Length:

874 km

Termini:

Northern: Flinders Hwy (A6), Charters Towers

Southern: Warrego Hwy (A2 / A55), Roma

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Charters Towers, Belyando Crossing, Clermont, Capella, Emerald, Springsure, Rolleston, Injune and Roma

Current: A7

Multiplexed with: : A4 70

Former: 55

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

24D (Carnarvon Highway (Roma to Injune))

24E (Carnarvon Highway (Injune to Rolleston))

27A (Dawson Highway (Springsure to Emerald))

27B (Dawson Highway (Emerald to Clermont))

46D (Dawson Highway (Rolleston to Springsure))

98A (Gregory Highway (Clermont to Belyando Crossing))

98B (Gregory Highway (Belyando Crossing to Charters Towers))

General Information:

A7 is a north-south highway that links several towns in the central highlands region of Queensland and forms part of the inland route connecting Townsville and Mackay with New South Wales.

The route passes through rich grain, cattle farming regions and nearby to several large coal mines, and services commercial and residential areas of the towns it intersects.

Originally named Gregory Developmental Road, Gregory Highway was named after explorer / surveyor Augustus Gregory whose journeys covered inland Queensland, Northern Territory and South Australia. The highway's position approximates a section of Gregory's 1855 exploration from Brisbane to Darwin.

The Carnarvon Highway is named after the Carnarvon National Park, of which the route passes through between Injune and Rolleston.

The Dawson Highway was named after the Dawson River which crosses the highway between Moura and Rolleston. The river was named after a German explorer and naturalist, Ludwig Leichhardt.

A4 (Capricorn Hwy), for 1.5 km, Emerald

State Route 70, for 11 km, Clermont

Carnarvon Highway:

2009: Widening from Injune to Rolleston. ²

May 2009: Upgrade of Deep Channel on the Carnarvon Highway, 400 metres south of Rolleston. Work included the replacement of the culvert and raising of the height of the existing floodway to help improve flood immunity and reduce the amount of road closures. ³

6 August 2009: Name revealed for the bridge over Carnarvon Creek on the Carnarvon Highway. The bridge was named the G M Pedersen Bridge. The name commemorates the Pedersen family, who have lived on the nearby 'Wyseby' property for four generations, and recognises a family who had reportedly helped shape the cultural and economic development of the local community. ⁴

November 2009: Widening works commenced north of Injune. ⁵

October 2012: 5.5 km widening and safety works began on Wallaroo Range Crossing on the Carnarvon Highway. ⁶

2014: Works on the Carnarvon Highway, north of the Roma Airport, with the road raised across a 500 metre section, in accordance with the design of the Roma Flood Levee as a key method in reducing the risk of above-floor flooding to Roma residents. ⁷

Dawson Highway:

February 2007: Two concrete bridges opened to traffic on the Dawson Highway, across Zamia Creek and Clovernook Creek, east of Rolleston. These replaced old timber bridges. ⁸

Gregory Highway:

21 February 1996: Clermont to Charters Towers sealing and Belyando River Bridge opened by Minister for Main Roads Vaughan Johnson. ⁹

November 2009: Resealing works on Gregory Highway between Clermont and Springsure. ¹⁰

9 November 2010: Emerald's first three sets of traffic signals were officially commissioned by Councillor Peter Maguire, Mayor of Central Highlands Regional Council and Acting District Director Dereck Sanderson. The signals are located at the Ruby and Egerton Streets intersection, the Curt Street and Hospital Road (Gregory Highway) intersection and the Harris Road and Hospital Road (Gregory Highway) intersection. ⁶

2016: Two heavy vehicle stopping places north of Capella were completed. ¹¹

January 2017: Retro Corry Road intersection upgrade was completed. ¹¹

March 2017: Completion of construction works for a heavy vehicle decoupling site, together with the Emerald Downs Road intersection upgrade and connecting overtaking lane. Also completions of widening of about nine kilometres of the highway between Capella and Clermont. ¹¹

Charters Towers to Roma

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on McDowell St at Roma, approaching Carnarvon Hwy (A7), September 2018.

Image © Richard Wardle

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Carnarvon Hwy (A7) approaching Warrego Hwy (A2 / A55) at Roma, September 2018.

Image © Richard Wardle