Murchison Highway

Murchison Highway Tasmania
General information
Type	Highway
Length	147 km (91 mi)
Opened	13 December 1963 (1963-12-13)
Route number(s)	A10
Major junctions
South end	Zeehan
North end	Somerset
Location(s)
Major settlements	Rosebery, Tullah, Parrawe, Yolla
Highway system
Highways in Australia National Highway • Freeways in Australia Highways in Tasmania

The Murchison Highway is a highway located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The 147-kilometre (91 mi) highway runs generally north-south, with Somerset, near Burnie, as its northern terminus and Zeehan as its southern terminus. The highway was opened on 13 December 1963.^[1][2][3][4] Part of the highway from Waratah to Burnie was known as the Waratah Highway until 1973.

Course

The highway is susceptible to ice and snow in winter. One of the notorious sections is at the edge of Mount Black, numerous accidents have occurred in the area. Also the Zeehan to Rosebery section has hazardous sections which can be affected by cold and wet weather.^[5]

Portions of the highway have been made redundant by extra roads built by Hydro Tasmania during their work on the upper Pieman River scheme and the Henty River dam schemes. These provide short cuts from Queenstown straight through to Tullah by going just west of the West Coast Range.^[6]

The highway crosses the Mackintosh River and the Murchison River near the town of Tullah, where the rivers form a confluence to form the Pieman River.^[7]

History

Prior to its construction, most transportation from the west coast to the north coast was required to use the Emu Bay Railway, or otherwise use shipping to Regatta Point or Strahan in Macquarie Harbour.

See also

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in Tasmania

References

External links

• Road Condition overview

Road infrastructure in Tasmania National highways  Bass Highway  Brooker Highway  Midland Highway State highways  Bass Highway  Tasman Highway  Esk Highway  Lake Highway  Davey Street  Huon Highway  Macquarie Street  Southern Outlet  West Tamar Highway  East Tamar Highway  Arthur Highway  Lyell Highway  Murchison Highway  Zeehan Highway Bridges Batman Bridge Bowen Bridge Bridgewater Bridge Jordan River Bridge Mcgees Bridge Red Bridge Richmond Bridge Ross Bridge Sorell Causeway Tasman Bridge Department of Infrastructure, Energy and Resources Highways in Tasmania