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Southern Cross Drive

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For the road in Brisbane, see Gateway Motorway § Southern Cross Way.
Southern Cross Drive

New South Wales
Aerial view of Southern Cross Drive in 2012, with Botany Lakes and Mill Steam astride the road
Southern Cross Drive is located in Sydney
North end
North end
South end
South end
Coordinates
General information
TypeMotorway
Length4.9 km (3.0 mi)[1]
GazettedJanuary 1993[2]
Route number(s) M1 (2013–present)
Former
route number
  • Metroad 1 (1993–2013)
  • National Route 1 (1992–1993)
  • State Route 64 (1974–1992)
Major junctions
North end South Dowling Street
Kensington, Sydney
 
  • Wentworth Avenue
  • Mill Pond Road
South end General Holmes Drive
Mascot, Sydney
Location(s)
Major suburbs / townsEastlakes, Pagewood, Rosebery
Highway system

Southern Cross Drive is a 4.8 km (3 mi) dual carriage untolled motorway in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Part of the M1 and Sydney Orbital Network, the road, a freeway that opened in 1969, links South Dowling Street (and Eastern Distributor just beyond) at Kensington in the north to General Holmes Drive at Sydney Airport in the south.

Route

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Southern Cross Drive commences at the interchange with South Dowling Street (and the southern end of Eastern Distributor, around 500m beyond) and Link Road and heads south as a 6-lane, dual-carriageway road, tracing past the western border of The Australian Golf Club in Kensington and through The Lakes Golf Club in Eastlakes, before turning westwards over Wentworth Avenue towards the eastern boundary of Sydney Airport, where it turns south again to eventually merge with General Holmes Drive.

With the development of many other motorways and freeways, Southern Cross Drive is part of the 110-kilometre (68 mi) Sydney Orbital Network, providing links without interruption between Greater Western Sydney, Eastern Suburbs, the North Shore and Hills District. It allows a continuous link from M5 Motorway, General Holmes Drive, Westlink M7, Eastern Distributor, Cahill Expressway, Sydney Harbour Tunnel, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Warringah Freeway, Gore Hill Freeway, Lane Cove Tunnel and M2 Hills Motorway.

In August 2013, the Southern Cross Drive carried about 20,000 vehicles per day, both north and southbound.[3]

South of Wentworth Avenue and north of Botany Road, Southern Cross Drive is elevated above the Port Botany railway line.[4]

History

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Southern Cross Drive was originally built to provide access to the Sydney central business district for suburbs in Southern Sydney and South Eastern Sydney, and originally terminated at Wentworth Avenue at Pagewood. The Gardeners Road bridge was completed in 1969, elevated above Southern Cross Drive at Eastlakes.[5]

A road project to extend Southern Cross Drive further south-west as an elevated roadway over Wentworth Avenue, Botany and Mill Pond Roads – and over reclaimed swampland including Mill Pond, Mill Steam, and Botany Dams, much of which has been reclaimed for golf courses (including the Eastlakes Golf Club, The Lakes Golf Club and Bonnie Doon Golf Club) – to connect directly to General Holmes Drive on the eastern border of Sydney Airport, opened in February 1988.

The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[6] 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 (MRB). With the subsequent passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[7] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, the Department of Main Roads (having succeeded the MRB in 1932) extended the southern end of Main Road 593 from its old terminus on South Dowling Street at the intersection with O'Dea and Todman Avenues further along South Dowling Street and along the entire length of Southern Cross Drive on 22 January 1993.[2] Despite its role as a grade-separated expressway, the road is not officially gazetted as one by Transport for NSW classification, and is still considered today to be a main road.[8]

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[9] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, Southern Cross Drive retains its declaration as part of Main Road 593.[8]

The route was allocated State Route 64 in 1974; when the Southern Cross Drive extension opened in 1988, it was extended along with it.[10] It was replaced by National Route 1 when the Sydney Harbour Tunnel opened in 1992, then by Metroad 1 in 1993.[11] With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, Metroad 1 was replaced by route M1.[12]

There were plans to construct south-facing ramps from Gardeners Road to Southern Cross Drive, proposed in 2005.[13][14]

Exits and interchanges

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LGALocationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Sydney–Randwick boundaryZetland–Kensington boundary0.00.0 South Dowling Street (M1) – Surry Hills, Darlinghurst, Paddington
to Eastern Distributor (M1) – Woolloomooloo, Sydney CBD, North Sydney		Northern terminus of road, route M1 continues north along South Dowling Street
Link Road – RoseberyNorthbound entrance and exit only
BaysideEastlakes–Mascot–Pagewood tripoint3.22.0Wentworth Avenue – Maroubra, MascotNorthbound entrance and southbound exit only
Mascot–Pagewood–Botany tripoint4.42.7Southern Sydney Freight Line
Mascot4.52.8 Mill Pond Road, to General Holmes Drive (north) – Port Botany, La Perouse, Sydney Airport
Botany Road – Botany, Mascot, Arncliffe		Northbound entrance and southbound exit only
Botany–Mascot boundary4.93.0 General Holmes Drive (M1 south) – Blakehurst, Heathcote, WollongongSouthern terminus of road, route M1 continues southeast along General Holmes Drive
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
[edit]
  • Southern Cross Drive, southerly direction, at the Link Road entrance. Also visible are lane markings notifying motorists of the approaching entrance to Eastern Distributor
    Southern Cross Drive, southerly direction, at the Link Road entrance. Also visible are lane markings notifying motorists of the approaching entrance to Eastern Distributor
  • Crossing over Wentworth Avenue with surrounding golf courses.
    Crossing over Wentworth Avenue with surrounding golf courses.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Southern Cross Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b "State Roads Act". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 7. National Library of Australia. 22 January 1993. pp. 223–30. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Airport East Precinct: Addendum review of environmental factors" (PDF). Roads & Maritime Services. April 2016. p. 30. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  4. ^ SMEC Holdings (June 2014). "Appendix J: Review of Environmental Factors" (PDF). WestConnex Enabling Works – Airport east precinct: Review of Environmental Factors. Roads & Maritime Services. p. 20. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  5. ^ "Metroads: Steel bridges". The History of Sydney: Late 20th Century: 1946 - 2000. Visit Sydney Australia. 2015. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
  6. ^ 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
  7. ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the MRB; 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
  8. ^ a b 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.
  9. ^ 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
  10. ^ "NSW State Route 64: Deccommissioned". OzRoads: The Australian Roads. Retrieved 8 October 2016.[self-published source]
  11. ^ "NSW Metroad 1: Former Alignment: Southern Cross Drive to Cahill Expressway". OzRoads: The Australian Roads. Retrieved 8 October 2016.[self-published source]
  12. ^ "Road number and name changes in Sydney" (PDF). Roads and Maritime Services. Transport for NSW - Roads and Maritime. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Southern Cross Drive and Gardeners Road, Eastlakes". Roads & Maritime Services. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008.
  14. ^ "RTA Annual Report 2006 Appendices" (PDF). Roads & Traffic Authority. 30 June 2006. p. 151. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
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