Main Roads Western Australia
Main Roads Western Australia (formerly the Main Roads Department) is a statutory authority of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for implementing the state's policies on road access and main roads. It operates under the ''M ...
controls the major roads in the state's
Kimberley
Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to:
Places and historical events
Australia
* Kimberley (Western Australia)
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley
* Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania
* Kimberley, Tasmania a small town
* County of Kimberley, a ...
region.
Great Northern Highway is the major road connection through the region, with sealed roads spurring off it to connect to population centres, and unsealed roads offering an alternative route between Derby and Wyndham.
The region's main roads are important to the Kimberley, as roads are the only transportation mode within the region.
Great Northern Highway is the only sealed road linking the region to the rest of the state, and via Victoria Highway, the rest of the country; therefore, it is particularly important for defence, freight, and tourism. Freight needs include transportation of minerals to the ports at Derby and Wyndham for the mining industry, cattle to ports or abattoirs, and produce to markets (including to the Wyndham port for export) for the agricultural industry based around the
Ord River Irrigation Scheme
The Ord River is a river in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The river's catchment covers .
The lower Ord River and the conjunction with Cambridge Gulf create the most northern estuarine environment in Western Australia.
The Ord ...
area.
Broome Highway
Broome Highway,
also known as Broome Road,
is a major road in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It connects
Great Northern Highway in
Roebuck to the coastal town of
Broome.
Derby Highway
Derby Highway is a major road in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. From
Great Northern Highway in
Willare, it travels north to the western end of
Gibb River Road, and then on to
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
.
Gibb River Road
Gibb River Road,
also known as Derby Gibb River Road and Gibb River Wyndham Road,
is a major north-east to south-west road in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. The road offers a more direct route between Derby and
Great Northern Highway south of Wyndham than travelling on the highway itself, but is an unsealed gravel road except for short sections at either end.
The road is often closed due to
flooding during the
wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...
, which is typically November through March, although delayed openings have been known to happen, frustrating the
tourism industry.
Great Northern Highway
Great Northern Highway is a main highway through the Kimberley region, and part of the Perth to Darwin national highway. From the south-western edge of the region at
Eighty Mile Beach
Eighty Mile Beach, also spelled Eighty-mile Beach or 80-mile Beach, lies along the north-west coast of Western Australia about half-way between the towns of Broome, Western Australia, Broome and Port Hedland, Western Australia, Port Hedland. I ...
near the
Sandfire
Sandfire is a location and roadhouse on the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia between Port Hedland and Broome. It is on the western edge of the Great Sandy Desert, and east of Wallal Downs and Mandora Station. It is inland, and l ...
Roadhouse, the highway travels north-east along the coast to
Roebuck, east of
Broome. From here it heads east to the Willare Bridge Roadhouse at the
Fitzroy River Fitzroy or FitzRoy may refer to:
People As a given name
*Several members of the Somerset family (Dukes of Beaufort) have this as a middle-name:
**FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855)
** Henry Charles FitzRoy Somerset, 8th Duke of Beau ...
, south of
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
. The highway continues east to
Fitzroy Crossing, where it crosses the Fitzroy River a second time. It continues east, curving around the
Margaret River to the town of
Halls Creek. From here the highway heads north past
Warmun to
Wyndham.
The national highway route, however, turns off at
Victoria Highway
The Victoria Highway links the Great Northern Highway in Western Australia with the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory. The highway is a part of the Perth - Darwin National Highway link. It is signed as National Highway 1, and is par ...
, west of
Kununurra, to cross into the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
.
Gubinge Road
Gubinge Road is the continuation of
Broome Highway within
Broome, in Western Australia's Kimberley region. It bypasses development within Broome by travelling along the western side of the town's peninsula, near
Cable Beach
Cable Beach is a stretch of white sand beach on the eastern Indian Ocean and the name of the surrounding suburb in Broome, Western Australia. Cable Beach was named after the telegraph cable laid between Broome and Java in 1889. Low cliffs of ...
, and connects to
Port Drive near the southern end of the peninsula.
Harbour Road
Harbour Road
is the continuation of Great Northern Highway beyond the
Wyndham townsites. The northern half of the road is restricted to authorised vehicles, for access to the harbour.
Loch Street
Loch Street is the continuation of
Derby Highway within
Derby
Derby ( ) is a city and unitary authority area in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Derwent in the south of Derbyshire, which is in the East Midlands Region. It was traditionally the county town of Derbyshire. Derby gai ...
, in Western Australia's Kimberley region.
Port Drive
Port Drive is a major road within
Broome, in Western Australia's Kimberley region. The southern half of the road continues south from
Gubinge Road to the town's main jetty at
Roebuck Bay
Roebuck Bay is a bay on the coast of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Its entrance is bounded in the north by the town of Broome, and in the south by Bush Point and Sandy Point. It is named after , the ship captained by William ...
, while the northern half connects that main route to the Broome townsite.
Victoria Highway
Victoria Highway is the main road link between Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and part of the Perth to Darwin national highway. From
Great Northern Highway at
Lake Argyle, the highway heads east-north-east to
Kununurra, where it crosses the
Dunham and
Ord Rivers. It then continues on in a south-westerly direction, back into the locality of Lake Argyle, until it reaches
Lake Argyle Road, before heading east a short distance to the state border.
There are plans for a bypass around the northern side of
Kununurra.
See also
*
List of highways in Western Australia
*
List of road routes in Western Australia
Road routes in Western Australia assist drivers navigating roads in urban, rural, and scenic areas of the state. The route numbering system is composed of National Highways, National Routes, State Routes, and Tourist Drives. Each route has ...
*
List of major roads in rural Western Australia
*
Major roads in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia
*
Major roads in the Mid West region of Western Australia
*
Major roads in the Pilbara region of Western Australia
*
Major roads in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia
Highways and main roads in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia form the basis of a road network, which is primarily used by the mining, agriculture, and tourism industries. Main Roads Western Australia maintains and controls these major ro ...
*
Tourist Drives in Western Australia
Tourist Drives in Western Australia are routes through areas of scenic or historic significance, designated by route markers with white numbers on a brown shield. Tourist Drives were introduced into Western Australia while Eric Charlton was the ...
References
{{Road infrastructure in Western Australia
Kimberley
Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to:
Places and historical events
Australia
* Kimberley (Western Australia)
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley
* Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania
* Kimberley, Tasmania a small town
* County of Kimberley, a ...
Roads