Australian Towns, Cities & Highways: Eyre Highway (SA)

Eyre Highway (SA) was

The Eyre Highway, one of Australia's great highways and forming part of National Route 1 (changed recently to the A1 as shown above) essentially provides the only direct road link from Western Australia to the eastern states. The highway starts just east of Port Augusta at the small town of Stirling North at the B83/Port Wakefield Rd (A1) junction. Heading west, it passes through the important rail and industrial city of Port Augusta, across the Spencer Gulf and into the Eyre Peninsula. Heading south west from Port Augusta, the highway passes through Lincoln's Gap and then opens up into the dry, arid Middleback Ranges where you reach the small mining town of Iron Knob. Contuining south-west, the highway passes into more habitable sheep and cattle farming regions passing through Kimba and changing direction to head north-west after reaching the junction town of Kyancutta. Similar conditions are encountered all the way to the coastal town of Ceduna. Being the last major town for over 1000km, the highway then heads due west into extremely remote countryside, passing by the windmill town of Penong and then into the very open, flat and treeless, yet protected Nullarbor Plain which extends all the way to the SA/WA border. While there are various scenic vantage points along the highway as it nears the northern reaches of the Great Australian Bight, a general warning to motorists as there are little to no services aside from a few remote roadhouses.

State: South Australia
Name Origin: The Eyre Highway closely follows the route that explorer Edward John Eyre travelled as part of the first east-west journey between South Australia and Western Australia.
Start: Stirling North (Port Wakefield Road (A1)/B83 junction, 7km east of Port Augusta)
Principal Towns: Stirling North, Port Augusta, Iron Knob *, Kimba, Wudinna, Minnipa, Poochera, Wirrulla, Ceduna, Penong
Finish: SA/WA border (SA/WA Border Village)
Length: 954km
Road Standard: All bitumen.
Road Quality: Good - dual carriageway from Stirling North to Port Augusta - narrow in parts across the Eyre Peninsula but generally shoulders are sealed or part sealed. Terrain is generally flat with ample amounts of straight sections of road - some undulating regions through and near the Middleback Ranges. Road passes through extremely remote areas once further west of Ceduna and across the Nullarbor Plains with little to no services, minimal traffic, no pastoral homesteads and no mobile coverage.
Road Continuation: Click for the Eyre Highway in WA
Speed Limit (outside built up areas): 110km/hr
* - denotes towns bypassed by the Eyre Highway

Photos from the Eyre Highway (SA) (Click on thumbnail for full sized image):

The Eyre Highway, looking east between Port Augusta and Stirling North (2003).

Heading west on the Eyre Hwy, approaching the Stuart Hwy junction at Port Augusta West (2003).

The Eyre Highway, looking east from the El Alamein railway bridge (about 15km from Port Augusta) (2003).

Distance sign with the old Hwy 1 shield heading west from the Lincoln Hwy junction (2003).

Heading east on the Eyre Hwy approaching the Lincoln Hwy junction (2003).

Distance sign heading west on the Eyre Highway from the Lincoln Hwy junction (2003).

	The Eyre Highway, looking east between Port Augusta and Stirling North (2003).
	Heading west on the Eyre Hwy, approaching the Stuart Hwy junction at Port Augusta West (2003).
	The Eyre Highway, looking east from the El Alamein railway bridge (about 15km from Port Augusta) (2003).
	Distance sign with the old Hwy 1 shield heading west from the Lincoln Hwy junction (2003).
	Heading east on the Eyre Hwy approaching the Lincoln Hwy junction (2003).
	Distance sign heading west on the Eyre Highway from the Lincoln Hwy junction (2003).