Bells Line of Road

{{Short description|Road in New South Wales, Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use Australian English|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox Australian road | road_name = Bells Line of Road | type = road | state = nsw | image = BellsLineofRoadMountTomah.jpg | caption = [[Mount Tomah]], Australia | length = 58.6 | length_ref = <ref name="gmaps">{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/-33.5114917,150.2807312/-33.5886114,150.7295096/@-33.542658,150.4412743,12.16z/data=!4m2!4m1!3e0 |title=Bells Line of Road |access-date=19 August 2022 }}</ref> | gazetted = August 1928 | gazetted_ref = <ref name="nswgovgaz28">{{cite news |title=Main Roads Act, 1924-1927 |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219952359 |work=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=110 |publisher=National Library of Australia |date=17 August 1928 |pages=3814–20 |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=3 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220803050207/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/219952359 |url-status=live }}</ref> | route = {{AUshield|NSW|B59}} B59 {{small|(2013–present)}} | former = {{AUshield|S|40}} State Route 40 {{small|(1974–2013)}} | coordinates_a = {{coord|-33.511482|150.280724|type:landmark_region:AU-NSW|display=inline}} | coordinates_b = {{coord|-33.588607|150.729495|type:landmark_region:AU-NSW|display=inline}} | pushpin_label_position_a = left | pushpin_label_position_b = right | direction_a = West | direction_b = East | end_a = {{AUshield|NSW|B59}} '''Chifley Road'''<br />{{small|[[Bell, New South Wales]]}} | end_b = {{AUshield|NSW|B59}} '''Kurrajong Road'''<br />{{small|[[Richmond, New South Wales|Richmond, Sydney]]}} | exits = Darling Causeway | through = [[Mount Tomah]], [[Berambing]], [[Bilpin]], [[Kurrajong Heights]], [[Kurmond]] }}

'''Bells Line of Road''' is a {{convert|59|km|adj=on}}<ref name="gmaps" /> major road located in [[New South Wales]], [[Australia]], providing an alternative crossing of the [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]] to the [[Great Western Highway]]. The eastern terminus of the road is in {{NSWcity|Richmond}}, 51 km northwest of [[Sydney]], where the road continues eastward as Kurrajong Road, which intersects the [[A9 (Sydney)|A9]]. The western terminus of the road is in {{NSWcity|Bell}}, in the Blue Mountains, where the road continues as the Chifley Road.

The route, part of the traditional Aboriginal pathway network, was shown to [[Archibald Bell, Jr.]] by [[Darug]] men Emery and Cogy in 1823.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2182286?searchTerm=Bell |title=Magistrate for the Ensuing Week, Alexander Berry, Esquire |newspaper=[[Sydney Gazette|The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser]] |volume=Twenty-First |issue=1038 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=9 October 1823 |page=2}}</ref><ref name=HawkesburyValley>{{cite web |title=Hawkesbury Valley |url=http://www.greaterbluemountainsdrive.com.au/hawkesbury-valley-surrounds.php |publisher=Greater Blue Mountains Drive |access-date=29 May 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530192651/http://greaterbluemountainsdrive.com.au/hawkesbury-valley-surrounds.php |archive-date=30 May 2014 |df=dmy}}</ref> Subsequently, he was accompanied by the Government Assistant Surveyor and the route marked was known as Bell's Line, to be later cleared to become the second road across the Blue Mountains. Due to its condition and the gradients around Mount Tomah it was rarely used before World War II. The road was improved between 1939 and 1943, as an alternative to the [[Great Western Highway]] for the war effort. At the same time that it was improved, the road from Bell via Scenic Hill to Lithgow was built, so that the Darling Causeway (the conjoining road connecting Bell and Mount Victoria) carries relatively little traffic, but is a significant tourist route.

Today, the route is still used as an alternative route across the Blue Mountains and is also a popular tourist drive.

In June 2025, the [[Government of New South Wales]] announced the progression of a funding injection of $100{{nbsp}}million from the federal government for upgrades to the road.<ref>{{cite web |type=Ministerial media release |access-date=4 October 2025 |date=13 June 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250710070618/https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/starting-bell-rings-on-planning-for-100-million-safety-upgrades-to-bells-line-of-road |url=https://www.nsw.gov.au/ministerial-releases/starting-bell-rings-on-planning-for-100-million-safety-upgrades-to-bells-line-of-road |archive-date=10 July 2025 |website=NSW Government |title=Starting bell rings on planning for $100 million in safety upgrades to the bells line of road |url-status=live |author=Minister for Regional Transport and Roads}}</ref>

==Route== {{one source section|date=October 2025}} The eastern terminus of Bells Line of Road as an identified route began at the edge of the town of Richmond, but now officially begins at the Richmond Bridge across the [[Hawkesbury River]]. West of the Hawkesbury River it passes through the town of {{NSWcity|North Richmond}} and the village of [[Kurmond, New South Wales|Kurmond]], before bypassing [[Kurrajong, New South Wales|Kurrajong]]. At Bellbird Hill it then proceeds to climb onto the Bell Range of the Blue Mountains, passing through [[Kurrajong Heights]]. When on the range, it proceeds through the fruit-growing areas of [[Bilpin]] and [[Berambing]], before climbing and descending [[Mount Tomah]], passing by the Mount Tomah Botanic Gardens. After Mount Tomah it proceeds through the [[Blue Mountains National Park]] passing Mount Bell and Mount Charles and passing close to Pierces Pass and Mount Banks. {{convert|8|km|spell=In}} before Bell is the turn off to the villages of [[Mount Wilson, New South Wales|Mount Wilson]] and [[Mount Irvine, New South Wales|Mount Irvine]]. At the village of Bell, Bells Line of Road turns south to run along the crest of the Darling Causeway to Mount Victoria, passing the site of the now-demolished Hartley Vale railway station. From Bell the majority of traffic uses Chifley Road, which goes west to {{NSWcity|Lithgow}}<ref name="gmaps" /> and [[Great Western Highway]].

The route has numerous sections of steep and winding road. The steepest section is at Bellbird Hill, where the road rises around {{convert|450|m}} from the Hawkesbury Valley to the Bell Range. The road is steep with a grade of 1:8 and has several tight bends. Other steep sections include the east and west ascents of Mount Tomah and Mount Bell as well as "The Glen" on the west side of Kurrajong Heights.

===Alternative routes=== {{unsourced section|date=October 2025}} The next trafficable road north of Bells Line of Road that crosses the Blue Mountains is the [[Bylong Valley Way]], which forms a more direct route between the [[Central West, New South Wales|Central West]] region and the [[Hunter Valley]], including the [[Port of Newcastle]].

==History== The passing of the ''Main Roads Act of 1924''<ref>[http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/mra1924n24133/ 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''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811000905/http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/mra1924n24133/ |date=11 August 2022 }} 10 November 1924</ref> 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]]. Main Road No. 184 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from Richmond, via Bilpin to Bell (and continuing southwards along Darling Causeway to the intersection with [[Great Western Highway]] at [[Mount Victoria, New South Wales|Mount Victoria]], and continuing eastwards via Windsor along [[Windsor Road]] to [[Parramatta]]);<ref name="nswgovgaz28" /> with the passing of the ''Main Roads (Amendment) Act, 1929''<ref>[https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-1929-15 State of New South Wales, ''An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the Main Roads Board; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith.''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220812065622/https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/pdf/asmade/act-1929-15 |date=12 August 2022 }} 8 April 1929</ref> to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Main Road 184 on 8 April 1929.

The passing of the ''Roads Act 1993''<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|NSW|act|ra199373|Roads Act 1993}}</ref> updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this legislation, Bells Line of Road retains its declaration as part of Main Road 184.<ref name="nswroadsched">{{cite web |url=https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/lgr/documents/classified-roads-schedule.pdf |title=Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads |author=[[Transport for NSW]] |date=August 2022 |publisher=Government of New South Wales |access-date=1 August 2022 |archive-date=25 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220825104657/https://roads-waterways.transport.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/lgr/documents/classified-roads-schedule.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The route was allocated part of State Route 40 in 1974. With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, this was replaced with route B59.<ref name="alphanumeric">{{cite web |url=https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/roads/using-roads/alpha-numeric/sydney-factsheet.pdf |title=Road number and name changes in Sydney |website=Roads and Maritime Services |publisher=Transport for NSW - Roads and Maritime |date=2013 |access-date=23 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401053404/http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/roads/using-roads/alpha-numeric/sydney-factsheet.pdf |archive-date=1 April 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Lowered speed limits=== In November 2007, the [[Roads & Traffic Authority]] (RTA) announced plans to lower the speed limits along much of Bells Line of Road. Within a week, sufficient opposition was expressed that the changes were put on hold.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/13/2088932.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071210162011/http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/11/13/2088932.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 December 2007 |title=RTA puts Bells Line speed limit changes on hold |work=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |location=Australia |date=13 November 2007 }}</ref> In October 2008, the same changes were again announced, with the RTA claiming that there had been community consultation, but numerous users of the road, including MPs and councillors based west of the [[Blue Mountains (New South Wales)|Blue Mountains]], claimed to have been unaware of any consultation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://lithgow.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/second-attempt-at-speed-zones/1332629.aspx |title=Second attempt at speed zones |work=Lithgow Mercury |date=14 October 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016004804/http://lithgow.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/second-attempt-at-speed-zones/1332629.aspx |archive-date=16 October 2008 |df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{cite Hansard |url=https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/Hansard/Pages/HansardResult.aspx#/docid/HANSARD-1323879322-79423 |access-date=4 October 2025 |title=Bells Line of Road Speed Limit |speaker=Turner, Russell (MP) |author-link=Russell Turner (politician) |house=Legislative Assembly |jurisdiction=[[Parliament of New South Wales]] |date=22 October 2008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524175829/http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/hansart.nsf/V3Key/LA20081022042 |archive-date=24 May 2011 |df=dmy}}</ref> As a result of the changes, the maximum speed limit east of Bell is now {{convert|80|km/h|0}}.

==Junctions== {{AUSinttop|length_ref=<ref name="gmaps" />}} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Hawkesbury |LGAspan=2 |location=Richmond |lspan=2 |km=0.0 |uspan=2 |type=trans |road={{AUshield|NSW|B59}} Kurrajong Road (B59 east){{NSWcity|p=on|Richmond|Windsor}}, [[Sydney]] |notes=Eastern terminus of road, route B59 continues east along Kurrajong Road }} {{NSWint |km=none |road=Old Kurrajong Road (north){{NSWcity|p=on|Richmond}}<br />Yarramundi Lane (south) - [[Agnes Banks]] |notes= }} {{jctbridge |river=[[Hawkesbury River]] |km=0.7 |bridge=Bridge (no known official name)}} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Hawkesbury |LGAspan=5 |location=North Richmond |lspan=2 |km=1.4 |road=Terrace Road (north) - [[Freemans Reach]]<br />Grose Vale Road (south) - [[Grose Vale]], [[Grose Wold]] |notes= }} {{NSWint |km=2.1 |road=Crooked Lane{{NSWcity|p=on|Tennyson}} |notes= }} {{NSWint |location=Kurmond |km=5.6 |road=Kurmond Road - [[Kurmond]] |notes= }} {{NSWint |location=Kurrajong |lspan=2 |km=7.3 |road=Comleroy Road - [[East Kurrajong]] |notes= }} {{NSWint |km=7.5 |road=Old Bells Line of Road{{NSWcity|p=on|Kurrajong}} |notes= }} {{NSWint |LGAC=Blue Mountains |LGAspan=4 |location=Mount Wilson |lspan= |km=51.2 |road=Mount Wilson Road{{NSWcity|p=on|Mount Wilson|Mount Irvine}} |notes=Uncontrolled T intersection }} {{NSWint |location=Bell |lspan=3 |km=58.4 |bridge=''[[Main Western railway line]]'' }} {{NSWint |km=58.6 |uspan=2 |road=Darling Causeway (south){{NSWcity|p=on|Mount Victoria|Springwood}} |notes= }} {{NSWint |km=none |type=trans |road={{AUshield|NSW|B59}} Chifley Road (B59 west){{NSWcity|p=on|Lithgow}} |notes=Western terminus of road, route B59 continues west along Chifley Road }} {{jctbtm|keys=trans}}

==Future== For many years, road-lobby groups have been pushing for what they call a "superhighway" across the Blue Mountains. They claim that the poor roads across the Blue Mountains are impeding economic growth west of the Mountains.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

In 2002, road-lobby groups secured $2{{nbsp}}million in funding for a feasibility study into building a freeway following Bells Line of Road. The proposed freeway would have linked to the [[M2 Hills Motorway]] in Sydney and connected to the Great Western Highway west of Lithgow via a route across the Newnes Plateau. The study report, published in November 2004 concluded that, while feasible to build from an engineering perspective, it would not be economically feasible and would have massive impact on adjacent [[Protected areas of New South Wales (Australia)#National Parks|national parks]] and local communities.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectsregional/western/blor_corridor_study.html |title=Bells Line of Road Corridor Study |work=Roads & Traffic Authority |date=November 2004 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090102235956/http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/constructionmaintenance/majorconstructionprojectsregional/western/blor_corridor_study.html |archive-date=2 January 2009 |df=dmy}}</ref>

The Great Western Highway has been the main route across the Blue Mountains since its construction in 1815, but after the above studies found that a freeway would be too expensive to build along the route of Bells Line of Road, the idea was abandoned. However [[Roads & Maritime Services]]' 2017 road corridor improvement program<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190416010931/http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/sydney-west/bells-line-of-road/index.html Bells Line of Road corridor improvement program] [[Roads & Maritime Services]] 21 December 2017</ref> provides for a somewhat more modest program of upgradings. It is also revisiting studies last undertaken in the 1960s to extend the planned Castlereagh Freeway (subsequently partly-built as the M2) to connect with Bell's Line of Road at Kurrajong Heights. If this project were to be implemented it would force major improvements to be undertaken to the route followed by Bell's Line of Road, due to the traffic volumes that would be generated by a freeway. Conversely, a freeway could not be justified without a major capacity increase on the Bell's Line of Road route.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Bells+Line+of+Rd&daddr=Bells+Line+of+Rd&hl=en&geocode=Fbec__0dM8z7CA%3BFWSnAP4dLhr1CA&mra=ls&sll=-33.51256,150.280352&sspn=0.018463,0.02811&safe=on&ie=UTF8&ll=-33.545973,150.47287&spn=0.295296,0.710678&t=p&z=11 Bells Line of Road] on [[Google Maps]] * [http://www.ozroads.com.au/NSW/RouteNumbering/State%20Routes/40/bellslineofroad.htm Bells Line of Road: History and Development on Ozroads] * {{cite web |last1=Media |first1=Australian Community Media - Fairfax |title=Road history is both long and windy |url=http://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/story/3225258/road-history-is-both-long-and-windy/ |website=Hawkesbury Gazette |access-date=15 January 2017 |date=21 July 2015}}

{{Road infrastructure in New South Wales}}

[[Category:Roads in New South Wales]] [[Category:Transport in the Blue Mountains (New South Wales)]]