. Firstly it takes on the name Wentworth Street, before turning west at the Sandwych Street intersection and using that name. The highway then crosses the Darling River over a lift-span bridge. At Adams Street the highway then turns north, keeping the name until it leaves the urban area.^[1][8]

Wentworth to Broken Hill

Terrain as seen from a rest area north of Wentworth

Heading north out of Wentworth, the road enters arid scrublands and it swings northwest towards the Great Darling Anabranch. Once it reaches the normally dry river, it follows the anabranch upstream crossing it at Bunnerungee Bridge. The road continues to follow the anabranch north, passing nearby several normally dry lakes, including along the shoreline of Popitah Lake. Roughly following the creekbed of Coombah Creek northwards a short distance, the highway then enters the depression of Coombah Lake. The roadway crosses the lakebed atop an embankment. Upon reaching the other side the highway passes Coombah Roadhouse, where fuel and supplies can be purchased.^[2] From here the highway re-enters the lakebed and continues along it to its northern extent. To the north of Coombah lake the road passes to the west of similarly dry Kudgee Lake, the roadway then follows the western side of the Pine Creek creekbed crossing it after some distance, then following it along the eastern side much of the remainder of the way Broken Hill. Upon reaching the approaches to Broken Hill, the terrain elevation becomes a little more varied from the very flat journey travelled so far, as this area is part of the Barrier Range.^[1][8]

Within Broken Hill

On the southern outskirts of Broken Hill, the highway passes Kanandah Road, which forms part of the heavy vehicle bypass. North of Kanandah Road, the highway takes on the name Wentworth Road for a short distance while it curves eastwards. Once it reaches South Broken Hill urban area, the road continues as Patton Street until reach the roundabout at Bonanza Street where it then turns northwards. It passes over a hill between two mines and becomes South Road northward of Gypsum Street. Upon reaching Broken Hill itself; it becomes Crystal Street, and then turns north at Iodide Street. North of Argent Street, the Barrier Highway also follows the same route for a few blocks until it leaves westwards at William Street. At the same intersection, the Silver City Highway heads eastwards. The highway continues east almost all the way until the edge of the city, where it turns north at Buck Street. It takes on that name for a short distance until it leaves the urban area.^[1][8]

Broken Hill to the Dingo Fence

Silver City Highway in Tibooburra, looking north

The Highway continues a long distance northwards, through very dry country and crossing the occasional creekbed. Eventually it reaches Packsaddle Roadhouse, where fuel and supplies can be purchased;^[2] roughly halfway between Broken Hill and the Queensland border. North of Packsaddle the road continues in the same fashion, although it does pass between some salt lakes. Eventually the road reaches the Milparinka area, where the former township can be accessed a short distance off the highway. Further to the north the road reaches Tibooburra, the only sizable settlement along the route north of Broken Hill. North of Tibooburra the road passes through the Sturt National Park before reaching its terminus at the Queensland border along the Dingo Fence, at Warri Gate.^[1][8]

History

The Silver City Highway name was decided upon as the roads main purpose is to link Broken Hill (The Silver City^[2]) to areas north and south of the city.^[4] The Broken Hill ore deposit contains a vast amount of silver, lead, and zinc.^[2] At one stage the name Four States Highway was also considered as the road connects to Queensland and Victoria at each end, and also to South Australia via the Barrier Highway from Broken Hill.^[4]

Junctions

LGA	Location[8]	km[1]	mi	Destinations[8][1]	Notes[1]
Wentworth Shire	Buronga	0.0	0.0	Hendy Road (A20, HW14) east – Euston, Balranald (via Sturt Highway) Sturt Highway (A20, HW14) south – Mildura	Three-way roundabout Highway terminus
	Mourquong	2.4	1.5	Arumpo Road (MR431) northeast – Willandra Lakes World Heritage Area, Mungo National Park
	Curlwaa	23.7	14.7	Silver City Highway (B79, HW22 branch, signed as Calder Highway) east – Mildura	T-intersection: westbound traffic turns west, eastbound traffic turns north Southern end of B79 along main section of highway, B79 continues east on Calder Highway branch Junction list for branch below
	Wentworth	29.9	18.6	Wentworth Street (MR68) north – Pooncarie, Menindee (via Pooncarie Road) Armstrong Avenue east	Four-way intersection: northbound traffic turns west (or uses single lane bypass of intersection), southbound traffic turns south
		30.4	18.9	Sandwych Street east Adams Street south	Four-way intersection: northbound traffic turns north, southbound traffic turns east
		32.5	20.2	Renmark Road (MR68) west – Wentworth Airstrip, Renmark
City of Broken Hill	Broken Hill	290.6	180.6	Kanandah Road (RR7507) northwest – Adelaide	Heavy vehicle bypass to the Barrier Highway
		293.1	182.1	Patton Street northeast – Broken Hill South Bonanza Street southeast	Four-way roundabout: northbound traffic turns northwest, southbound traffic turns southwest
		294.0	182.7	Gypsum Street (MR81) northwest – Railwaytown, Adelaide
		296.9	184.5	Iodide Street south Crystal Street east	Four-way intersection: northbound traffic turns north, southbound traffic turns west
		297.0	184.5	Argent Street (A32 east only, HW8 east only) east/west – Wilcannia, Sydney (east via Barrier Highway), and City Centre (west)	Northern end of B79, Southern end of A32 section Southern end of HW8/HW22 duplex
		298.2	185.3	Williams Street (A32, HW8) west – Broken Hill Hospital, and Silverton, Adelaide (west via Barrier Highway) Iodide Street north	Northern end of A32 section Northern end of HW8/HW22 duplex Four-way intersection: northbound traffic turns east, southbound traffic turns south
		300.1	186.5	Williams Street east Buck Street north	Four-way intersection: northbound traffic turns north, southbound traffic turns west
Unincorporated	Fowlers Gap	350.7	217.9	Mutawintji Road (MR428) east – White Cliffs
	Tibooburra	628.8	390.7	Brown Street (MR405) east – Wanaaring (via Tibooburra Road)
Qld–NSW Border		683.7	424.8	Warri Gate on the Dingo Fence – Thargomindah Road continues north into Queensland towards Thargomindah	Highway terminus
Route transition Listing includes: Terminii, declared roads, and intersections where a turn is required to remain on the highway.

Calder Highway branch

LGA	Location[8]	km[1]	mi	Destinations[8][1]	Notes[1]
Wentworth Shire	Curlwaa	0.0	0.0	Silver City Highway (B79 west only, HW22) west/north – Wentworth, Broken Hill (west), and Euston, Dareton, Mildura (north)	Highway branch terminus
		0.4– 0.6	0.2– 0.4	Murray River - Abbotsford Bridge
NSW–Vic Border		0.6	0.4	Calder Highway (A79, 6530) continues south into Victoria towards Mildura	Southern end of B79 Highway branch terminus
Route transition

See also

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in New South Wales

References

1. Google (4 September 2013). "Silver City Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
2. "For Real - Broken Hill". Broken Hill City Council. June 2013. pp. 10, 20, 48–49. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
3. "Regional Development in the Far West New South Wales Region" (PDF). Sinclair Knight Merz. October 2011. pp. 21–22. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
4. "Silver City Highway" (PDF). Main Roads. NSW Department of Main Roads. September 1962. pp. 2–7. Retrieved 4 September 2013.
5. "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Roads and Maritime Services. August 2013. pp. 0, 3. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
6. "Alpha numeric route number maps - Southwest NSW" (PDF). NSW Government - Roads and Maritime Services. April 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
7. "Alpha numeric route number maps - Western NSW" (PDF). NSW Government - Roads and Maritime Services. April 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
8. SIX Maps (Map). Cartography by NSW Department of Finance and Services, Sinclair Knight Merz, and Astrium GEO-Information Services. NSW Government - Land and Property Information. Retrieved 29 June 2013.

External links