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Cunningham Highway
Highway in Queensland, Australia From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Cunningham Highway is a 327-kilometre (203 mi)[1] national highway located in south-eastern Queensland, Australia. The highway links the Darling Downs region with the urbanised outskirts of Ipswich via Cunninghams Gap.[2][3]
The Cunningham carries the National Highway 15 shield between Ipswich and north of Warwick at its junction with the New England Highway at Glengallan where both the Cunningham and the New England head south concurrently to Warwick. Thereafter, the Cunningham carries the National Highway 42 shield to its south-western terminus with the Leichhardt Highway at Goondiwindi. The majority of the Cunningham Highway is a single carriageway with freeway standard and 6-lane arterial road standard towards its north-eastern terminus, near Ipswich.
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State-controlled road
The Cunningham Highway is a state-controlled road, subdivided into four sections for administrative and funding purposes. Sections 17A, 17B, and part of 17D are part of the National Highway, while section 17C and part of section 17D are strategic roads.[4][5][6][7] The sections are:
- 17A – Goodna to Ipswich
- 17B – Ipswich to Warwick
- 17C – Warwick to Inglewood
- 17D – Inglewood to Goondiwindi
State-controlled roads that intersect with the highway are listed in the main article.
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History
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The highway is named in honour of the explorer and botanist Allan Cunningham who followed a route close to where the modern-day highway runs. In 1828 after discovering the route Cunningham sent a report to Governor Ralph Darling emphasising the economic benefits that a link between the coast and pastoral lands of the Darling Downs would provide.[8] The first road between the coast and the Darling Downs was Spicers Gap Road developed in 1859, which crossed the range at Spicer's Gap and was suitable for the drays used at that time. Although Cunningham's Gap was known at that time, it was considered too steep a route for drays. With the opening of the Southern railway line between Toowoomba and Warwick in 1871, passenger and goods transport switched to the railways and Spicers Gap Road fell into disuse and was not well maintained due to the cost.[9]
In the 1930s, the roads from Amberley to Aratula and from Warwick to Maryvale were both sealed, but because there was no road between Aratula and Maryvale, motorists wishing to travel from Ipswich to Warwick and beyond had to go via Gatton and Clifton. It wasn’t until 1946 that construction began on a road through Cunningham’s Gap. The new sealed road through the gap was eventually opened in November 1949.[10]
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Route
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The north-eastern terminus of the Cunningham Highway is situated a short distance west of where the Warrego Highway reaches its eastern terminus with the Ipswich Motorway, at Riverview, a suburb of Ipswich. From this point, the Cunningham Highway heads south-west, bypassing the busy Ipswich central business district and the original path of the highway, now named Warwick Road. Between the commencement of the route at Riverview and Ripley Road at Flinders View, the highway is a 4 lane dual carriageway, constructed to Motorway standard with a speed limit of 100, and grade-separated interchanges. From here, the highway transitions to a 'Super 2' expressway, consisting of a 2 lane undivided carriageway, through to Warwick Road, Yamanto. From here, the route transitions from motorway standard to highway standard. The highway then continues past the Willowbank Raceway, and then through the Scenic Rim region, passing through Warrill View, the Fassifern Valley and Aratula.[2][11] The Scenic Rim section of the Highway is 2 lanes each way with at-grade intersections, no emergency shoulders and varying speed limits.
After the town of Aratula, the Cunningham Highway begins its ascent across the Great Dividing Range via a mountain pass at an elevation of 787 metres (2,582 ft) above sea level called Cunninghams Gap, situated in the Main Range National Park, between the peaks of Mount Cordeaux and Mount Mitchell.[11]
As the Cunningham Highway descends through the Southern Downs region and west adjacent to the settlement of Maryvale, it reaches a major junction with the New England Highway near Eastments Ridge approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of Warwick. The two highways run south to Warwick, sharing the National Route 15 shield and cross the Condamine River before the concurrency terminates and the New England Highway runs south, carrying the National Highway 15 shield; and the Cunningham heads west by south-west through Inglewood, Yelarbon, before reaching its south-western terminus on the outskirts of Goondiwindi.[11]
Within close proximity of Goondiwindi, the Cunningham Highway links to the Newell, Leichhardt, and Barwon highways, with the Bruxner Highway nearby.[3][11]
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Towns on the Cunningham Highway
From northeast to southwest, the following towns and settlements are located on the Cunningham Highway:
Upgrades
Highway upgrades
A lead project to plan and conduct upgrades to the highway, at a total cost of $212.5 million, was in the planning phase in November 2021. The $25 million intersection upgrade described below is included in this project.[12]
Intersection upgrade
A project to upgrade the intersection with the New England Highway east of Warwick, at a cost of $25 million, was due for completion in August 2022.[13]
Reconstruction works
A project to reconstruct sections of the highway at Cunninghams Gap following bushfire damage, at a cost of $84.27 million, was due to start construction in early 2022.[14]
Safety upgrades
A project to identify safety issues and propose solutions between Warwick and Inglewood, at a cost of $275,000, was under way in January 2022.[15]
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Major exits and intersections
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Gallery
section under conversion to 
Cunningham Highway at Cunningham's Gap
See also
References
External links
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