Australian Towns, Cities & Highways: Cunningham Highway

Cunningham Highway

The Cunningham Highway, an important link in South-East Queensland, links Ipswich & Brisbane with the southern Darling Downs and provides a section of the inland Brisbane-Sydney road corridor. Starting 6km east of Ipswich at the junction of the Ipswich Motorway and the Warrego Highway, it then bypasses Ipswich to the south, heading in a south-westerly direction through the rich Fassifern Valley before winding up the Great Dividing Escarpment and passing through Cunningham's Gap (great scenery!). Continuing west, the highway passes through a mixture of cattle grazing pastures and crop fields before joining with the New England Highway for about 10km to reach the large centre of Warwick. Upon heading south-west from Warwick, the highway's route number changes to National Route 42 (as shown above) and heads into the southern Darling Downs, passing through Inglewood to eventually reach the border town of Goondiwindi.

State: Queensland
Name Origin: The Cunningham Highway is named after explorer and botanist, Allan Cunningham who's journeys covered South East QLD and north-central NSW.
Pronunciation: Cunn-ing-ham Highway
Start: Ipswich Motorway/Warrego Highway junction (6km east of Ipswich )
Principal Towns: Ipswich *, Aratula, Warwick, Inglewood, Goondiwindi
Finish: Leichhardt Highway (Goondiwindi)
Length: 328km
Road Standard: Bitumen
Road Quality: Excellent: Ipswich-Warwick, generally good thereafter to Goondiwindi. Dual carriageway from Ipswich - Yamanto. Numerous overtaking lanes from Yamanto to Warwick. Occasional overtaking lanes Warwick-Goondiwindi. Road is generally undulating for its entire length except for the steep ascent/descent on Cunninghams Pass, just south-east of Aratula.
Speed Limit (outside built up areas): 100km/hr (60-80km/hr on Cunningham's Pass)
Road Continuation: Click here for the Ipswich Motorway. Click here for the Warrego Highway. Click here for the Leichhardt Highway.
* - denotes towns/cities bypassed by the Cunningham Highway

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

Heading west on the Cunningham Hwy, just south of Ipswich (2003). Sign has since been replaced.

View south-west over the Cunningham Hwy as it bypasses Ipswich (2003).

Heading south-west on the Cunningham Hwy approaching the Redbank Plains Road exit, Blackstone (2004).

And again, this time approaching the Swanbank Road exit, Flinders View. Sign has since been replaced (2004).

Looking north-east along the Cunningham Hwy - only a small section of single carriageway remains as the road bypasses Ipswich (2003).

Heading west along the Cunningham Hwy upon leaving Yamanto. Sign has since been replaced (2004).

Directional sign, heading east along the Cunningham Hwy, approaching the Ipswich-Boonah Rd exit, Yamanto (2003).

Looking north along the Cunningham Hwy as it approaches the Ipswich-Rosewood Rd junction, Willowbank (2003).

Looking south along the Cunningham Hwy between Ipswich and Warrill View (2004).

View north-east over the Cunningham Hwy and surrounding countryside between Warrill View and Ipswich - unusual to see such green pastures! (2002)

Heading north on the Cunningham Hwy between Warrill View and Ipswich (2004).

Heading north on the Cunningham Hwy as it approaches Warill View. Sign has since been replaced (2004).

Heading south-west along the Cunningham Hwy between Warrill View and Aratula (2004).

Heading south-west approaching the Boonah-Fassifern Rd junction on the Cunningham Hwy, Fassifern (2004).

The Cunningham Hwy, heading north-east through Aratula (2004).

On the Cunningham Hwy, heading north-east between Warwick and Aratula (2004).

The Cunningham Hwy, heading south-west approaching Cunninghams Gap (2004).

Looking north-east along the Cunningham Hwy as it approaches Cunninghams Gap (2002).

Kilometre sign, heading south-west between Aratula and Warwick (2004).

And again, this time heading north-east - great countryside! (2004)

Approaching the northern New England Hwy split on the Cunningham Hwy (2004).

Distance sign, heading north-east from the northern New England Hwy junction (2004).

Heading north on the Cunningham/New England Hwy approaching the New England Hwy split as it continues north to Toowoomba. The Cunningham Hwy heads to Brisbane (2004).

Distance sign, heading north on the Cunningham/New England Hwys from Warwick (2004).

Directional sign, heading south along Albion Street (Cunningham/New England Hwys), Warwick (2004).

Distance sign, heading west from Warwick on the Cunningham Hwy - from here the highway follows route 42 (as shown).

Directional sign, heading east on the Cunningham Highway approaching the SR48 junction, Karara (2006).

The Cunningham Highway, heading east approaching the Stanthorpe turnoff (Alt SR89), Omanama (2006).

Distance sign, heading east on the Cunningham Highway from the Millmerran turnoff, just east of Inglewood (2006).

Distance sign again, this time leaving Inglewood approaching Macintyre Brook (2006).

Distance sign, heading west from Inglewood on the Cunningham Highway (2006).

Distance sign, heading north on the Cunningham Hwy from the Leichhardt Hwy junction, Goondiwindi (2004).

Heading north on the Leichhardt Hwy approaching the Cunningham Hwy junction, Goondiwindi (2004).

	Heading west on the Cunningham Hwy, just south of Ipswich (2003). Sign has since been replaced.
	View south-west over the Cunningham Hwy as it bypasses Ipswich (2003).
	Heading south-west on the Cunningham Hwy approaching the Redbank Plains Road exit, Blackstone (2004).
	And again, this time approaching the Swanbank Road exit, Flinders View. Sign has since been replaced (2004).
	Looking north-east along the Cunningham Hwy - only a small section of single carriageway remains as the road bypasses Ipswich (2003).
	Heading west along the Cunningham Hwy upon leaving Yamanto. Sign has since been replaced (2004).
	Directional sign, heading east along the Cunningham Hwy, approaching the Ipswich-Boonah Rd exit, Yamanto (2003).
	Looking north along the Cunningham Hwy as it approaches the Ipswich-Rosewood Rd junction, Willowbank (2003).
	Looking south along the Cunningham Hwy between Ipswich and Warrill View (2004).
	View north-east over the Cunningham Hwy and surrounding countryside between Warrill View and Ipswich - unusual to see such green pastures! (2002)
	Heading north on the Cunningham Hwy between Warrill View and Ipswich (2004).
	Heading north on the Cunningham Hwy as it approaches Warill View. Sign has since been replaced (2004).
	Heading south-west along the Cunningham Hwy between Warrill View and Aratula (2004).
	Heading south-west approaching the Boonah-Fassifern Rd junction on the Cunningham Hwy, Fassifern (2004).
	The Cunningham Hwy, heading north-east through Aratula (2004).
	On the Cunningham Hwy, heading north-east between Warwick and Aratula (2004).
	The Cunningham Hwy, heading south-west approaching Cunninghams Gap (2004).
	Looking north-east along the Cunningham Hwy as it approaches Cunninghams Gap (2002).
	Kilometre sign, heading south-west between Aratula and Warwick (2004).
	And again, this time heading north-east - great countryside! (2004)
	Approaching the northern New England Hwy split on the Cunningham Hwy (2004).
	Distance sign, heading north-east from the northern New England Hwy junction (2004).
	Heading north on the Cunningham/New England Hwy approaching the New England Hwy split as it continues north to Toowoomba. The Cunningham Hwy heads to Brisbane (2004).
	Distance sign, heading north on the Cunningham/New England Hwys from Warwick (2004).
	Directional sign, heading south along Albion Street (Cunningham/New England Hwys), Warwick (2004).
	Distance sign, heading west from Warwick on the Cunningham Hwy - from here the highway follows route 42 (as shown).
	Directional sign, heading east on the Cunningham Highway approaching the SR48 junction, Karara (2006).
	The Cunningham Highway, heading east approaching the Stanthorpe turnoff (Alt SR89), Omanama (2006).
	Distance sign, heading east on the Cunningham Highway from the Millmerran turnoff, just east of Inglewood (2006).
	Distance sign again, this time leaving Inglewood approaching Macintyre Brook (2006).
	Distance sign, heading west from Inglewood on the Cunningham Highway (2006).
	Distance sign, heading north on the Cunningham Hwy from the Leichhardt Hwy junction, Goondiwindi (2004).
	Heading north on the Leichhardt Hwy approaching the Cunningham Hwy junction, Goondiwindi (2004).