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General Holmes Drive

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General Holmes Drive

New South Wales
General Holmes Drive, looking south-west from the Sydney Airport overpass
General Holmes Drive is located in Sydney
Northeast end
Northeast end
Southwest end
Southwest end
Coordinates
General information
TypeMotorway
Length5.0 km (3.1 mi)[1]
GazettedAugust 1928[2]
Route number(s)
  • M1 (2013–present)
    (Botany–Kyeemagh)
  • A1 (2013–present)
    (Kyeemagh–Brighton-Le-Sands)
Former
route number
  • Metroad 1 (1993–2013)
    (Botany–Brighton-Le-Sands)
  • National Route 1 (1992–1993)
    (Botany–Brighton-Le-Sands)
  • State Route 64 (1974–1992)
    (Botany–Brighton-Le-Sands)
Major junctions
Northeast endJoyce Drive
Mascot, Sydney
 
Southwest end The Grand Parade
Brighton-Le-Sands, Sydney
Location(s)
Major suburbsSydney Airport
Highway system

General Holmes Drive is a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) major divided road located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The road forms part of the M1, the A1, the Sydney Orbital Network, and the Australian Highway 1 network. Initially built in 1919 as a two-lane road and duplicated in 1951, the road partially circumnavigates Sydney Airport with its north-eastern terminus in Mascot, heading west and then south and then south-west, with its south-western terminus with The Grand Parade in Brighton-Le-Sands.[3]

The road forms major links with the Southern Cross Drive and the M5 East, both part of the Sydney Orbital Network.

The road is named in honour of William Holmes, a distinguished Australian general who died in action during World War I.[4]

Route

General Holmes Drive starts from Joyce Drive in Mascot, and heads south, reaching a major intersection with Wentworth Drive that carries all traffic exiting from the domestic terminals at Sydney Airport.[5][6] Further west in Botany, the road meets the Mill Pond Road, a short road that connects with the Southern Cross Drive, carrying traffic north towards the Sydney central business district, with the south-westbound route providing access to both the international and the domestic terminals at Sydney Airport.

Via an interchange, General Holmes Drive heads south, forming a junction with Foreshore Drive that carries traffic to Port Botany and La Perouse. General Holmes Drive then heads through the Sydney Airport Tunnel, an eight-lane tidal flow culvert under the south-eastern runways of Sydney Airport. As the road exits the tunnel, there is a major exit to the M5. The road crosses over the Cooks River via the Endeavour Bridge, continues southeast into the suburbs of Kyeemagh and Brighton-Le-Sands, before terminating at the junction with The Grand Parade that carries traffic towards Sutherland and Wollongong.[3]

Traffic runs in three lanes in both directions through Kyeemagh, becoming four lanes after the M5 East junction. The M5 East can only be accessed southbound, and traffic joins General Holmes Drive northbound.

Until July 2019, General Holmes Drive continued for a further 100 metres (330 ft) to the north-east to an intersection with Botany Road crossing the Metropolitan Goods railway line via a level crossing. This section closed when the level crossing was replaced by an underpass at Wentworth Avenue.[7][8][9]

History

The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[10] through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (MRB). Main Road No. 194 was declared along this route on 8 August 1928, from the intersection of Botany and Lords Road in Mascot along Lords Road and Ascot Avenue, over the Cooks River Bridge, and General Holmes Drive to the intersection with The Grand Parade at Brighton-le-Sands (and continuing south along The Grand Parade and Ramsgate Road to the intersection with Princes Highway and Park Road in Kogarah Bay);[2] with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[11] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Main Road 194 on 8 April 1929.

The Endeavour Bridge over Cooks River was opened in May 1951, replacing the former Cooks River Bridge. Lords Road and Ascot Avenue were officially re-named as part of General Holmes Drive between Cooks River and Mascot, extending the existing road south of Cooks River, on 19 December 1961.[12]

The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[13] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, General Holmes Drive retains its declaration as part of Main Road 194.[14]

The route was allocated part of State Route 64 in 1974, from Mill Pond Road in Mascot to The Grand Parade; its northern end was re-aligned through Mascot from Wentworth Avenue, Botany and Mill Pond Roads to Southern Cross Drive when its southern extension opened in 1988. It was replaced by National Route 1 from Southern Cross Drive to Brighton-Le-Sands when Sydney Harbour Tunnel opened in 1992, then by Metroad 1 in 1993. With the conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in 2013, it was replaced with route M1 between Southern Cross Road and M5 East Motorway, and route A1 from there to The Grand Parade.[15]

Exits and interchanges

General Holmes Drive is entirely contained within the Bayside Council local government area.

Locationkm[1]miDestinationsNotes
Mascot0.00.0 Joyce Drive – Mascot, Sydney AirportNortheastern terminus of road
Ross Smith Avenue – Sydney Airport
0.250.16Wentworth Avenue – Eastlakes, Eastgardens, Sydney CBD
0.50.31Mill Pond Road – Botany, Maroubra, Sydney CBD
Mascot–Botany boundary1.00.62 Southern Cross Drive (M1) – Randwick, Sydney CBDNorthbound exit and southbound entrance at partial Y interchange;
Route transition: no route number north, M1 continues south from Southern Cross Drive
1.50.93Foreshore Road – Port Botany, La Perouse
Mascot2.2–
2.8		1.4–
1.7		Sydney Airport Tunnel
2.91.8 M5 Motorway (M5) – Liverpool, CanberraWestbound exit and eastbound entrance at partial Y interchange
Route transition: M1 eastbound, A1 south-westbound
Cooks River3.22.0Endeavour Bridge
Kyeemagh4.12.5Bestic Street – Rockdale
Brighton-Le-Sands4.93.0Bruce Street – Brighton-Le-Sands
The Grand Parade (A1) – Wollongong, NowraSouthwestern terminus of road, route A1 continues south along The Grand Parade

See also

An aerial view of General Holmes Drives, looking west, in 2015

References

  1. ^ a b "General Holmes Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. National Library of Australia. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Southern Cross Drive and General Holmes Drive". Ozroads. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Major General William Holmes". Monument Australia. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
  5. ^ "WestConnex Enabling Works: Airport East Precinct" (PDF) (Map). Roads & Maritime Services. Government of New South Wales. 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  6. ^ "Projects: Sydney South: Airport East Precinct". Roads & Maritime Services. Government of New South Wales. 11 August 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2016.
  7. ^ John Holland To Deliver Airport East Project John Holland 30 November 2017
  8. ^ New underpass to keep airport traffic flowing Roads & Maritime Services 1 July 2019
  9. ^ SAFE Notice 2019 Number: 2-4387 Australian Rail Track Corporation
  10. ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  11. ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the MRB; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
  12. ^ "MUNICAPILTY OF MASCOT, renaming of roads". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 137. National Library of Australia. 22 December 1961. p. 4071. Archived from the original on 13 June 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2023.
  13. ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
  14. ^ Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  15. ^ "Road number and name changes in Sydney" (PDF). Roads & Maritime Services. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2020.
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