Bathurst-Ilford Road

New South Wales
Bathurst-Ilford Road is located in New South Wales
South end
South end
North end
North end
Coordinates
General information
TypeRural road
Length72.0 km (45 mi)[1]
GazettedAugust 1928[2]
Major junctions
South end Great Western Highway
Kelso, New South Wales
North end Castlereagh Highway
Ilford, New South Wales
Location(s)
Major settlementsSofala

Bathurst-Ilford Road (known as Sofala Road south of the Turon River and Ilford-Sofala Road north of the Turon River) is a 72.0-kilometre (44.7 mi)[1] New South Wales country road linking Ilford to the regional hub of Bathurst.

Route

Bathurst-Ilford Road commences at the intersection with Castlereagh Highway in Ilford and heads in a south-westerly direction, eventually crossing the Turon River and passing the historic town of Sofala. It then continues in a southerly direction and passes through Wattle Flat and Peel, before eventually ending at the intersection with Great Western Highway in Kelso, just east of Bathurst, which itself acts as a major highway hub with the Great Western, Mid-Western Highway and Mitchell Highways – and O'Connell Road to Oberon – meet.

It is fully sealed over its entire length, but many road maps still show sections of it as unsealed.

In conjunction with Bylong Valley Way from Castlereagh Highway near Ilford to Golden Highway near Sandy Hollow, this very quiet and scenic route provides a leisurely alternative to going through Sydney to travel between the Hunter Region and Bathurst.

History

The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[3] 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 (later the Department of Main Roads, and eventually Transport for NSW). Main Road No. 54 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with Mudgee-Ilford Road (today Castlereagh Highway) in Ilford, via Sofala to Bathurst (and continuing southwards eventually to Goulburn);[2] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[4] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Trunk Road 54 on 8 April 1929.

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[5] through the Parliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, the road today retains its declaration as part of Main Road 54, between Ilford and Kelso.[6]

Major intersections

LGALocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
BathurstKelso00.0 Great Western Highway (A32) – Bathurst, MarrangarooSouthern end of road, which runs north-west as Gilmour Street and then north as Sofala Road
Wattle Flat35.922.3Limekilns Road – BathurstAlternate route to Bathurst via Limekilns
Sofala43.326.9Hill End Road (west) – Hill End
Denison Street (east) – Sofala		Road continues north as Ilford Sofala Road.
Turon River43.427.0Crossley Bridge
Mid Western RegionIlford72.044.7 Castlereagh Highway (B55) – Mudgee, MarrangarooNorthern end of road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Route transition

References

  1. ^ a b c Google (13 August 2022). "Bathurst-Ilford Road" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ 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
  5. ^ 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
  6. ^ Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

See also

Category