Expressway - The Australian Highway Site: Road Photos & Information: QLD: SR80

Road Photos & Information: Queensland

Gatton-Clifton Road and Gatton-Helidon Road (State Route 80)

Statistics:

Length:: 64 km
Termini:: Northern: Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd (unnumbered), Gatton; Southern: New England Hwy (A3), Clifton
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:: Clifton, Headington Hill, Pilton, Hirstglen, West Haldon, Fordsdale, Mount Whitestone, Ma Ma Creek, Winwill, Lower Tenthill and Gatton

Route Numbering:

Current: 80
Multiplexed with:
Former: 54 54
Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹: 313 (Clifton to Grantham); 314 (Grantham to Gatton)

General Information:

State Route 80 is a rural route connecting the New England and Warrego Highways, west of Brisbane in the Lockyer Valley.

The route passes mostly through rural and bushland areas, however there are some commercial and residential properties along the route as well.

The Western Drive, Railway Street, Spencer Street and Eastern Drive section of the route was once part of the Warrego Highway.

Multiplexes along the route include:

: Cobb & Co Tourist Drive, for 8 km, from Gatton to Grantham.

History:

: 1985: Construction begins on Gatton Bypass. ²; 1989: Gatton Bypass (current Warrego Hwy alignment) opens to traffic as a single carriageway route. ²; 1994: Construction of overtaking lanes on Gatton Bypass. ²; September 2002: Work begins on duplication of Gatton Bypass. ²; October 2003: Gatton Bypass opens to traffic, a month early, despite delays from a contractor entering voluntary liquidation. ³; November 2009: Work begins on replacement bridge over Ma Ma Creek on Gatton-Clifton Rd. The bridge is made up of three 16 metre spans and is 8.6 metres wide. As part of the project, new approaches on either side of the bridge were also constructed to provide two, three metre wide traffic lanes with one metre wide sealed shoulders. The bridge and approaches are on a new 520 metre-long alignment. ⁴; October 2011: Work begins on upgrade of the intersection of Western Drive and Lake Apex Drive, Gatton. Works included installing a right turn lane from Western Drive into Lake Apex Drive, installation of warning and guide signage and pavement markers, as well as the upgrade of line marking on all approaches. ⁵; November 2011: Work commences on replacement bridge over Kings Creek on Gatton-Clifton Rd at Pilton. ⁶

Click or tap the map to enable panning and zooming

Clifton to Gatton

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Gatton-Clifton Rd, approaching Gatton-Helidon Rd (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive) at Grantham, July 2007. Note the END SR80 trailblazer, this is in error, as SR80 turns right at this location, which is where the Cobb & Co Tourist Drive duplex begins.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at Grantham at the junction on Grantham-Helidon Rd (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive) at the junction with Gatton-Clifton Rd (SR80), April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign in Gatton approaching Spencer St & Railway St, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the junction with Spencer St and Railway St in Gatton, April 2011. SR80 turns right at this junction.

Image © Rob Tilley

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign on Eastern Dr (SR80) at Gatton approaching Gatton-Laidley Rd (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Eastern Dr (SR80) at Gatton approaching Gatton-Laidley Rd (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Gatton-Laidley Road:

Corner of Eastern Dr (SR80) and Gatton-Laidley Rd at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Distance Sign:

RD sign on Eastern Dr (SR80) at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

Battered AD sign on Eastern Dr (SR80) approaching Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Warrego Highway & Gatton-Esk Road:

Intersection directional sign at the interchange with Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Warrego Highway & Gatton-Esk Road:

Intersection directional sign at the interchange with Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign within the interchange with Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Warrego Highway & Gatton-Esk Road:

Intersection directional sign at the interchange with Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Warrego Highway & Gatton-Esk Road:

Intersection directional sign at the interchange with Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd at Gatton, April 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Gatton to Clifton

NEW Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign with topknot on the roundabout exit from the interchange with Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd, Gatton, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on the roundabout exit from the interchange with Warrego Hwy (A2) and Gatton-Esk Rd, Gatton, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Eastern Dr (SR80), approaching Gatton-Laidley Rd West (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), Gatton, June 2025. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive duplex begins at this junction.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Gatton-Laidley West Road:

ID sign at the corner of Eastern Dr (SR80) and Gatton-Laidley Rd West (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), Gatton, June 2025. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive duplex begins at this junction.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on Eastern Dr (SR80), facing Gatton-Laidley Rd West (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), Gatton, February 2022. The Cobb and Co Tourist Drive duplex begins at this intersection.

Image © Rob Tilley

Entering Gatton:

Welcome sign as Eastern Dr (SR80 / Cobb & Co Tourist Drive) enters the town of Gatton, February 2022.

Image © Rob Tilley

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Gatton, February 2022.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Old College Rd, Gatton, February 2022.

Image © Rob Tilley

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Gatton, February 2022.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Trailblazer:

Warrego Way touring route Trailblazer on Railway St (SR80 / Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), Gatton, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Trailblazer:

Cobb & Co Tourist Drive touring route Trailblazer on Railway St (SR80 / Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), Gatton, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the junction with Lake Apex Dr, Gatton, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the entrance to the Queensland Transport Museum and Lake Apex Fauna Sanctuary, Gatton, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Tenthill Creek Rd, Gatton, February 2022.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Tenthill Creek Road:

Corner of Western Dr (SR80 / Cobb & Co Tourist Drive) and Tenthill Creek Rd, Gatton, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Trailblazer:

Cobb & Co Tourist Drive trailblazer, Gatton-Helidon Rd, Lower Tenthill, June 2025.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Gatton-Clifton Rd (SR80) and Gatton-Helidon Rd (Cobb & Co Tourist Drive), Lower Tenthill, June 2025. The Cobb & Co Tourist Drive duplex ends at this junction.

Image © Rob Tilley

UPDATED Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Lower Tenthill, after Gatton-Helidon Rd, June 2025. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Michael Greenslade from July 2004.

NEW Warning Sign:

Combination warning sign, approaching Winwill Connection Rd and Grantham-Winwill Rd at Winwill, June 2025.

NEW Winwill Area:

Gatton-Clifton Rd (SR80) as it passes through Winwill, June 2025.

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign with trailblazer, approaching Mt Sylvia Rd at Winwill, June 2025.

NEW Mount Sylvia Road:

Corner of Grantham-Clifton Rd (SR80) and Mt Sylvia Rd, Winwill, June 2025.

NEW Entering Ma Ma Creek:

Local government town entry sign, Ma Ma Creek, June 2025.

NEW Entering Ma Ma Creek:

Gatton-Clifton Rd (SR80) entering the town of Ma Ma Creek, June 2025.

NEW Rock Fall Area Sign:

Rock fall area warning sign at Ma Ma Creek, June 2025.

NEW Boomgate and Warning Lights:

Boomgate and flashing lights in a rock fall and subsidence area at Mount Whitestone, June 2025. The boomgate and lights operate in the event of a road closure.

NEW Landslip Zone Signs:

Landslip warning signs in a subsidence zone at Mount Whitestone, June 2025.

NEW Heifer Cutting:

Grantham-Clifton Rd (SR80) as it passes through Fordsdale via Heifer Cutting, June 2025.

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign without dividing line, approaching Greenmount-Hirstglen Rd (unnumbered), Hirstglen, June 2025.

NEW Entering Pilton:

Grantham-Clifton Rd (SR80) as it enters the town of Pilton, June 2025.

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Headington Hill, approaching Baines Rd, June 2025.

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign with remnant NR42 shields, approaching New England Hwy (A3 / TD4 / TD41) at Clifton, June 2025.

NEW New England Highway:

ID sign assembly at the junction with New England Hwy (A3 / TD4 / TD41) at Clifton, June 2025. This is the southern terminus of State Route 80.

¹ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland state-controlled roads and region maps, Darling Downs region, November 2022.
² Lachlan Sims.
³ The Earthmover & Civil Contractor magazine, Gatton Bypass duplication opens one month early, November 2003.
⁴ QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, New bridge spans Ma Ma Creek, 5 November 2009.
⁵ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Intersection safety improvement works Gatton.
⁶ QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Work starts on $4.6m bridge for Kings Creek, 21 November 2011.