Pennant Hills Road
Encyclopedia
Pennant Hills Road is a major highway located in Sydney
, New South Wales
. It runs from the suburb of Wahroonga
, in the north, to the major central business district of Parramatta
, Australia.
in order to provide a route from Ermington
Wharf to the Pennant Hills sawmill established by Governor Lachlan Macquarie
in 1816. Subsequently it joined the Lane Cove Road (now the Pacific Highway
) further north and was sometimes considered the same road. It has been allocated several route numbers over the years, as follows:
Ring Road 5(1964-1974)
State Route 55(1974-1988)
State Route 77(1988-1993)
Metroad 7(1993- )but decommissioned south of the M2 in Dec 2005.
Metroad 6(2005-)
, north-west of the Sydney CBD, and south-east of Hornsby
. The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
(F3) ends a few hundred metres south of Pearce's Corner at an intersection with Pennant Hills Road. From here, the road passes through the Hornsby Shire
suburbs of Normanhurst, Thornleigh and Pennant Hills. In Thornleigh there is a major intersection with The Comenarra Parkway, an arterial road which begins as Yanko Road in West Pymble. In the evening this intersection can get quite busy, and is often characterised by bumper to bumper traffic on the Comenarra Parkway, as motorists attempt to turn either left or right onto Pennant Hills Road. The Parkway is has become somewhat of a through route from the North Shore suburbs as well as the City, with some motorists choosing to avoid Epping Road and The M2 Motorway and travel west through the Parkway.
At Pennant Hills, the highway crosses the Northern Railway Line, intersects with Yarrara Road and Boundary Road,heading west, after which is located a major intersection with Beecroft Road. The highway then heads west, and then south-west towards Thompson's Corner, in West Pennant Hills, where there is a major intersection with Castle Hill Road. In the mid 1990s, a tunnel was built beneath the intersection which allows traffic from Castle Hill Road to turn onto Pennant Hills Road, going southbound, without negotiating the traffic lights. This also means that southbound traffic already on Pennant Hills Road rarely has to stop at the Thompson's Corner intersection, only if pedestrians are crossing.
The highway continues south to the M2 Hills Motorway
intersection. Traffic can enter the motorway from Pennant Hills Road to drive either eastbound (towards the City) or westbound (towards Blacktown) - as well, motorway traffic is able to exit onto Pennant Hills Road from both directions.
Pennant Hills Road continues south from the M2 intersection through Carlingford
and the intersection with North Rocks Road and then onto the intersection with Carlingford Road. South of the Carlingford Road intersection lies the intersection with Marsden Road, and the highway then continues south-west towards Parramatta, crossing the Carlingford Railway Line, and through the suburbs of Telopea and North Parramatta, where the major intersection with James Ruse Drive
lies. Pennant Hills Road forms part of the Cumberland Highway until the intersection with James Ruse Drive where it relinquishes that designation to the latter road.
The highway then continues south-west into Parramatta where it meets Church Street.
The highway is a 60 km/h (37.3 mph) four-lane road from Pearce's Corner for the short distance to the F3 intersection. From the F3 intersection the highway is a 70 km/h (43.5 mph) six-lane highway for the entire distance to the M2 Motorway intersection. From here, the road goes back to being a 60 km/h (37.3 mph) four-lane road for the rest of the distance to Parramatta, with short third lanes at various points in each direction. There are numerous 40 km/h (24.9 mph) "school zones" (8:00 am - 9.30 am and 2.30 pm - 4:00 pm) and there are two fixed speed cameras, between Evans Road and Coleman Avenue in Carlingford and between Castle Street and Bellevue Street in North Parramatta. Both are 60 km/h (37.3 mph) zones.
Pennant Hills Road frontage is a mix of businesses, schools and homes. The biggest concentration of businesses are at Thornleigh, Pennant Hills, West Pennant Hills (Thompson's Corner) and Carlingford, with the Carlingford area being the biggest.
Plans to link the F3 Freeway with a planned North West Freeway were shelved in the late 20th century. Recently the Government has been examining a number of options to link the F3 with the M2 motorway as part of a freeway standard Sydney Bypass
.
As of 2006, the proposal for a freeway tunnel under Pennant Hills Road is being re-examined. As the area between the F3 and the M2 is quite established, it would be difficult to construct a link without the use of a tunnel. However, as there are many homes and schools along the proposed route, the issue of tunnel exhaust stacks is of major concern.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. It runs from the suburb of Wahroonga
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
, in the north, to the major central business district of Parramatta
Parramatta, New South Wales
Parramatta is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located in Greater Western Sydney west of the Sydney central business district on the banks of the Parramatta River. Parramatta is the administrative seat of the Local Government Area of the City of Parramatta...
, Australia.
History
Pennant Hills Road began its life in 1820 as a bullock track used by timbermen. It was surveyed by government surveyor James MeehanJames Meehan
James Meehan was an Irish-Australian explorer and surveyor.Meehan was born in Ireland in 1774, and was one of a number of political prisoners who arrived in Australia in February 1800. Two months later he became an assistant to Charles Grimes, the surveyor-general, and went with him to explore the...
in order to provide a route from Ermington
Ermington
Ermington can refer to:* Ermington House - The residence of Edmund Lockyer in Ermington, AustraliaThere are several places named Ermington:* Ermington, New South Wales - A suburb of Sydney, Australia...
Wharf to the Pennant Hills sawmill established by Governor Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie
Major-General Lachlan Macquarie CB , was a British military officer and colonial administrator. He served as the last autocratic Governor of New South Wales, Australia from 1810 to 1821 and had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the colony...
in 1816. Subsequently it joined the Lane Cove Road (now the Pacific Highway
Pacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
) further north and was sometimes considered the same road. It has been allocated several route numbers over the years, as follows:
Ring Road 5(1964-1974)
State Route 55(1974-1988)
State Route 77(1988-1993)
Metroad 7(1993- )but decommissioned south of the M2 in Dec 2005.
Metroad 6(2005-)
Route
The road begins in the northern suburb of Wahroonga at Pearce's Corner, the intersection with the Pacific HighwayPacific Highway (Australia)
The Pacific Highway is a major transport route along part of the east coast of Australia and is part of Australia's national route 1.It is 960 km long and links Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, to Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, along the coast, via Gosford, Newcastle, Taree, Port...
, north-west of the Sydney CBD, and south-east of Hornsby
Hornsby, New South Wales
* Highest Maximum Temperature: 42 °C* Lowest Maximum Temperature: 4.9 °C* Warmest Month: January* Coolest Month: July* Highest Precipitation: February* Lowest Precipitation: July-Notable residents:...
. The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
Sydney-Newcastle Freeway
The Sydney-Newcastle Freeway is a stretch of motorway linking Sydney to the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions of New South Wales. It is part of the AusLink road corridor between Sydney and Brisbane, carrying the route designation....
(F3) ends a few hundred metres south of Pearce's Corner at an intersection with Pennant Hills Road. From here, the road passes through the Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire
Hornsby Shire is a Local Government Area in the Northern region of Sydney, Australia. The Shire stretches from the suburb of Eastwood in the south to the Hawkesbury River town of Wisemans Ferry, some to the north...
suburbs of Normanhurst, Thornleigh and Pennant Hills. In Thornleigh there is a major intersection with The Comenarra Parkway, an arterial road which begins as Yanko Road in West Pymble. In the evening this intersection can get quite busy, and is often characterised by bumper to bumper traffic on the Comenarra Parkway, as motorists attempt to turn either left or right onto Pennant Hills Road. The Parkway is has become somewhat of a through route from the North Shore suburbs as well as the City, with some motorists choosing to avoid Epping Road and The M2 Motorway and travel west through the Parkway.
At Pennant Hills, the highway crosses the Northern Railway Line, intersects with Yarrara Road and Boundary Road,heading west, after which is located a major intersection with Beecroft Road. The highway then heads west, and then south-west towards Thompson's Corner, in West Pennant Hills, where there is a major intersection with Castle Hill Road. In the mid 1990s, a tunnel was built beneath the intersection which allows traffic from Castle Hill Road to turn onto Pennant Hills Road, going southbound, without negotiating the traffic lights. This also means that southbound traffic already on Pennant Hills Road rarely has to stop at the Thompson's Corner intersection, only if pedestrians are crossing.
The highway continues south to the M2 Hills Motorway
M2 Hills Motorway
The M2 Hills Motorway is a motorway in north-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It forms part of Sydney Metroad 2 and the 110 km Sydney Orbital Network. West of Pennant Hills Road, the M2 is also part of the National Highway.-History:Previously, Sydney's western suburbs were poorly served...
intersection. Traffic can enter the motorway from Pennant Hills Road to drive either eastbound (towards the City) or westbound (towards Blacktown) - as well, motorway traffic is able to exit onto Pennant Hills Road from both directions.
Pennant Hills Road continues south from the M2 intersection through Carlingford
Carlingford, New South Wales
Carlingford is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Carlingford is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government areas of the The Hills Shire, Hornsby Shire and the City of Parramatta...
and the intersection with North Rocks Road and then onto the intersection with Carlingford Road. South of the Carlingford Road intersection lies the intersection with Marsden Road, and the highway then continues south-west towards Parramatta, crossing the Carlingford Railway Line, and through the suburbs of Telopea and North Parramatta, where the major intersection with James Ruse Drive
James Ruse Drive
James Ruse Drive is a main thoroughfare route around Parramatta, in Western Sydney. It stretches from Windsor Road, Northmead in the north to Great Western Highway , Granville in the south. It formed a section of the State route 55...
lies. Pennant Hills Road forms part of the Cumberland Highway until the intersection with James Ruse Drive where it relinquishes that designation to the latter road.
The highway then continues south-west into Parramatta where it meets Church Street.
The highway is a 60 km/h (37.3 mph) four-lane road from Pearce's Corner for the short distance to the F3 intersection. From the F3 intersection the highway is a 70 km/h (43.5 mph) six-lane highway for the entire distance to the M2 Motorway intersection. From here, the road goes back to being a 60 km/h (37.3 mph) four-lane road for the rest of the distance to Parramatta, with short third lanes at various points in each direction. There are numerous 40 km/h (24.9 mph) "school zones" (8:00 am - 9.30 am and 2.30 pm - 4:00 pm) and there are two fixed speed cameras, between Evans Road and Coleman Avenue in Carlingford and between Castle Street and Bellevue Street in North Parramatta. Both are 60 km/h (37.3 mph) zones.
Pennant Hills Road frontage is a mix of businesses, schools and homes. The biggest concentration of businesses are at Thornleigh, Pennant Hills, West Pennant Hills (Thompson's Corner) and Carlingford, with the Carlingford area being the biggest.
Traffic congestion
Pennant Hills Road has always been the main road north from Parramatta to Hornsby, but with traffic from major arterial roads of James Ruse Drive, Marsden Road, Carlingford Road, North Rocks Road, Castle Hill Road, Beecroft Road, The Commenara Parkway and the Pacific Highway adding to that, plus the relatively recent additions of the M2 Motorway and the F3 Freeway extension to Wahroonga, the highway can get quite congested during the morning and afternoon peaks and is often characterised by the heavy population of trucks and other logistic vehicles. Unfortunately Pennant Hills Road is the only direct road linking the F3 and the M2, forcing interstate commercial traffic, travellers and commuters to all compete for passage with local Hornsby Shire traffic. The average traffic flow on Pennant Hills Rd, according to a 2002 survey by the RTA, was 62,656, with the busiest area occurring around Thompsons Corner.Plans to link the F3 Freeway with a planned North West Freeway were shelved in the late 20th century. Recently the Government has been examining a number of options to link the F3 with the M2 motorway as part of a freeway standard Sydney Bypass
Sydney Bypass
There have been various forms of Sydney Bypass for decades. Some have taken the form of local suburban roads which have gradually become more and more congested until they were no longer effective as a bypass. Others have been proposals that never eventuated...
.
As of 2006, the proposal for a freeway tunnel under Pennant Hills Road is being re-examined. As the area between the F3 and the M2 is quite established, it would be difficult to construct a link without the use of a tunnel. However, as there are many homes and schools along the proposed route, the issue of tunnel exhaust stacks is of major concern.