Freeways in Australia

Australian Capital Territory

Canberra region

Other freeways (no route number)

New South Wales

New South Wales has the largest number and second highest density of motorways in Australia (behind Victoria), with the majority being located in Sydney City or the metropolitan areas.

Sydney region (urban motorways)

Unnumbered freeway-grade roads

Hunter and Central Coast region (rural and urban motorways)

South Coast region (rural and urban motorways)

Rural region (rural motorways)

Under construction

In planning

Northern Territory

While the Northern Territory does not have any official freeways, parts of the Stuart Highway and the Tiger Brennan Drive are freeway grade roads with grade separate intersections.

See full freeway route here

Queensland

Brisbane region

'No shield'

Motorway grade roads

Former motorways

Gold Coast region

Sunshine Coast region

Regional Queensland

South Australia

In South Australia, expressway may refer to a controlled access highway with no at-grade intersections or a limited access road of slightly lower standard with at-grade intersections at some locations.

Unlike some other states, South Australia only uses the 'M' designation on grade separated freeways

Under construction

Tasmania

The Brooker Highway at Claremont

While Tasmania's highway network has been constructed to a high standard, its grade-separated freeway network is limited. In the past, Hobart and Launceston have each had comprehensive transport studies conducted, proposing grade-separated freeways running through and around them. While some of these roads have been constructed, the majority are limited access featuring at-grade intersections. Devonport and Burnie are the only major population centres with freeway standard roads linking each other. There have been repeated proposals in recent years to fully upgrade the Midland Highway to grade-separated freeway standard.
This List is limited to Tasmania's freeway-standard roads.

Hobart region

Tasman Highway approaching the Hobart central business district

Rural region

Victoria

Victoria has the second largest number (behind New South Wales) and highest density of freeways in Australia, with the majority being located in Melbourne City or the metropolitan areas. While most of Australia has a low population density over a large area, where towns are sparse or located a significant distance from each other; Victoria has towns located throughout the entire state, with large numbers of inhabitants, in both urban and rural areas (many of which are major) such as Ballarat or Bendigo. In addition to the roads listed below, Victoria has a number of dual carriageway standard Highways that are given an "M" designation. Whilst these roads are not officially Freeway standard, many of them may have a number of grade-separated intersections along the route. These routes are not listed below.

Melbourne region (urban freeways)

Note: "East" and "West" sections of Princes Freeway are officially part of the same freeway and route corridor.

Other freeway grade roads

These roads are officially designated by the Victorian Government as Freeways and may include some freeway signage, but are generally not considered part of the Melbourne freeway network.

Rural region (rural freeways)

On freeways outside of Greater Melbourne, the speed limit varies between 80 km/h and 110 km/h.

Note: "East" and "West" sections of Princes Freeway are officially part of the same freeway and route corridor.

Under construction

Western Australia

Western Australia has three named freeways – Kwinana Freeway, Mitchell Freeway, and Graham Farmer Freeway – but in addition has several highways that are in the process of being upgraded to full freeway standard and are considered part of the Perth freeway network. Their designation may remain as a highway though due to state restrictions on heavy vehicles (e.g. road trains) that are prevented by law from travelling on any road classed as a freeway.

Perth metro freeways

Rural expressways / freeways

Under construction

Perth

  • Mitchell Freeway southbound widening – A third southbound lane is being added from Hodges Drive to Hepburn Avenue as well as an extra lane will be built from Hepburn Avenue entry ramp to Warwick Road exit ramp.
  • Tonkin Gap project – the currently heavily congested section of Tonkin Highway between Collier Road and Great Eastern Highway upgraded to 3 lanes each way dual carriageway
  • Mitchell Freeway southbound – Installation of smart freeway technology with ramp metering from Hester Avenue to Vincent Street
  • Tonkin Highway Extension (Thomas Road to South Western Highway, Pinjarra)

In planning

Perth

  • Mitchell Freeway Extension (Romeo Road to Moore River)
  • Roe Highway Extension (Perth Freight Link) (Kwinana Freeway to Stirling Highway). Was under construction but this was halted at the last change of government. Its future remains unclear.
  • Roe Highway upgrade (Great Eastern Highway Bypass to Great Northern Highway)
  • Reid Highway upgrade (Tonkin Highway to Great Northern Highway)
  • Tonkin Highway upgrade (Hale Road to Mills Road)
  • Tonkin Highway upgrade (Champion Drive to Thomas Road)
  • Whiteman-Yanchep Freeway (Tonkin Highway/Gnangara Road to Mitchell Freeway (proposed)/Yanchep Beach Road)
  • Orrong Road Upgrade – Orrong Road to be upgraded to a 4 lane trenched expressway with service roads alongside from Graham Farmer Freeway to Leach Highway, rising onto a viaduct over Leach Highway and Division Street/Bell Street. May be extended in the future along Orrong and Welshpool Roads as far as Tonkin Highway.
  • Great Eastern Highway Bypass, where all current at grade intersections are planned to be removed and the road upgraded to full freeway standard.

Rural

  • Busselton Outer Bypass (BOB), outer freeway-grade bypass of Busselton from Sues Road to Marbellup Road in Vasse
  • Perth–Adelaide Freeway "Orange Route" – (Roe Highway, Stratton to Great Eastern Highway bypass at Northam)

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Monaro Highway upgrade". 21 February 2024.
  2. ↑ "WestConnex". www.linkt.com.au. Transurban. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "Gladesville Bridge". www.transport.nsw.gov.au. Transport for NSW. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  4. ↑ "F6 Extension". Roads Australia. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "Google Maps". Google Maps. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "Construction of $1.8 billion Coffs Harbour bypass gets underway | 7NEWS". 16 December 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2022 – via YouTube.
  7. ↑ Western Harbour Tunnel and Warringah Freeway Upgrade
  8. ↑ "Plan for four-lane Midland Highway". The Examiner. December 2010. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  9. ↑ "Abbott Doorstop in Launceston – Midland Highway upgrade". Liberal Party of Australia. February 2010. Archived from the original on 27 February 2011. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  10. 1 2 "Greater Melbourne and urban zones".
  11. ↑ "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  12. 1 2 "Map of DTP managed roads". Transport Victoria. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  13. ↑ "VicRoads Map of Declared Roads".
  14. ↑ "Google Maps Street View - Ringwood Bypass".
  15. ↑ "Western Highway upgrade suspended over VicRoads planning blunder". The Age. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Managed Freeways Policy Discussion Paper" (PDF). Main Roads Western Australia. June 2012. pp. 3, 25–26. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  17. ↑ Seeber, Elisia (13 September 2015). "Grand Gateway to Perth Airport opens". PerthNow. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2019. Leach Highway has been upgraded to expressway standard
  18. ↑ "Bunbury Outer Ring Road Stages 2 and 3" (PDF). Main Roads Western Australia. August 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  19. ↑ "Whiteman Yanchep Highway". Main Roads Western Australia. Government of Western Australia. Archived from the original on 15 August 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2019.