{{Short description|Highway in New South Wales, Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}} {{Infobox Australian road | type = highway | state = nsw | road_name = Gwydir Highway | image = Gravesend (1).JPG | caption = The [[Gwydir River]] Bridge on the highway at [[Gravesend, New South Wales|Gravesend]]. | length = 568 | length_ref = <ref name="gmaps">{{google maps |url=https://www.google.com.au/maps/dir/-29.9189436,148.1648706/-29.7073474,152.9416719/@-29.7551942,149.9906259,8.73z/data=!4m14!4m13!1m10!3m4!1m2!1d149.840921!2d-29.4629703!3s0x6ba6ab52c9a706c1:0x2c005ae7df2c4c12!3m4!1m2!1d149.8450864!2d-29.4557498!3s0x6ba154b4635a2155:0x74b9c17e2ffc2da2!1m0!3e0 |title=Gwydir Highway |access-date=3 September 2021 }}</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 }}</ref> | direction_a = West | direction_b = East | end_a = {{AUshield|NSW|B55|NSW|B76}} '''[[Castlereagh Highway]]'''<br />{{small|[[Walgett, New South Wales]]}} | end_b = {{AUshield|NSW|B76|NSW|B91}} '''[[Big River Way]]'''<br />{{small|[[Grafton, New South Wales]]}} | through = {{NSWcity|Collarenebri|Moree|Warialda|Inverell}}, {{NSWcity|Glen Innes}} | route = {{AUshield|NSW|B76}} B76 {{small|(2013–present)}} | former = {{AUshield|NR|38}} National Route 38 {{small|(1962–2013)}} | exits = {{plainlist| *{{AUshield|NSW|A39}} [[Newell Highway]] *{{AUshield|NSW|B95}} [[Fossickers Way]] *{{AUshield|NSW|A15}} [[New England Highway]] }} | location =Location Gwydir Hwy.svg }} '''Gwydir Highway''' is a {{convert|568|km|adj=on}}<ref name="gmaps" /> [[state highway#Australia|state highway]] in northern [[New South Wales]], Australia. The highway was named after the [[Gwydir River]], which in turn was named after a locale in [[Wales]].
==Route== [[File:Collarenebri (1).JPG|left|thumb|Rocky Ford Bridge on the highway over the [[Barwon River (New South Wales)|Barwon River]] at [[Collarenebri]]]] Gwydir Highway traverses the [[New England (Australia)|New England]] region from the inland plains to the coastal region, linking [[Walgett, New South Wales|Walgett]], [[Collarenebri]], [[Moree, New South Wales|Moree]], [[Warialda]], [[Inverell]], [[Glen Innes, New South Wales|Glen Innes]] and [[Grafton, New South Wales|Grafton]]. The western termination of the highway is at the junction with [[Castlereagh Highway]], {{convert|14|km}} north of [[Walgett]].
At Moree it intersects the [[Newell Highway]]. At Inverell, it has an intersection with [[Thunderbolts Way]]. At Glen Innes it intersects [[New England Highway]]. At South Grafton on the [[Clarence River (New South Wales)|Clarence River]], it joins [[Big River Way]] and [[Summerland Way]]. Between Glen Innes and South Grafton, Gwydir Highway runs between the [[Gibraltar Range National Park|Gibraltar Range]] and [[Washpool National Park|Washpool]] National Parks.
==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]] (later [[Transport for NSW]]). '''Gwydir Highway''' was declared (as Main Road No. 12) from the intersection with North Coast Highway (today [[Pacific Highway, Australia|Pacific Highway]]) in South Grafton, via Buccarumbi, Glen Innes, Inverell, Moree to the crossing of the [[Barwon River (New South Wales)|Barwon River]] at Mogil Mogil,<ref name="nswgovgaz28" /> and Main Road No. 68 was declared along its future alignment from Walgett via Collarenabri to Mogil Mogil (and continuing northwards to the state border with Queensland, and westwards via Brewarrina, Bourke, Louth, Wilcannia, Menindee, Pooncarrie and Wentworth to the state border with South Australia)<ref name="nswgovgaz28" /> on the same day, 8 August 1928. With the passing of the ''Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 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, these were amended to State Highway 12 and Trunk Road 68 on 8 April 1929. In late 1929, the western end was amended to terminate via Grawan Bridge at Collarenebri instead.<ref name="MRB29-2AR">{{cite news |url=https://media.opengov.nsw.gov.au/pairtree_root/e3/7d/aa/a6/56/d6/4b/3c/91/9d/37/98/6f/71/b0/0f/obj/Nov_1929.pdf#document/p1 |title=Main Roads Board of New South Wales Annual Report: Volume 1, number 2 |newspaper=Main Roads Board of New South Wales |location=Sydney |date=November 1929 |volume=1 |number=2 |page=32 |publisher=OpenGov NSW}}</ref>
In December 1960, a 160-kilometre deviation between Glen Innes and Grafton via Jackadgery opened, with the old road via Buccarumbi renamed Old Glen Innes Road.<ref>"New Highway Links Inland Areas with Coast", ''[[Truck & Bus Transportation]]'', July 1960, page 65</ref>
The passing of the ''Roads Act of 1993''<ref>[https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1993-033 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.''] {{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> updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, the western end of Gwydir Highway (as State Highway 12) was extended from Collarenabri to the intersection with [[Castlereagh Highway]] north of Walgett, subsuming the former alignment of Main Road 68 (formerly Trunk Road 68, officially splitting it into a western section terminating at Walgett, and an eastern section terminating in Collarenabri), on 17 December 1993.<ref name="nswgovgaz93">{{cite news |title=Roads Act |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231948472 |work=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=138 |publisher=National Library of Australia |date=17 December 1993 |pages=7359 |access-date=1 December 2022 |archive-date=1 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201085005/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231948472 |url-status=live }}</ref> When Pacific Highway's [[Pacific Highway (Australia)#Bypassed|Grafton bypass]] opened in May 2020, Gwydir Highway (as Highway 12) was officially extended east along the old alignment of Pacific Highway to Tyndale, on 5 July 2022,<ref name="nswgovgaz22">{{cite news |title=Roads Act 1993 |url=https://gazette.legislation.nsw.gov.au/so/download.w3p?id=Gazette_2022_2022-323.pdf |work=Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales |issue=323 |publisher=Legislation NSW |date=15 July 2022 |pages=3–9 |access-date=1 December 2022 |archive-date=1 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221201032203/https://gazette.legislation.nsw.gov.au/so/download.w3p?id=Gazette_2022_2022-323.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> although the road is known locally and sign-posted as [[Big River Way]]. Gwydir Highway today, as part of Highway 12, still retains this declaration.<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 highway was allocated National Route 38 in 1962, from Grafton to Collarenebri, later extended with the highway to north of Walgett in 1993. With New South Wales' conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, this was replaced with route B76 across the whole highway.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/projects/key-build-programs/alpha-numeric/nsw-factsheet.pdf |title=Road number and name changes in NSW |work=[[Roads & Maritime Services]] |publisher=Government of New South Wales |date=2012 |access-date=7 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325194425/http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/projects/key-build-programs/alpha-numeric/nsw-factsheet.pdf# |archive-date=25 March 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Major junctions== {{AUSinttop|length_ref=<ref name="gmaps" /> }} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Walgett |LGAspan=2 |location=Walgett |km=0 |type=trans |road={{AUshield|NSW|B55|NSW|B76}} [[Castlereagh Highway]] (B55 north, B55/B76 south){{NSWcity|p=on|Walgett|Lightning Ridge|Coonamble|Gilgandra}} |notes=Western terminus of highway<br />Route B76 continues south along Castlereagh Highway }} {{NSWint |location=Collarenebri |km=60 |road=Herbert Street (north){{NSWcity|p=on|Collarenebri}}<br />{{AUshield|+|airport}} Wilson Street (east){{NSWcity|p=on|Mungindi}}, [[Collarenebri Airport]] |notes=4-way intersection }} {{jctbridge |river=[[Barwon River (New South Wales)|Barwon River]] |km=61 |bridge=Rocky Ford Bridge}} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Moree Plains |LGAspan=3 |location=Moree |lspan=3 |km=200 |road=Heber Street (east){{NSWcity|p=on|Moree}}<br />Balo Street (south){{NSWcity|p=on|Moree}} |notes=4-way intersection }} {{NSWint |km=201 |road=[[Carnarvon Highway]]{{NSWcity|p=on|Mungindi}}, {{QLDcity|St George}} |notes=T-intersection }} {{NSWint |type=concur |km=202 |road={{AUshield|NSW|A39|NSW|B76}} Moree Bypass ([[Newell Highway]]) (A39 north){{QLDcity|p=on|Goondiwindi}} |notes=Northern terminus of concurrency with route A39 at T-intersection }} {{jctbridge |river=[[Mehi River]] |km=203 |bridge=Doctor Geoffrey Hunter Bridge}} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Moree Plains |LGAspan=2 |location=Moree |lspan=2 |km=204 |type=concur |road={{AUshield|NSW|A39}} Moree Bypass ([[Newell Highway]]) (A39 south){{NSWcity|p=on|Narrabri|Gilgandra|Dubbo}} |notes=Southern terminus of concurrency with route A39 }} {{NSWint |km=205 |bridge=[[Mungindi railway line]] }} {{jctbridge |river=[[Gwydir River]] |km=259 |bridge=Gwydir River Bridge}} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Gwydir |LGAspan=2 |location=Warialda |lspan=2 |km=279 |road={{AUshield|NSW|B95}} Allan Cunningham Road ([[Fossickers Way]]) (B95){{NSWcity|p=on|Bingara|Barraba|Tamworth}} |notes= }} {{NSWint |km=281 |road=Warialda Road{{NSWcity|p=on|Yetman}} |notes= }} {{jctbridge |river=[[Macintyre River]] |km=341 |bridge=Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown)}} {{NSWint |LGA-S=Inverell |LGAspan=2 |location=Inverell |lspan=2 |km=342 |road=Byron Street{{NSWcity|p=on|Inverell|Ashford}} |notes=Roundabout }} {{NSWint |km=343 |road=Tingha Road ([[Thunderbolts Way]]){{NSWcity|p=on|Uralla|Walcha|Gloucester}} |notes= }} {{NSWint |LGA=[[Glen Innes Severn]] |LGAspan=2 |location=Glen Innes |lspan=2 |km=409 |uspan=2 |type=concur |road={{AUshield|NSW|A15}} Church Street ([[New England Highway]]) (A15 north){{QLDcity|p=on|Stanthorpe|Warwick}} |notes=Concurrency with route A15 |nspan=2 }} {{NSWint |km=none |type=concur |road={{AUshield|NSW|A15}} Church Street (New England Highway) (A15 south){{NSWcity|p=on|Armidale|Tamworth|Newcastle}} |notes=none }} {{jctbridge |river=[[Beardy Waters]] |km=415 |bridge=Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown)}} {{jctbridge |river=[[Mann River (New South Wales)|Mann River]] |km=524 |bridge=Bridge over the river (bridge name unknown)}} {{NSWint |LGA-Co=Clarence Valley |LGAspan=3 |location=South Grafton |lspan=3 |km=566 |road=Bent Street{{NSWcity|p=on|Grafton}} via [[Grafton Bridge (New South Wales)|Grafton Bridge]] |notes=Roundabout }} {{NSWint |km=567 |bridge=[[North Coast railway line, New South Wales|North Coast railway line]] }} {{NSWint |km=568 |type=trans |road={{AUshield|NSW|B76|NSW|B91}} [[Big River Way]] (B76/B91 north, B91 south) – Tyndale, Glenugie<br />to {{AUshield|NSW|A1}} [[Pacific Highway (Australia)|Pacific Highway]] (A1){{QLDcity|p=on|Brisbane}}, {{NSWcity|Coffs Harbour|Newcastle|Sydney}}<br />to {{AUshield|NSW|B91}} [[Summerland Way]] (B91){{NSWcity|p=on|Casino|Kyogle}}, [[Brisbane]] |notes=Eastern terminus of highway at roundabout<br />Route B76 continues eastwards along [[Big River Way]] }} {{jctbtm|col=7|keys=concur,trans}}
==See also== {{stack|{{Portal|Australian Roads|New South Wales}}}} * [[Highways in Australia]] * [[List of highways in New South Wales]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Road infrastructure in New South Wales}}
[[Category:Highways in New South Wales]] [[Category:New England (New South Wales)]] [[Category:Moree Plains Shire]]