Bathurst-Ilford Road | |
|---|---|
  South end North end | |
| Coordinates | |
| General information | |
| Type | Rural road |
| Length | 72.0 km (45 mi)[1] |
| Gazetted | August 1928[2] |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |  Great Western HighwayKelso, New South Wales |
| North end |  Castlereagh HighwayIlford, New South Wales |
| Location(s) | |
| Major settlements | Sofala |
Bathurst-Ilford Road (known as Sofala Road south of theTuron River and Ilford-Sofala Road north of the Turon River) is a 72.0-kilometre (44.7 mi)[1]New South Wales country road linkingIlford to the regional hub ofBathurst.
Bathurst-Ilford Road commences at the intersection withCastlereagh Highway in Ilford and heads in a south-westerly direction, eventually crossing theTuron River and passing the historic town ofSofala. It then continues in a southerly direction and passes throughWattle Flat andPeel, before eventually ending at the intersection withGreat Western Highway inKelso, just east of Bathurst, which itself acts as a major highway hub with the Great Western,Mid-Western Highway andMitchell Highways – andO'Connell Road toOberon – meet.
It is fully sealed over its entire length, but many road maps still show sections of it as unsealed.
In conjunction withBylong Valley Way from Castlereagh Highway near Ilford toGolden Highway nearSandy Hollow, this very quiet and scenic route provides a leisurely alternative to going throughSydney to travel between theHunter Region and Bathurst.
The passing of theMain Roads Act of 1924[3] through theParliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through theMain Roads Board (MRB). Main Road No. 54 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with Mudgee-Ilford Road (todayCastlereagh Highway) in Ilford, via Sofala to Bathurst (and continuing southwards eventually toGoulburn);[2] with the passing of theMain Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[4] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Trunk Road 54 on 8 April 1929.
The passing of theRoads Act of 1993[5] through theParliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, the road today retains its declaration as part of Main Road 54, between Ilford and Kelso.[6]
| LGA | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathurst | Kelso | 0 | 0.0 | Great Western Highway (A32) – Bathurst,Marrangaroo | Southern end of road, which runs north-west as Gilmour Street and then north as Sofala Road |
| Wattle Flat | 35.9 | 22.3 | Limekilns Road – Bathurst | Alternate route to Bathurst viaLimekilns | |
| Sofala | 43.3 | 26.9 | Hill End Road (west) – Hill End Denison Street (east) – Sofala | Road continues north as Ilford Sofala Road. | |
| Turon River | 43.4 | 27.0 | Crossley Bridge | ||
| Mid Western Region | Ilford | 72.0 | 44.7 | Castlereagh Highway (B55) – Mudgee,Marrangaroo | Northern end of road |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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