Cunningham Highway

Cunningham Highway
Under conversion to
Length	338 km (210 mi)
Direction	West-East
From	Newell Highway / Leichhardt Highway / Barwon Highway, Goondiwindi, Queensland NSW/Qld Border
via	Yelarbon, Inglewood, Warwick
To	Ipswich Motorway / Warrego Highway, Ipswich, Queensland
Allocation	Goondiwindi - Warwick: Warwick - Ipswich:
Major junctions	New England Highway New England Highway Boonah-Fassifern Road

The Cunningham Highway is a National Highway in Queensland, Australia. It is named after the explorer and botanist Allan Cunningham who followed a route close to where the modern day highway runs.

Route

South-west of Ipswich, the highway passes through the Main Range National Park and over the mountain pass of Cunninghams Gap. In 1828 after discovering the route Cunningham sent a report to Governor Ralph Darling emphasising the economic benefits that a link between the coast and pastoral lands to the west would provide.^[1]

Cunningham Highway at Cunningham's Gap

The highway begins in Brisbane where it is known as Ipswich Road, which turns into the M2 Ipswich Motorway. After the Warrego Highway turnoff, it is then known as the Cunningham Highway. It runs south-west from Brisbane for approximately 330 km (210 mi) until it terminates at Goondiwindi. It is route number 15 until Warwick where it then becomes route 42.

The highway is periodically closed for short periods after landslides deposit dirt and rocks on the road, especially around the steep sections near Cunninghams Gap.

The M5 Centenary Motorway extension from Springfield joins the Cunningham Highway at Yamanto. It is also expected to have additional space for expansion and a possible rail loop link to Ipswich-Springfield.

List of towns along the Cunningham Highway

• Ipswich
• Aratula
• Warwick
• Inglewood
• Yelarbon
• Goondiwindi

Motorway Section Exits and Interchanges

Cunningham Highway
Northbound exits	Distance to Brisbane (km)	Distance to Sydney (km)	Southbound exits
End Cunningham Highway continues as Ipswich Motorway to Brisbane / Gold Coast / Sunshine Coast	30	959	Start Cunningham Highway continues from Ipswich Motorway
no exit	30.5	958.5	Dinmore, Ipswich Brisbane Road
Dinmore Aberdare Street	31	958	no exit
Ipswich, Redbank Plains Mary Street / Redbank Plains Road	34	955	Redbank Plains, Ipswich Redbank Plains Road / Mary Street
QUEENSLAND PIONEER STEAM RAILWAY	36	953	QUEENSLAND PIONEER STEAM RAILWAY
Raceview, Swanbank South Station Road	37	952	Swanbank, Raceview Swanbank Road
Raceview, Ripley Ripley Road	39	950	Ripley, Raceview Ripley Road
END SINGLE CARRIAGEWAY SECTION	40	949	START SINGLE CARRIAGEWAY SECTION
Ipswich, Yamanto, Boonah Warwick Street / Ipswich-Boonah Road	43	946	Boonah, Yamanto Ipswich-Boonah Road / Warwick Street
Vehicle Inspection Centre	44	945	Service Station
START MOTORWAY SECTION	45	944	continues as Cunningham Highway to Warwick / Tenterfield / Sydney

See also

Queensland portal

• Highways in Australia
• List of highways in Queensland

References

1. ^ Queensland Environmental Protection Agency (2000). Heritage Trails of the Great South East. State of Queensland. pp. 35. ISBN 0-7345-1008-X.