Peak Downs Highway
Peak Downs Highway | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Peak Downs Highway depicted in green on black. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Highway |
| Length | 283 km (176 mi) |
| Route number(s) |  State Route 70 |
| Major junctions | |
| West end |  Gregory Highway /Gregory Developmental Road, Clermont, Queensland |
| East end |  Bruce Highway, Mackay, Queensland |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Moranbah, Nebo, Eton |
| Highway system | |
The Peak Downs Highway links the towns of Mackay and Clermont in the Australian state of Queensland.[1] It represents the main link between Queensland's Whitsunday Coast and the Central West region of the state. The highway runs for a total length of 266 kilometres (165 mi), before joining the Gregory Highway (Highway A7, formerly Highway 55) south to Clermont.[2] Major settlements served by this route include Mackay, Walkerston, Nebo, Moranbah (10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the highway, but the largest town along the route) and Clermont.
Highway conditions
The highway is notorious for the extremely dangerous conditions caused by its service as a primary access route for workers, fuel, machinery and other supplies to the coal mines of the Bowen Basin. The narrow two-lane highway is often congested with oversize loads (e.g. mining haul-trucks, dozers and excavators, tyres and buckets) and road trains, which presents a significant hazard and frustration to fatigued long-haul commuters (Drive-in, Drive-out mine workers) on the road.
Major intersections
| LGA | Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackay | West Mackay | 0 | 0.0 | Bruce Highway (National Route A1) - south - Sarina / north-east - Mackay | North-eastern end of Peak Downs Highway (State Route 70) |
| Alexandra | 6.4 | 4.0 |  Mackay Eungella Road (State Route 64) - north-west - Marian | ||
| Eton | 25.1 | 15.6 |  Marian Eton Road (State Route 5) - north-west - Marian | Eastern concurrency terminus with State Route 5 | |
| 25.8 | 16.0 | Eton Homebush Road (State Route 5) - south-east - Homebush | Western concurrency terminus with State Route 5 | ||
| Isaac | Nebo | 82 | 51 |  Suttor Developmental Road (State Route 11) - west - Mount Coolon | |
| Strathfield | 117 | 73 |  Fitzroy Developmental Road (State Route 67) - south - Dingo | ||
| Clermont | 266 | 165 | Gregory Highway (State Route A7) - south - Clermont town centre / north - Charters Towers | Northern concurrency terminus with Gregory Highway | |
| 280 | 170 | Gregory Highway (State Route A7) - south-east - Emerald | Southern concurrency terminus with Gregory Highway | ||
| 283 | 176 |  Clermont Alpha Road (State Route 41) - west - Alpha | South-western end of Peak Downs Highway | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
References
- ^ Queensland Government - Department of Transport and Main Roads - Maps
- ^ Hema, Maps (2007). Australia Road and 4WD Atlas (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-1-86500-456-3.
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