NSW Government
Movement and Place

Motorways

Motorways

Motorways are high-speed and grade-separated corridors for vehicular movement functions. They enable people to travel longer distances quickly, reliably and without stopping. They are high-speed environments. Motorways carry high volumes of through-movement of people

and goods travelling in freight or private vehicles or using rapid bus or coach services.

Urban centre and urban motorways

Urban (inner metropolitan) motorways connect strategically important centres and usually have two or three vehicle lanes in each direction with a posted speed limit of 80km/h or higher. Their typical road reserve ranges between 25-60m, with access restricted to grade-separated interchanges. Car parking is not permitted, except in an emergency, however, emergency breakdown bays may be provided.

Common issues

Common issues to consider for urban centre and urban motorways include:

  • performance and safety in a constrained space
  • proximity to residences and other noise-sensitive environments
  • restricted cross-corridor connectivity for other modes
  • appropriate works for surface roads and streets if the motorway is in a tunnel
  • limits for transporting dangerous goods in tunnels.

Design solutions

The design solutions library includes a list of design solutions for motorways. These include:

Suburban, enterprise and peri-urban motorways

Motorways situated at the edges of metropolitan areas usually carry people and freight moving to and from destinations separated by long distances. They usually consist of at least two vehicle lanes in each direction plus a shoulder, with a posted speed limit of 100km/h or higher. Wide medians are often provided to allow for future widening. The typical road reserve ranges from 50-100m.

Car parking is not permitted, except in an emergency, however, emergency breakdown are usually provided. Access is restricted to grade-separated interchanges.

Common issues

  • noise and air pollution impacts on nearby residential areas
  • proximity to sensitive areas including environmental areas
  • severance between adjacent communities caused by the motorway.

Design solutions

[1] self-explaining environment (Beyond the Pavement, TS 01592)

[2] discrete active transport corridors (Beyond the Pavement, TS 01592)

[3] matching alignment to topography (Beyond the Pavement, TS 01592)

[4] retaining existing vegetation (Beyond the Pavement, TS 01592)

[5] trees in the median (Landscape Design Guideline, TS 01595)

[6] trees in the verge (Landscape Design Guideline, TS 01595)

[7] distinct tree planting patterns (Beyond the Pavement, TS 01592)

[8] bicycle paths (Cycleway Design Toolbox, TS 01590) and Footpaths (Walking Space Guide, TS 01589), or Shared paths (Cycleway Design Toolbox, TS 01590)

[9] separation from noise sources (Reducing road traffic noise)

[10] setbacks for new development (Beyond the Pavement, TS 01592)

[11] safety barriers (Austroads Guide to Road Design, Part 6)

[12] road shoulder (Austroads Guide to Road Design, Part 3)

[13] grade separated crossings (Beyond the Pavement, TS 01592)

[14] smart technology (NSW Digital Infrastructure Requirements)

The design solutions library includes a full list of appropriate design solutions for suburban motorways.

The Heavy Vehicle Access Policy should be used when determining design and check vehicles.

Share via