- Gordon River Road
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Gordon River Road Direction East - West From Lyell Highway
Rosegarlandvia Bushy Park, Westerway, Maydena To Strathgordon, Tasmania Major junctions Glenora Road (Sometimes known as the Strathgordon Road) (B61) - was a road built to service the Hydro Tasmania construction of the Gordon Dam, and the Serpentine Dam, Tasmania leading to the flooding of Lake Pedder in South West Tasmania.[1]
In 1963 the Tasmanian Government successfully approached the Commonwealth for a $5 million grant to finance road construction from Maydena to the Middle Gordon River. In a submission never released to the public, the HEC described the provision of road access as a matter of urgency
Construction of the road commenced in January 1964.
Route
It commenced at Maydena and passes north of the headwaters of the Florentine River (to the north) and the Weld River to the south at a location known as Tim Shea which is at an altitude of 952 metres looks north and north east to the Mount Field National Park.
It turns south, and at Frodshams Pass the Scotts Peak Dam Road (C607) continues south to the eastern shores of the modified Lake Pedder, then to Edgar Dam, and finally to Scotts Peak Dam.
The Gordon River Road continues west from Frodshams Pass, passes Mount Wedge and the Sentinel Range to the south, and passes through the location of Strathgordon before ending at the Gordon Dam.
The road is the major man made intrusion into the area of the World Heritage Wilderness area, and with the Scott Peak Dam Road is the most south western road in Tasmania.
It is the main means of access for tourist buses and other transport to view the man made dams from the Lake Pedder damming, apart from flying over the region.
It is bounded by the Mount Field National Park near its commencement, the Southwest National Park to its south and the Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park to its north.
See also
References
- ^ Thompson, Peter (1981) Power In Tasmania ACF ISBN 0858020645 pp.19 and http://www.hydro.com.au/home/Tourism+and+Recreation/Gordon+Catchment/
Categories:- Australia road stubs
- Tasmania geography stubs
- South West Tasmania
- Roads in Tasmania
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