Expressway - The Australian Highway Site: Road Photos & Information: NSW: M15 / A15 (Seahampton to Singleton)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Parry Street, Donald Street, Griffiths Road, Newcastle Road, Thomas Street, Newcastle Link Road, Hunter Expressway and New England Highway (M15 / A15)

Seahampton to Singleton

Statistics:

Length:: 595 km (Seahampton to Singleton: 57 km)
Termini:: Northern: New England Hwy (A15) at Wallangarra, at the Queensland Border; Southern: Pacific Hwy (A43) at Newcastle West
Miscellaneous:: Continues as New England Hwy (A15) in Queensland
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:: Seahampton, Buchanan, Kurri Kurri, Loxford, Allandale, Branxton and Whittingham

Route Numbering:

Current: M15 A15
Former: 15 15
Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹: 6011 (Branxton to Seahampton); HW9 (QLD border to Branxton)

General Information:

M15 / A15 is one the major routes in New South Wales and Queensland. It links the farming regions of NSW to the ports at Newcastle and also to other major roads to Sydney and it's also a link to Brisbane's metropolitan area.

The route consists of single carriageway 2-lane rural highway, through to multi-lane divided sections and motorway standard closer to Newcastle.

History:

The New England Highway originally formed part of the Great Northern Road from Sydney via Wiseman's Ferry to the Queensland border (near Mt Lindesay), taking shape as settlement spread northward from the lower Hunter Valley. By 1851 the Great Northern Road had reached the Gap, two miles beyond Murrurundi. In 1858 it was classified as one of three Main Roads in the colony (Great Western and Great Southern) and extended from Morpeth via Maitland, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Scone, Murrurundi and Tamworth, to Armidale, a distance of about 236 miles. Captain Martindale, Chief Railway Commissioner, who was also responsible for roads, stressed the need for bridges as in many cases long circuits had to be made to find a crossing over a stream. In 1860 arrangements were in progress for building 90 culverts and minor bridges and for forming new sections of road, including a new ascent to Murrurundi Gap, which was previously steep with sharp dangerous turns. In 1865 the section of road between Muswellbrook and Murrurundi was metalled and a deviation suggested between Blandford and Murrurundi to skirt the Page River, obviating two bridges, however, such a deviation was never constructed. With the construction of the Northern Railway line from Newcastle, commenced in the 1850s and reaching Murrurundi in 1872, attention was diverted away from roads and sections of the Great Northern Road were in poor condition. Despite the impact of the railway, roads developed steadily and considerable progress was made in the bridging of rivers and creeks. ²

: March 1933: The Great Northern Road was proclaimed the New England Highway. ²; 1934: Completion of new alignment from the hill beyond Koolbung Muswellbrook and Aberdeen. ³; 28 January 1999: Belford Bends Deviation opened by MP John Tierney. ⁴; March 1999: Belford Bends Deviation completed. ⁴; August 2010: Construction starts on a 13 kilometre section of the Hunter Expressway between Seahampton and Kurri Kurri. The work included two grade-separated interchanges - at the Pacific Motorway (M1) at Seahampton and at Buchanan, as well as overbridges at Seahampton Road and Averys Lane. Three high bridges span the steep gullies through the Sugarloaf Range and are located 1.4 to 2.7 kilometres west of the Pacific Motorway. The viaducts have a total length of 787 metres and are up to 47 metres in height above the gully floors. ⁵; April 2011: Work commenced on the 27 kilometre western section of the Hunter Expressway, and includes four grade-separated interchanges - at Kurri Kurri, Loxford, Allandale and Branxton. It also includes road bridge crossings at McLeod Road at Loxford, Old Maitland Road at Sawyers Gully, Camp Road at Allandale and Tuckers Lane at Greta. ⁵; July 2013: Completion of safety upgrades on New England Hwy at Whittingham. Work included installation of 1.4 kilometres of median and roadside wire rope safety barrier. ⁶; 22 March 2014: Hunter Expressway open to traffic. ⁷; July 2017: Completion of safety upgrade at the New England Highway intersection with Newington Lane at Whittingham. Work included widening the highway and providing a right turn lane into Newington Lane. ⁸; 3 February 2020: Permanent closure of Whittingham Rest Area adjacent to the New England Hwy (A15) and Golden Hwy (B84) intersection to allow upgrade of the junction. ⁹; 19 April 2021: Work commenced on partial grade separation works on the junction of New England Hwy (A15) and Golden Hwy (B84) at Whittingham. ¹⁰

Image © Paul Rands

Distance Sign:

Exit distance sign at Belford, April 2019.

Kirkton Road:

Corner of New England Hwy (A15) and Kirkton Rd at Belford, April 2019.

Pothana Lane:

Corner of New England Hwy (A15) and Pothana Ln at Belford, April 2019.

Hermitage Road:

Corner of New England Hwy (A15) and Hermitage Rd at Belford, April 2019.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Whittingham approaching Golden Hwy (B84), December 2016.

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign assembly on the corner of Golden Hwy (B84) and New England Hwy (A15) at Whittingham. September 2007. This sign has since been removed due to grade separation upgrade of this intersection.

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Golden Hwy (B84) at Whittingham approaching the interchange with New England Hwy (M15 and A15), January 2024.

NEW Intersection Directional Sign:

AD sign on Golden Hwy (B84) at Whittingham at the interchange with New England Hwy (M15 and A15), January 2024.

Singleton to Seahampton

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on New England Hwy (A15), approaching the Golden Hwy (B84) interchange, Whittingham, January 2023. New England Hwy becomes M15 at this location.

Click or tap here for the continuation of A15 between Singleton and Muswellbrook
Click or tap here for the continuation of A15 between Newcastle and Seahampton

¹ NSW Government, Transport for NSW, Schedule of Classified Roads And State and Regional Roads, July 2022.
² NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services.
³ NSW Government, State Archives and Records, F228 - New England Highway, S.H. 9 [State Highway], view of new road looking east from hill beyond Koolbung between Muswellbrook and Aberdeen.
⁴ Tyler Bullock.
⁵ NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Projects, The Hunter Expressway, Project overview.
⁶ NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Statement, Major Road Safety Upgrade Completed On The New England Highway At Whittingham, 26 July 2013.
⁷ NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Joint Media Statement, Hunter Expressway opens for business, 21 March 2014.
⁸ NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Statement, Safety Improved On The New England Highway At Whittingham, 21 July 2017.
⁹ NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Statement, Whittingham rest area permanently closing on Monday 3 February 2020, December 2019.
¹⁰ NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, Media Statement, Start of work on the New England Highway, Whittingham from Monday 19 April, April 2019.