MIDLAND HIGHWAY (TASMANIA)

The 'Midland Highway' (also known as the 'Midlands Highway') is the main highway in Tasmania, Australia. It is a part of the National Highway, and runs through the Midlands of the state, connecting the two largest cities, Hobart and Launceston.

Contents

History

Reference

History

The first record of movement between the two centres was in 1821 when then Governor Lachlan Macquarie selected sites for towns on the highway.
It was known as the 'Main Road' for most of its history. In the 1930's it became known as the Midland Highway, and in the 2000's - it also had 'The Heritage Highway' label applied to it.
The route of the highway originally started in Launceston and passed through the localities which are now known as:
Kings Meadows, Breadalbane, Perth, Epping Forest, Cleveland, Conara Junction, Campbell Town, Ross, Tunbridge, Woodbury, Antill Ponds, Oatlands, Jericho, Melton Mowbray, Kempton, Dysart, Bagdad, Mangalore, Pontville, Brighton and Bridgewater. The highway ended at Granton (where the highway joined with the Lyell and Brooker Highways).
As part of the National Highway, there have been many on-going changes to the highway since the 1980s.
The southern outlet in Launceston was built, bypassing many Launceston suburbs, allowing motorists to travel from the Breadalbane roundabout, almost directly to the city centre, at full highway speed. Around the same time, the towns of Ross, Oatlands and Kempton were bypassed.
In 2002, a railway line underpass was constructed near Symmons Plains, south of Perth, to create a grade separated rail crossing on the highway itself. Significant numbers of overtaking lanes have also been extended or created.
There is also a plan to bypass an area immediately north of Hobart. This will involve possible bypasses of Pontville, Bagdad and Brighton. There is mounting pressure for Perth and Campbell Town to also be bypassed, but this is unlikely to occur in the near future.

Reference

★ Alexander, Alison (2005) ''The Midland Highway'' in Alexander, A. Ed. The Companion to Tasmanian History. Hobart. Centre for Tasmanian Historical Studies. ISBN 186295223X