Peak Downs Highway

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 Walkerston, Nebo, Moranbah (10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the highway, but the largest town along the route) and Clermont.

Peak Downs Highway

Peak Downs Highway depicted in green on black.
General information
TypeHighway
Length283 km (176 mi)
Route number(s) State Route 70
Major junctions
East end Bruce Highway, Mackay, Queensland
West end Gregory Highway /
Gregory Developmental Road
, Clermont, Queensland
Location(s)
Major settlementsMoranbah, Nebo, Eton
Highway system

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.

A coal train runs alongside the Peak Downs Highway.

Major intersections

LGALocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
MackayWest Mackay00.0 Bruce Highway (Queensland Highway A1) - south - Sarina / north-east - MackayNorth-eastern end of Peak Downs Highway (State Route 70)
Alexandra6.44.0 Mackay Eungella Road (State Route 64) - north-west - Marian
Eton25.115.6 Marian Eton Road (State Route 5) - north-west - MarianEastern concurrency terminus with State Route 5
25.816.0 Eton Homebush Road (State Route 5) - south-east - HomebushWestern concurrency terminus with State Route 5
IsaacNebo8251 Suttor Developmental Road (State Route 11) - west - Mount Coolon
Strathfield11773 Fitzroy Developmental Road (State Route 67) - south - Dingo
Clermont266165 Gregory Highway (State Route A7) - south - Clermont town centre /
north - Charters Towers
Northern concurrency terminus with Gregory Highway
280170 Gregory Highway (State Route A7) - south-east - EmeraldSouthern concurrency terminus with Gregory Highway
283176 Clermont Alpha Road (State Route 41) - west - AlphaSouth-western end of Peak Downs Highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

 Australian Roads portal

References

  1. Queensland Government - Department of Transport and Main Roads - Maps
  2. Hema, Maps (2007). Australia Road and 4WD Atlas (Map). Eight Mile Plains Queensland: Hema Maps. pp. 10–11. ISBN 978-1-86500-456-3.

Media related to Peak Downs Highway at Wikimedia Commons


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