A1 - Pacific Highway v M1 - Pacific Motorway

Map Editors Community Australia New South Wales
1

The three M1 Upgrades on the Central Coast are nearing completion, so most of this road is now dual carriageway.

However, there are a lot of sections that are labelled still as A1- Pacific Highway (Major Highway) and other sections as M1 - Pacific Motorway (Freeway).

There doesn’t seem to be any real current rationale between the two, except that brand new sections have tended to be labeled M1 Freeway, or where there are separate Highway and Motorway sections in the same area.

Wiki states that roads designated “M” are Freeway, and “A” is MH.

NSW Globe lists the whole thing as Pacific Highway. [EDIT: NSW Globe lists Pacific Motorway as Wharoonga to Newcastle only, and then Brunswick Heads to QLD]

RMS here for example, refers to the M1 as “The M1 Pacific Motorway is an important link between Sydney and Brisbane.” implying the whole thing should be M1 Freeeway.

Wikipedia and Google Maps have the same designation. M1 is Wharoonga to Newcastle only, with the rest as A1.
Google then has Ballina to Gympie QLD being M1, where Wikipedia says Brunswick Heads to Brisbane.

Happy for other reference suggestions, but my view would be if it looks like a duck…
If it looks like a Freeway, we should use the Freeway Road Type.
Also, unless we find signposted evidence otherwise, we should use the M1- Pacific Motorway name.

Thoughts?

2

This map from RMS states “Pacific Highway” from Newcastle all the way to QLD

3

Just to add more confusion:

I have been setting speed limits through Gosford. There is a section of the Pacific Highway that runs through Gosford Town Centre as a minor Highway (Level 3 lock)
It would probably benefit from Alternate names being added as it overlaps with local streets.

I will check the link you provided to see if the section I am talking about is mentioned.

4

Upon further review, perhaps we should follow the naming of NSW Globe, which is Motorway to Newcastle, and then Highway to Brunswick Heads.
This also aligns with other sources (except for the RMS description).
However, I believe the road type should be Freeway, if indeed that is what the road is in reality.

5

According to Alphanumeric Route Numbers (RMS), particularly the Q&A document:

I’d attribute the differences between some RMS pages to the fact that some pages are talking about the large long-running project (“Pacific Highway”), while others are talking about the roads created/upgraded in the course of that project (both “Pacific Highway” and “Pacific Motorway”).

6

The other issue that this inconsistency will impact is the ‘Avoid Freeways’ option.
Given that most of the Syd-Bris A1 is for all intents and purposes a Freeway, a user selecting this option would want to avoid the A1. However, since we are classifying it as a Major Highway (because it doesn’t have the M1 designation), it would not be avoided.

I still don’t understand why the A1 doesn’t get an official upgrade to M1 designation. It is divided road, two or three lanes each way, and THE major route between the 1st and 3rd most populous cities in the country. Maybe once all the roadworks are completed they will convert the entire length?

7

I think one of the reasons why is that pacific hwy goes through towns and has traffic lights, while motorways don’t go through towns and rarely/never have traffic lights

8

There may be still some sections that go through towns (not that I can think of, besides day Coffs Harbour). The rest of it, or at least most, is motorway. I think it would make more sense in Waze to have these as Freeways.

9

Currently Gazetted Pacific Highway

NSW Gazetted - Highway 10 - GG56 23/4/10
(though the numbers don’t match the route numbers)

PACIFIC HIGHWAY - Section One: From the Warringah Freeway at
North Sydney northerly (with a loop along Arthur Street and then westerly
along Berry Street, North Sydney) to George Street at Hornsby, then via
George Street, Bridge Road and Jersey Street North at Asquith, then via
Berowra, Cowan, Peats Ferry Bridge over the Hawkesbury River, Calga
and bridge over Mooney Mooney Creek to the junction with Wisemans
Ferry Road and Central Coast Highway HW30 west of the Sydney –
Newcastle Freeway at Gosford Interchange near Kariong;
Section Two: From the intersection of Henry Parry Drive (MR673),
Pemell Street and Mann Street at Wyoming via Niagara Park, Narara,
Lisarow and Ourimbah to the Sydney - Newcastle Freeway at Ourimbah
Interchange;
Section Three: From Wyong Road (MR335) at Tuggerah via Wyong,
Wadalba, Charmhaven, Doyalson, Swansea, Belmont and Charlestown to
City Road at South Adamstown, then via City Road and Stewart Avenue to
the intersection of Hunter Street (MR464) and Stewart Avenue (MR316))
at Wickham;
Section Four: From the intersection of Maitland Road (MR464) and
Industrial Drive (MR316) at Warrabrook via Maitland Road to Hexham,
then via Raymond Terrace bypass Freeway, Karuah bypass Freeway,
Bulahdelah Freeway, Taree bypass Freeway, Coopernook bypass,
Moorland bypass, Kew bypass, Telegraph Point, Kempsey, Frederickton,
Clybucca, Eungai Creek, Warrell Creek, Macksville, Urunga, Bonville
bypass, Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga, South Grafton, Ulmarra, Cowper
bypass, Tyndale bypass, Woodburn, Wardell, Ballina, Bangalow bypass,
Brunswick-Yelgun Freeway, Yelgun-Chinderah Freeway, Chinderah
bypass, Tweed Heads bypass and Tugun bypass Freeway to the
Queensland Border
http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/business-industry/partners-suppliers/lgr/documents/classified-roads-schedule.pdf

10

"Why aren’t all sections of the Pacific Highway of motorway standard
marked as such? More than 300km is now motorway standard.
Roads and Maritime has attempted to limit the ‘M’ classification to those sections of motorway standard road
between major town centres, so as to limit the number of changes between M1 to A1 sections along a length
of road to avoid confusion. As sections of the Pacific Highway between major town centres are upgraded, the
M classification will be implemented along those parts of the routes. This could also apply to other major routes. "
http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/documents/roads/using-roads/alpha-numeric/qanda.pdf