Main North Road
Encyclopedia
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
.
From the Adelaide city centre
Adelaide city centre
The Adelaide city centre is the innermost locality of Greater Adelaide, known by locals simply as "The City" or "Town". The locality is split into two key geographical distinctions: the city "square mile", bordered by North, East, South and West Terraces; and that part of the Adelaide Parklands...
, it passes through the Adelaide Parklands and the suburbs of Thorngate, Medindie, Medindie Gardens, Nailsworth, Prospect
Prospect
Prospect may refer to:* Prospect , a Scottish architecture magazine* Prospect High School , various high schools* Prospect House, the former President's residence and current faculty club of Princeton University...
, Sefton Park, Blair Athol
Blair Athol
Blair Athol may refer to several places:*Blair Athol, South Australia*Blair Athol, New South Wales, Australia*Blair Atholl, ScotlandIn sport:*Blair Athol was a British thoroughbred racehorse...
and Enfield before reaching the major intersection at Gepps Cross
Gepps Cross, South Australia
Gepps Cross is a suburb and major road intersection in the north of Adelaide, South Australia. Gepps Cross is traditionally seen as the end of the inner suburbs and the start of the outer northern suburbs, as it was home to a major abattoir with holding yards and other open space. It is the first...
. Here the road forks, with the Port Wakefield Road
Port Wakefield Road
Port Wakefield Road is an important Australian highway. It connects Adelaide, the South Australian capital, to the Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, northern and western South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It is designated National Highway A1 and a part of the National Highway...
(A1 - National Highway 1
Highway 1 (Australia)
Australia's Highway 1 is a network of highways that circumnavigate the Australian continent, joining all mainland state capitals. At a total length of approximately it is the longest national highway in the world, longer than the Trans-Siberian Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway...
) continuing to the north, and the Main North Road turning northeast and continuing as the A52. It continues through Salisbury and Elizabeth to Gawler
Gawler, South Australia
Gawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...
where the Sturt Highway
Sturt Highway
The Sturt Highway is an Australian highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is part of the Auslink National network and is part of the main highway route between Sydney and Adelaide.-Route:...
branches off to the east. As the Main North Road continues northward to the Clare Valley
Clare Valley
The Clare Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions, best known for Riesling wines. It lies in the Mid North of South Australia, approximately 120 km north of Adelaide. The valley runs north-south, with Main North Road as the main thoroughfare....
, the Barrier Highway
Barrier Highway
The Barrier Highway is a highway in New South Wales and South Australia signposted as in South Australia and in New South Wales, Australia.The Barrier Highway starts at Nyngan where it joins the Mitchell Highway. It heads west past Hermidale and Boppy Mountain to Cobar, a mining town. It then...
branches northeast towards Burra
Burra, South Australia
Burra is a pastoral centre and historic tourist town in the mid-north of South Australia. It lies east of the Clare Valley in the Bald Hills range, part of the northern Mount Lofty Ranges, and on Burra Creek. The town began as a single company mining township that, by 1851, was a set of townships ...
.
Beyond Clare
Clare, South Australia
The town of Clare is located in South Australia in the Mid North region, 136 km north of Adelaide. It gives its name to the Clare Valley wine and tourist region.-History:One of the first settlers in the area was John Horrocks, in 1839...
, the Main North Road passes through the Southern Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
to Wilmington
Wilmington, South Australia
Wilmington is a town in the southern Flinders Ranges region of South Australia. The town is located in the District Council of Mount Remarkable Local Government Area, north of the state capital, Adelaide...
at the eastern side of Horrocks Pass
Horrocks Pass
Horrocks Pass is a geographical location in the southern Flinders Ranges, in South Australia, approximately 6 kilometres west of the town of Wilmington. Main North Road travels through the pass between Port Augusta and Wilmington...
, and then turns back northwest to Stirling North
Stirling North, South Australia
Stirling North is a small town located 7 km east of Port Augusta in South Australia. It acts primarily as a satellite town to Port Augusta with the town's railway station lying at a major rail junction linking the Port Augusta power station and the main east-west rail link to the coal rail...
where it meets the Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
just outside of Port Augusta
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
.
Commuter route
In the metropolitan area, the road is a major commuter route to the central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
The portion of Main North Road between the city centre and Mawson Lakes
Mawson Lakes, South Australia
Mawson Lakes is a suburb and new residential development in the City of Salisbury, Adelaide, with the first land being released in 1998. It has a census area population of 5,246 people. The suburb is located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide around 12 km north of the Central business...
is a 15 minute public transport 'Go-Zone', with the maximum wait for a bus being 15 minutes during peak times (07:30am – 18:30pm weekdays). Bus routes via Main North Rd generally begin with the prefix "22x". The bus service is provided by SouthLink
SouthLink
SouthLink is a private public transport company that provides a bus service to outer southern and outer northern Adelaide, Australia. Australian Transit Enterprises , a joint venture between Hornibrook Bus Lines and Grenda Corporation, is SouthLink's parent company, and is also provides bus...
for Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of the South Australian capital of Adelaide and the brand name of the Public Transport Division of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. It is an intermodal system with services provided by bus, tram or commuter rail throughout the...
.
Route numbers
From North AdelaideNorth Adelaide
North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands.-History:...
its official route numbers are:
to Gepps CrossGepps Cross, South AustraliaGepps Cross is a suburb and major road intersection in the north of Adelaide, South Australia. Gepps Cross is traditionally seen as the end of the inner suburbs and the start of the outer northern suburbs, as it was home to a major abattoir with holding yards and other open space. It is the first...
, where it becomes the
(part of the national Highway 1Highway 1 (Australia)Australia's Highway 1 is a network of highways that circumnavigate the Australian continent, joining all mainland state capitals. At a total length of approximately it is the longest national highway in the world, longer than the Trans-Siberian Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway...
) and continues as Port Wakefield RoadPort Wakefield RoadPort Wakefield Road is an important Australian highway. It connects Adelaide, the South Australian capital, to the Yorke Peninsula, Port Augusta, northern and western South Australia, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It is designated National Highway A1 and a part of the National Highway...
to PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....- to GawlerGawler, South AustraliaGawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...
, where it where it becomes the
Gawler Bypass RoadGawler bypass roadGawler Bypass Road is a major north-south route in the outer northern suburbs of the city of Adelaide, South Australia. It has the National designation of north of the Northern Expressway, while south of this intersection it has the State designation of ....
and Sturt HighwaySturt HighwayThe Sturt Highway is an Australian highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is part of the Auslink National network and is part of the main highway route between Sydney and Adelaide.-Route:...
to SydneySydneySydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. (At the end of the Northern ExpresswayNorthern ExpresswayThe Northern Expressway is a 23 kilometre long controlled-access highway in Adelaide, South Australia. It travels from Gawler to Port Wakefield Road...
) -
to Giles CornerGiles Corner, South AustraliaGiles Corner is the name of the intersection of Main North Road and the Barrier Highway, halfway between the towns of Tarlee and Rhynie. The Barrier Highway branches off from Main North Road at this location, heading north towards Riverton, Burra and eventually Broken Hill...
where it continues as the Barrier HighwayBarrier HighwayThe Barrier Highway is a highway in New South Wales and South Australia signposted as in South Australia and in New South Wales, Australia.The Barrier Highway starts at Nyngan where it joins the Mitchell Highway. It heads west past Hermidale and Boppy Mountain to Cobar, a mining town. It then...
to Broken HillBroken Hill, New South Wales-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the... 
through the Clare ValleyClare ValleyThe Clare Valley is one of Australia's oldest wine regions, best known for Riesling wines. It lies in the Mid North of South Australia, approximately 120 km north of Adelaide. The valley runs north-south, with Main North Road as the main thoroughfare....
and beyond to WilmingtonWilmington, South AustraliaWilmington is a town in the southern Flinders Ranges region of South Australia. The town is located in the District Council of Mount Remarkable Local Government Area, north of the state capital, Adelaide...
.
to Stirling NorthStirling North, South AustraliaStirling North is a small town located 7 km east of Port Augusta in South Australia. It acts primarily as a satellite town to Port Augusta with the town's railway station lying at a major rail junction linking the Port Augusta power station and the main east-west rail link to the coal rail...
, 6 kilometres south-east of Port AugustaPort Augusta, South Australia-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
.
In late 2010 when the Northern Expressway
Northern Expressway
The Northern Expressway is a 23 kilometre long controlled-access highway in Adelaide, South Australia. It travels from Gawler to Port Wakefield Road...
was completed, National Route
was diverted to the new road as National Route . Major websites such as NearmapNearMap
NearMap Pty Ltd is an Australian provider of high resolution aerial imagery .NearMap currently operates a web portal which serves up its imagery and terrain tiles, along with OpenStreetMap map tiles, all three of which are free for the public and most commercial businesses to use...
have begun updating their maps, and allocating Main North Road and the southern section of the Gawler Bypass Road as State Route .
See also
- Highways in AustraliaHighways in AustraliaThis is a list of highways in Australia, listed alphabetically along with each highway's route number and location. Note that some highways service more than one state or territory.-Route numbering systems:...
- List of highways in South Australia
- Highway 1 (Australia)Highway 1 (Australia)Australia's Highway 1 is a network of highways that circumnavigate the Australian continent, joining all mainland state capitals. At a total length of approximately it is the longest national highway in the world, longer than the Trans-Siberian Highway and the Trans-Canada Highway...
- A1 highway (South Australia)A1 highway (South Australia)The A1 highway, also variously known as National Route 1, National Highway 1, and other names, circumnavigates Australia, mainly following the coastline, connecting all of the mainland state capitals. Refer to Highway 1 for details....