Stuart Highway

Infobox Australian Road
road_name = Stuart Highway
route_

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route_

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route_

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photo =
caption =
length = 2834
direction = North-South
start = Daly Street,
Darwin, Northern Territory
finish =
est =
through = Katherine, NT, Daly Waters, NT, Tennant Creek, NT, Alice Springs, NT, Coober Pedy, SA
route = "Darwin-Daly Waters:"
exits = "'

The Stuart Highway is one of Australia's major highways, [ [http://www.hotkey.net.au/~krool/photos/nt/stuart.html National Highway 87] , "Hotkey". Retrieved on May 11 2008.] it is part of Australia's Highway 1, and Australia's National Highway that extends south to north in the interior of Australia, from Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs. The Stuart highway has a lengthy route which is convert|2834|km|mi|0|lk=on. The Stuart Highway is often referred to simply as The Track.

The highway is named for John McDouall Stuart, the first European to cross Australia from South to North, and it generally follows his route.

Route

Northern Territory

The Northern Territory section of the Stuart Highway starts from the edge of the Darwin Central Business District at Daly Street and continues as a dual-carriageway to the Arnhem Highway in Howard Springs. The highway continues convert|317|km|mi|0 south passing the Kakadu Highway to the Victoria Highway at Katherine. The route number changes from National 1 to National 87 The highway then continues convert|673|km|mi|0 south passing the Roper Highway, the Carpentaria Highway and the Buchanan Highway to the Barkly Highway at Tennant Creek. The highway continues convert|508|km|mi|0 south into Alice Springs passing the Plenty Highway. It passes through the Macdonnell Ranges and finally crossing the South Australia/Northern Territory border south of Kulgera. [cite press release |url=http://www.hotkey.net.au/~krool/photos/nt/stuart.html |title=Stuart Highway |accessdate=2008-04-11 |publisher=Australian Towns, Cities and Highways] The highway was only fully sealed in the mid-1980s as part of Australia's bicentenary roadworks programme. There are no police patrolling the majority of this remote highway and before the end of 2006 there was no actual speed limit outside towns and other built-up areas on the Northern Territory part. [cite press release |url=http://www.nt.gov.au/ocm/media_releases/2004/20041119_cb_speedometer.shtml |title=Minister Opposes Speedometer Limits |date=2004-11-19 |accessdate=2006-06-11 |publisher=Government of the Northern Territory |author=Chris Burns ] The bulk of the Northern Territory's population not living in Darwin lies along its track.

outh Australia

At the border of the Northern Territory/South Australia border the route number changes from National 87 to National A 87. The Stuart Highway passes through the Far North region and continues to Adelaide. But Its proper routing is from Port Augusta. The highway passes through the Woomera Prohibited Area but travellers may not leave the road. The Highway continues south-east towards Adelaide.

There is petrol and other facilities (meals, toilets etc) available at reasonable intervals (usually around convert|200|km|mi|-1|disp=s|abbr=on) and more frequent rest stops. Some of the rest stops are located at scenic points with information boards, but others are little more than a picnic table and a rubbish bin in the middle of nowhere.

peed Limits

There was no absolute speed limit in the Northern Territory before 1 January 2007 but maximum speed limits are now posted on some road sections. Drivers, previously, were simply required to drive at a safe speed to suit the conditions. Thus, the Northern Territory section of the Stuart Highway had no speed limits at all. [cite book |url=http://www.dpi.nt.gov.au/whatwedo/mvr/roaduserhandbook/section3.pdf |format=PDF |title=Road Users' Handbook |chapter=Section 3 The Driving Rules |accessdate=2006-06-11 |pages=page 59 |id=ISBN 0-7245-4869-6] The Northern Territory traffic laws were updated from 1 January 2007 to be similar to the rest of Australia. This included placing a speed limit on all roads (convert|130|km/h|mph|0|disp=s|lk=on|abbr=on) on major highways such as the Stuart Highway) and significantly increasing penalties for speeding. [cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2006/s1780096.htm |title=Speed limits to be introduced on NT open roads |accessdate=2007-01-05 |date=2 November 2006 |work= |publisher=ABC] [cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1820468.htm |title=Motorists caught breaking new speed limit |publisher=ABC |accessdate=2007-01-05 |date=2 January 2007 ]

The South Australian Section is signposted as 110km/h outside built-up regions, between Port Augusta and the Northern Territory border.

Cannonball Run

In 1994 the first and only Cannonball Run in Australia ran from Darwin to Yulara and back again. Based on similar events in the United States, this event ended in tragedy when a Ferrari crashed into a checkpoint south of Alice Springs, resulting in the death of four people. [ cite web | last = Cass | first = Rebecca | year = 2001 | url = http://www.nt.gov.au/pfes/corporate/media/publications/pdf/drum/200112.pdf | title = Cop swaps crooks for corks (page 17) | format = pdf | work = The Drum, 2001: Farewells | publisher = Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services | accessdate = 2006-06-12] The remainder of the race had to have a convert|150|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on speed limit imposed to prevent further accidents, and then had regular traffic overtake the competitors.Fact|date=February 2007

Flying Doctors

The Royal Flying Doctor Service uses the highway as an emergency landing strip. Sections of the highway are signed to that effect and care should be taken when driving on those sections if there is any aircraft overhead or on the road (pull off the road).

Murder/Disappearance

The highway became the centre of media attention during 2001 after the disappearance and suspected murder of English tourist, Peter Falconio while travelling on the road.

ee also

*Highways in Australia
*List of highways in Northern Territory
*List of highways in South Australia

References

External links

* [http://travography.com/stuart_hwy/ Driving Guide] by Roderick Eime
* [http://www.travelnt.com/en/experience/driving/explorers-way.htm Explorers Way] Drive fom Adelaide to Darwin