In regional NSW, rural highways are the primary connection between towns and cities. While demand is typically higher during the day, freight and some general traffic continue to use the road overnight. Rural highways may carry high volumes of traffic during peak holiday periods.
Rural highways typically pass through tracts of underdeveloped or very low‑intensity areas. They are often adjacent to vast open agricultural lands and scenic landscape areas, offering spectacular and varied views across forests, pastures, coastlines or low‑density residential and industrial areas.
Historic patterns of development mean rural highways may pass through towns. These towns have high local significance and community infrastructure. Schools, shops, parks and places of worship may be located along the route, therefore this part of the corridor should be designed as a main street. In some instances, planned or existing rural highways may bypass town centres, allowing for wayfinding and place making opportunities towards the centre.
A lack of alternative routes means rural highways also play a critical role in carrying freight to regional and rural areas. They may also form part of tourist routes within NSW and towards interstate destinations.
Drawings
Section
Rural highway section.
Plan
Rural highway plan.
Contextual characteristics
Situated at the interface between regional and rural centres, forming the primary road link between them
Cater for through-movement of people driving freight and service vehicles and people travelling in private vehicles
Depending on local demand, may have two vehicle lanes in each direction separated by a median, or an undivided single or two-lane carriageway
Physical characteristics
Typical reserve: 30–100m
Access ranges from intersections or interchanges to direct access depending on use
Car parking not permitted
Lane widths cater for vehicles of all types including freight
Design elements include large setbacks to adjacent land uses, wide corridors, and trees where they are able to be located safely
Issues and opportunities
Issues
Applying different standards along the length of the corridor, due to different sections being constructed at different times
Applying modern standards which may be out of character with adjacent topography, for example alignments formed from larger curve radii
Severing productive agricultural land or valuable environmental areas
Lacking dedicated areas for people walking or cycling
Opportunities
Supporting the economy of regional and rural areas, particularly those based around tourism and primary production
Enabling people to travel between destinations that are spaced far apart relatively quickly and safely
Connecting remote Aboriginal communities to towns while providing more mobility options.