State Road Hierarchy

Department of State Growth

State roads and the
state road hierarchy
The state-owned road network consists of 3 774 km of road. It is a subset
of the broader Tasmanian road network and focuses on connectivity and
movement functions at a state and regional level.
The state road network primarily consists of roads that provide connectivity
between cities, major towns, rural catchments and key marine and air transport
hubs.
To plan and manage this network within a clear and strategic framework, the
Department of State Growth has adopted a five-tier hierarchy.
In addition to the benefits created by using this classification system, the
hierarchy enables the department to take a strategic approach to the
management and planning of Tasmania’s transport system.

System and network planning and

investment priorities
The road hierarchy is based primarily on the
need to provide connectivity at a state level for
key corridors between cities, major towns, ports
and rural catchments. The economic and social
benefits provided by roads directly relates to their
function and use. The road hierarchy also provides
a framework that is used to direct investment
resources to maximise state and regional benefits.
In addition, the hierarchy enables choices to be
made regarding the relative function and priority
given to parallel and duplicate routes, ensuring
major traffic flows are directed to suitable
infrastructure.

2 STATE ROAD HIERARCHY

Land use and transport planning Access and conflict management
The state road hierarchy outlines the strategic There is a fundamental relationship between the
function of individual roads and wider network classification of roads in the hierarchy and the
relationships. In this context, the hierarchy levels of land access, which is aimed at minimising
provides the basis for matching land use with traffic conflict and achieving consistent operation.
road function in a way that maximises network At the level of Category 1 roads, where greater
efficiency and safety outcomes, while reasonably mobility is required, there also exists a greater
meeting the access needs of the land use. degree of access control. Conversely, feeder and
In generating traffic volumes, including different other roads provide a higher level of access to
vehicle mixes, and the need for new and upgraded adjacent properties, and a lower level of mobility.
accesses, land use can have a direct impact on the
efficiency, safety and function of the strategic road
Development and maintenance
network. It is important to: standards
»»ensure that arterial roads serve their purpose The development standards for each category
as transport corridors and do not have their of road reflect the use, operating speed and
strategic role undermined by inappropriate surrounding environment. For example, trunk
access or development roads and regional freight roads are the routes
most used by heavy vehicles and these must
»»ensure that development and access do not be designed to safely and efficiently carry a mix
compromise the movement and free flow of of trucks, including higher productivity vehicles
traffic or the safe use of roads by others and passenger vehicles. Where necessary,
»»minimise amenity conflicts between road use the standards have some flexibility for local
and the use of adjoining land. conditions, for example, where roads go through
mountainous terrain, towns or historic precincts.
Local road planning and layout, including of
residential neighbourhoods, should maximise Roads are expensive to build, maintain and
opportunities to provide local road connections upgrade and achieving consistent development
between houses and local service centres and standards across the network is a long-term goal.
facilities, in preference to the mixing of local traffic The hierarchy also provides the basis for
with freight and high-speed traffic over major determining operating performance levels on
arterial roads. Junctions between local roads and matters such as road roughness and rutting, which
high-speed arterial roads should be minimised. allows determination of maintenance intervention
levels across the network.

STATE ROAD HIERARCHY 3

Road hierarchy categories Category 3 Roads. The main access roads to
The hierarchy identifies five categories of roads:
Tasmania’s regions, carrying less heavy freight
traffic than regional freight roads.
Category 1 Roads. The primary freight and
Category 3 Roads are of strategic importance to
passenger roads connecting Tasmania.
regional and local communities and economies;
Category 1 Roads are Tasmania’s major highways they link important towns to the Category 1
and are crucial to the effective functioning of and Category 2 roads. While they are used by
industry, commerce and the community in heavy freight vehicles, this use is less than that of
Tasmania. They carry large numbers of heavy Category 2 Roads.
freight and passenger vehicles and are the key
Together with Category 2 Roads, the Category
links supporting future economic development in
3 Roads also provide safe and efficient access to
Tasmania.
Tasmania’s regions.
Category 1 Roads facilitate:
Category 3 Roads facilitate:
»»inter-regional freight movement
»»connection of smaller regional resource bases
»»inter-regional passenger vehicle movement with Category 1 and Category 2 Roads
»»business interaction. »»local commercial interaction
The Category 1 Roads connect the largest »»sub-regional and inter-regional freight
population centres, major sea and air ports, and movement by connecting with Category 1 and
key industrial locations. Category 2 Roads
Category 2 Roads. Tasmania’s major regional »»sub-regional passenger vehicle movement and
roads for carrying heavy freight. connection to Category 1 and Category 2
Roads
Category 2 Roads link major production
catchments to the Category 1 Roads. For »»sub-regional tourist movement and
example, the Circular Head, Dorset, Huon Valley connection to Category 1 and Category 2
and Derwent Valley areas. They carry a large Roads.
number of both heavy freight and passenger Category 4 Roads. Allowing safe travel
vehicles.
between towns, major tourist destinations
Together with Category 3 Roads, they provide and industrial areas.
safe and efficient access to Tasmania’s regions.
Category 4 Roads provide safe passenger vehicle
Category 2 Roads facilitate: and tourist movement within the regions of
»»heavy inter-regional and sub-regional freight Tasmania.
movement Where the main road servicing the town is a state
»»passenger vehicle movement road, Category 4 Roads connect towns with a
population of around 1 000 or more to Category
»»commercial interaction 1, Category 2 and Category 3 Roads.
»»tourist movement. While some of these roads currently carry heavy
They are also the Department of State Growth’s freight traffic, they duplicate existing Category
preferred heavy freight vehicle routes where 1, Category 2 or Category 3 Roads and are not
alternative routes exist. the Department of State Growth’s strategically
preferred heavy vehicle routes.
Category 4 Roads facilitate connection to
Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 Roads for:
»»local commercial interaction
»»local freight movement
»»smaller regional resource bases
»»local passenger vehicle movement
4 STATE ROAD HIERARCHY »»tourists and major tourist destinations.
Category 5 Roads. The remainder of the Determining road categories
state roads. Categorisation is based on:
Category 5 Roads are primarily access roads for
»»measured use - for example, road count and
private properties.
survey data
Some may be used for comparatively low
»»current and planned function - including the
frequency heavy freight vehicle transport, for
role in connecting towns, cities, ports and
example:
airports
»»log transport – but they are not the most
»»trends - such as the projected growth of
important log transport roads, and experience
population centres and changes in road counts
fluctuation in use
over time
»»farm property access – for purposes including
»»strategy - for example, choosing a preferred
delivery of fuel and supplies, stock transport,
route between roads that duplicate each
crop delivery and milk pick-up.
other.
While a few of these roads may currently carry
In particular, the road categories reflect their
larger numbers of heavy freight vehicles, they
usage by passenger vehicles, road freight transport
may duplicate existing Category 1, Category 2 or
and value in supporting cities, towns, tourism, and
Category 3 Roads and are not the Department
business.
of State Growth’s strategically preferred heavy
freight vehicle routes.

STATE ROAD HIERARCHY 5

6 STATE ROAD HIERARCHY
Contact
For further information, contact the
Department of State Growth
Phone: 1800 753 878
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.transport.tas.gov.au