These corridors form secondary links between towns and cities in regional NSW or link peri-urban settlements within metropolitan areas. While they have a strong movement function, their less-direct nature means people often choose these routes because of another characteristic.
These links may once have been a primary route between towns and villages which have since been bypassed, still retaining an important access function which may include tourism (often formalised by a tourist route designation). As such, they present opportunities to distinguish approaches to settlements and other waypoints as a means of reinforcing an associated speed limit change while adding character.
Often reflecting older design standards, changes in topography and adjacent land use along their length may be more readily appreciated, attracting people due to their intrinsic character rather than the convenience of greater speed. Lower numbers of private and freight vehicles can make them popular with recreational cyclists, although they are unlikely to include dedicated infrastructure for this.
Drawings
Section
Rural link section
Plan
Rural link plan.
Contextual characteristics
Situated between centres of all sizes in rural, regional and peri-urban areas
Cater for people travelling in private vehicles and for local freight rather than movement over longer distances
Usually consist of one vehicle lane in each direction, with a shoulder of variable width
Physical characteristics
Typical reserve: 20–50m
Direct access from properties to the corridor
No car parking provided outside rest stops and pull-over bays
Lane widths cater for vehicles of all types including freight
Design elements include large setbacks to adjacent land use, wide corridors, abundant trees along the corridor boundary, and utilities
Issues and opportunities
Issues
Having minimum standards for such elements as curve radius and shoulder width, leading to a level of safety proportionate to their lower use
Lacking dedicated areas for people walking or cycling
Being susceptible to disruption where they have lower resilience to extreme events such as floods
Opportunities
Providing a more intimate connection to the character and context of their setting (due to lower design standards) · Potentially supporting dedicated ventures tied to the destinations they serve, such as a tourist trail or cycling event