Brooker Highway
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The Brooker Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It is a part of the National Highway, and is Tasmania's busiest and shortest highway.
At the northern end (near Bridgewater) it connects to the Midlands Highway (which heads north towards Launceston) and the Lyell Highway (which takes motorists towards the west coast).
The Brooker Highway runs approximately 15 km south past the northern suburbs of Hobart. It is four lane (two each way) for almost its entire length. Trees line the middle of several kilometres, and fencing prevents pedestrian access at various points. The speed limits on the highway include 60 Km/H, 80 Km/H, and 100 Km/H. The Highway makes its way past the Cadbury's chocolate factory, Derwent Entertainment Centre, Elwick Racecourse, Rugby Park, Cornelian Bay Hockey Grounds, The Domain, The Botanical Gardens and the Hobart Tattersalls Aquatic Centre.
It has intersections that hold over 8 lanes to allow traffic on and off at Risdon Road. The highway is in a reasonable condition for its age, and experiences congestion for only a few hours a day. Recently the government came under pressure from the community to improve pedestrian access over the highway and eliminate the stairs primarily for the benefit of the elderly and handicapped. The Highway ends just east of the city in the Wapping district. Here it connects to two other highways - the Tasman Highway (A3 - leads towards the east coast and eventually back to Launceston), and to the Hobart CBD streets of Davey and Macquarie Street. These streets are a part of the A6 (Huon Highway), which heads south towards Kingston and Huonville).
The highway is named after Edward Brooker, a former Premier of Tasmania.
