QUEENSLAND STATE ROUTES

An early example of State Route signage in Brisbane. Photo taken: December 2009.

The Queensland State Route numbering system is confusing to say the least. A mixture of duplicated route numbers, haphazard (and contradictory!) signage and the lack of some definitive publicly-available information on the State route system is to blame. I even once contacted Queensland Department of Main Roads’ (QMR) Brisbane office regarding the route marker on the Mount Lindesay Highway and all they could do was look it up in a street directory! A look at how the system developed may help to explain some of the quirks behind the system.

It appears that the state route system made its debut in 1976 in Brisbane, a few years after New South Wales had introduced its state route system. Presumably the system was developed in partnership with Brisbane City Council as many of the routes traversed roads controlled by the Council rather than QMR. In the following five or so years, the routes in the Brisbane area were expanded further into Logan City, Redland, Moreton and Pine Rivers Shires as well some of the routes through rural and outback Queensland (judging by the ages of some of the directional signs out there). State Routes made their debut on the Gold Coast in about the early 1990s and at a similar time on the Sunshine Coast. Also during the early-to-mid 1990s came the expansion of the system to areas like Townsville, where the numbers have been duplicated (i.e. already in use in the Brisbane area or elsewhere).

This duplication of numbers is one of the biggest problems with QMR’s state route system. It seems when the system was drafted in the 1970s, it was not anticipated that there would be the need to use three digit numbers for state routes (like those used in rural Victoria until the late 90s) and thus rural and outback routes were given only two digit route numbers. Even so, there are still several unused numbers (and a few more that have been recently decommissioned) that could have been used for the newer routes but that would be the logical thing to do wouldn’t it? Instead, it seems that QMR have tried to turn the state route numbering system into more of a regional route numbering system – that is, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and Townsville each have their own low-numbered clusters of routes, which are often duplicated elsewhere in the state.

State Route numbers on the Gold Coast were introduced in about the early 1990s, although there may have been a select few routes introduced prior to then. They originally consisted of high two-digit numbers (86 was the lowest number) but for some unknown reason the whole system was revamped in the period 1996-2004 to abolish many of the higher numbers in favour of lower numbers. For example, Smith Street Motorway is now State Route 10 (was originally SR86), Southport-Burleigh Road is now State Route 3 (formerly SR86) and even the Gold Coast Highway has gotten in on the act – it is now numbered State Route 2 (formerly Alternative NR1 then SR87). Full details of the changes can be found under each affected route.

A similar exercise was undertaken on the Sunshine Coast, although on a much smaller scale. State Routes 51 (Emundi-Noosaville) and 53 (Woodford-Landsborough) were replaced around 2002 with State Routes 12 and 6 respectively. The State Route 51 designation was then moved to the Gympie-Kenilworth route, just west of the Sunshine Coast.

Coastal areas have seen a lot of route marking activity, with many new routes popping up since the late 1990s, especially in the Gympie-Bundaberg area and the Cairns area. Unfortunately these routes typically duplicate existing numbers, are not clearly marked on maps and are usually pretty poorly signed.

QMR don’t have a great history with accurate signs. There are numerous relics of former routes hanging around the place like a bad smell, not to mention some very decrepit looking freeway green and/or black signs that have been coverplated to keep costs down (presumably). On the three occasions that I have ventured to Queensland, each time the route marking system seems to be in a time of change – in 1996 the Gold Coast Hwy was signed with a mixture of SR2 and Alt-NR1 shields, with the odd SR87 shield thrown in there. Heaven for us roadgeeks but hell for the poor motorist who is trying to navigate via route markers.

Though, looking at the system, there are some semblances of a once well-planned system. In Brisbane, multiples of ten are used for circumferential routes whilst the numbers tend to begin in the inner south, then increase generally in an anti-clockwise direction. Of course, the addition of new routes to the system and introduction of Metroads in Brisbane have caused chaos with the state route system. Once you leave the Brisbane area, the 5x and 6x numbers appeared to have been reserved for the Sunshine Coast (with some 6x in use in more rural areas of the State as well) whilst the 8x and 9x were used for the Gold Coast and South East Queensland. Notable examples include State Route 95 which, in its glory days, stretched all the way from East Brisbane to the Gold Coast, via Waterford and Hope Island.

In the country areas there doesn’t seem to be a discernible pattern, especially as it can be hard to tell which routes have been around since the 70s/80s and which ones are new additions. What I do like about the route designations in the country areas is that they are not just town-town routes, in fact State Route 85 (until it was split in half by the Gore Highway’s elevation to National Highway status) stretched for nearly 600km. Even now, State Routes 49 and 62 rack up over 1000km and 900km respectively.

Overview of major route marking changes
(coming soon)

List of active Queensland State Routes
Indexed in numerical order, with regional location marked in bold

Note: This list has been revised to only include routes which are 'signed' - this does include some routes in Brisbane which are not signed well, but are still considered 'active'.

	Gold Coast NSW Border at Coolangatta to Helensvale via Gold Coast Hwy
	Gold Coast Andrews to Southport via Bermuda St
	Southern Queensland Isis Highway (Childers-Bundaberg) and Bundaberg-Gin Gin Rd
	Gold Coast Carrara to Oxenford via Griffith University and Hope Island
	Sunshine Coast Woodford to Cooroy via Beerwah, Caloundra, Maroochydoore and Noosaville
	Gold Coast Robina Parkway
	Central Queensland Fitzroy Developmental Road (Dawson Highway to Capricorn Highway)
	Sunshine Coast Maroochydoore to Woombye
	Townsville Ingham Road & Sturt Street
	Brisbane Inner Suburbs Ring via Balmoral, Camp Hill, Holland Park, Annerley, South Brisbane, Spring Hill, and Newstead
	Gold Coast Pacific Motorway to Southport via Smith Street Motorway
	Sunshine Coast Nambour to Bli Bli
	Brisbane Acacia Ridge to Holland Park via Coopers Plains
	Sunshine Coast Yandina to Coolum Beach
	Sunshine Coast Eumundi to Noosaville
	Southern Queensland Gin Gin to Langley Flat via Mt Perry
	Townsville Woolcock St & Boundary St
	Brisbane Buranda to Bowen Hills
	South East Queensland Gympie to Tin Can Bay
	Townsville Cluden to West End via Townsville CBD and North Ward
	Townsville Stuart Drive, Bowen Road, Charters Towers Road
	Northern/Central Queensland Barcaldine to Hughenden via Aramac and Muttaburra
	Brisbane Inner-Middle Suburbs Ring (now split into three parts following introduction of Metroads)
	Gold Coast Nerang to Southport
	Brisbane Gateway Motorway to Victoria Point
	Brisbane Cleveland to Dayboro via South Brisbane (now split into two parts following introduction of Metroads)
	Brisbane Kangaroo Point to Wynnum
	Brisbane Morningside to Port of Brisbane via Lytton Rd
	Gold Coast Surfers Paradise to Molendiner via Ashmore Rd
	Northern Queensland McHugh Road (Kennedy Hwy to Millaa Millaa)
	Brisbane Fortitude Valley to Pinkenba via Kingsford Smith Dr
	Northern Queensland Palmerston Highway, Milla Milla-Malanda Rd & Malanda-Atherton Rd
	Brisbane Fortitude Valley to Burpengary via Sandgate Rd, Deagon Deviation, Snook St and Deception Bay
	Brisbane Stafford to Scarborough via Zillmere, Sandgate and Redcliffe
	Northern Queensland Mareeba to Chillagoe
	Brisbane Aspley to Strathpine via Albany Creek
	Brisbane Everton Park to Everton Hills via South Pine Rd
	Brisbane Outer-Middle Suburbs Ring via Lindum, Manly, Chandler, Springwood, Compton Rd, Inala and Progress Rd
	Brisbane Brisbane CBD to Mount Glorious via Ashgrove and The Gap
	Brisbane Milton Road
	Brisbane Riverview to Brisbane CBD via Moggill Rd and Coronation Dr
	Brisbane Toowong to St Lucia
	Brisbane Indooroopilly to Heathwood via Oxley and Durack
	Brisbane Mains Road
	Brisbane Mount Crosby Rd
	Brisbane Ipswich Central to Warrego Hwy at Muirlea
	Brisbane Ipswich Central alternative route
	Brisbane Outer-Middle Northern Suburbs Ring (used for Logan Motorway prior to introduction of Metroads as well)
	Gold Coast Nielsens Road & Alexander Drive
	Brisbane South Brisbane to Upper Mt Gravatt via Cavendish and Newnham Roads
	Central Queensland Clermont to Alpha
	Gold Coast Mudgeeraba to Advancetown via Gilston
	Brisbane Tingalpa to Wellington Point
	Brisbane Capalaba to Thornlands
	Northern Queensland Captain Cook Hwy & Mossman-Mt Molloy Rd
	Brisbane Capalaba to Carbrook via Mount Cotton
	Brisbane Wellington Point to Thornlands via Cleveland
	Brisbane Cleveland to Loganholme via Redland Bay
	Southern Queensland Karara to Cambooya via Leyburn
	Southern Queensland Wide Bay Highway, Bunya Highway, Moonie Highway & Balonne Highway
	Brisbane Browns Plains Road to Slacks Creek via Logan Central
	Gold Coast Carrara to Tallai
	South East Queensland Gympie to Kenilworth
	Southern Queensland Isis Highway (Ban Ban Springs to Childers section)
	Northern Queensland Gillies Hwy, Atherton-Herberton Rd and Longfords Gap-Herberton Rd
	Brisbane Burbank to Birkdale via Capalaba
	Brisbane Old Cleveland Rd East
	Brisbane Coopers Plains to Rochedale via Sunnybank and Eight Mile Plains
	Brisbane Sunnybank to Underwood via Kuraby
	Southern Queensland Maryborough to Hervey Bay
	Brisbane Bald Hills to D'Aguilar via Petrie and Dayboro
	Central Queensland Benaraby - Gladstone - Mt Larcom
	Brisbane Burpengary to Beerburrum via Caboolture
	Central Queensland Dawson Highway (Gladstone to Rolleston)
	Brisbane Ipswich to Goodna via Redbank Plains
	Brisbane Ipswich to Wulkuraka
	Northern/Central Queensland Kennedy Developmental Road
	Northern Queensland Gregory Developmental Road (Charters Towers to The Lynd)
	Central Queensland Fitzroy Developmental Rd (north of Capricorn Hwy)
	Southern Queensland Oakey to Cooyar
	Central Queensland Calliope to Monto
	Sunshine Coast Sunshine Motorway & Water Hay Drive
	Central Queensland Peak Downs Highway
	Brisbane Petrie to Recliffe
	Northern Queensland Ross River Rd & Herveys Range Developmental Rd
	Southern Queensland Bungunya to Condamine via Westmar and Meandarra
	Southern Queensland Durong to Mundubbera
	Brisbane Kelvin Grove Rd & Enoggera Rd
	Central Queensland Bowen Developmental Road (west of Collinsville to Gregory Developmental Rd)
	Gold Coast Burleigh Heads to Reedy Creek
	Southern Queensland Gatton to Leyburn via Clifton
	Northern Queensland Mareeba to Weipa
	Southern Queensland Inglewood to Tingoora via Millmerran, Cecil Plains, Dalby, Jandowae and Durong
	Gold Coast Advancetown to Binna Burra
	Northern Queensland Wills Developmental Road
	Southern Queensland Nindigully to Goondiwindi, then from Hampton to Bribie Island via Esk and Kilcoy
	Southern Queensland Biggenden to Maryborough
	Southern Queensland Dalby to Surat
	Brisbane Camp Cable Road
	Southern Queensland Stanthorpe to Inglewood via Texas
	Southern Queensland Pikedale to Inglewood via Lake Coolmunda
	South East Queensland Fassifern to Broadbeach via Boonah, Beaudesert, Canungra and Nerang
	Cairns Cairns Western Arterial Road
	South East Queensland Beenleigh to Mundoolun via Tamborine
	South East Queensland Haigslea to Rathdowney via Walloon and Boonah
	Townsville Currajong to Condon
	Brisbane Browns Plains to Beenleigh
	Brisbane Oxenford to Upper Mount Gravatt via Tamborine & Kingston
	Brisbane Yatala to Pimpama via Jacobs Well
	Gold Coast Tamborine Mountain to Clagiraba
	Southern Queensland D'Aguilar Highway (Nanago to Kingaroy section)
	Gold Coast Nerang-Murwillumbah Road
	Gold Coast Currumbin to Tomewin
	Gold Coast Mudgeeraba to Springbrook