kilometre highway linking western_australia south_australia signed national highways forms highway australian national highway network linking named explorer european cross land runs western australia past state border continuing south australian town crosses reaching city port south_australia construction east line 1870s route resulted hazardous trail followed interstate travel national highway called federal government route important war pacific imminent highway constructed july june january originally named war cabinet officially named agreed states nomenclature committees finished road improvement previous route track remained 1940s 1950s efforts seal highway began western australian section completed south australian section finished improvement works undertaken 1980s including widening portions road route description sealed road linking states western_australia south_australia running east western australia kilometres crosses continues eastwards kilometres reaching city port route forms australia highway signed western_australia national highway south_australia vast majority highway lane single speed limit kilometres hour mph built areas road trains double triple metres permitted highway limited slightly lower maximum speed kilometres hour mph western australian section highway western south australian section crosses eastern section gets latin tree typical view straight highway practically flat covered terrain parts located ridges extensively cleared agriculture remnant corridors native woodland alongside roads south australia monitor traffic volume states road networks including locations highway western_australia recorded traffic volumes ranged vehicles day south_australia estimated annual average daily traffic september varied west east assessed lowest risk highways country based total number casualty crashes length road individual risk based casualty crash rates vehicle kilometre travelled assessed high kilometre section east bay medium kilometre section low medium low west similarly received lower safety rating south australian sections compared western australian section stars approximately rated star western_australia generally end rated star south_australia rated star remaining rated star western australia highway begins town highway apart kilometres south_australia border serving highway settlements kilometre long stretch western_australia located kilometres apart section includes regarded longest straight stretch road australia longest world road stretches kilometres turning commonly known mile straight travelling east highway descends pass coastal plains skirts climbing pass widened sections highway serve emergency runway pavement markings painted road turnaround bays small aircraft south_australia crossing border settlement highway passes arriving enters highway passes intersection heads south east town passing highway arrives meets north end highway highway turns east town arriving turns north east highway passes southern end immediate north town meeting continues north east intersects highway north west joy bridge crosses port alternative route signed signed follows western eastern sides peninsula respectively history background european traverse coastline great australian bight land mile trip adelaide albany western australia decades later east line installed constructed followed route great australian bight route confirmed stations installed port lincoln bay stations added franklin harbour inland route established construction roads tracks encountering line accessible rail highway planning construction construction telegraph resulted trail followed interstate travel route adventurous motorists travellers unprepared harsh conditions lack services cause station owners travellers petrol water supplies leaving gates open committing acts vandalism called national highway constructed federal government strategic defence road provide link western australia states improve tourist experience federal government road important involvement following construction central north south stuart highway federal government announced decision build east west highway northerly route close considered extensive limestone impractical taking route east limestone ridges allow road formed quickly easily war pacific seemingly imminent construction soon began july army responsible fuel food communications state government departments western australia highways south australia managed actual construction initial estimates placed construction cost period months actually cost twice completed june road sufficiently use january finished road improvement previous route track sections surface formed width feet sections lightly foot width naming 1930s 1940s choosing directional names state main arterial roads south australian highways department naming major roads states explorers named historical memorials committee south australia disappointed road named despite suggestion road port perth year suggested proposed new highway named assistant minister commerce senator concurred january prime minister announced war cabinet decision newly constructed road highway military purposes separately states nomenclature committees considering names road proposal single states western australian committee south australian committee highway completed names suggested line similar directional names western_australia explorer communications committees decided use highway receiving letter south australian premier supporting nomenclature committee recommendation agreed subject approval western australian government south australian section named portion state border declared main road western_australia june included road august sealing state highway remained relatively unchanged 1940s 1950s road received yearly maintenance expensive works low traffic volume approximately fourteen vehicles day maintenance grading hindered lack rainfall road year small sections soil road weak effective road surface rain small amounts road patches broken substance known dry periods large numbers vehicles travelling highway perth damaged road numerous locations lack moisture required salt water pumped feet surface use repairs maintenance work seal undertaken 1960s 1970s federal government refused requests western_australia south_australia special allocation fund sealed road work left states finance number years construction began end end year miles reconstructed ready sealed foot width fourteen miles sealed miles completed seal reached miles mid-1960s approximately miles sealed year increased priority given project western_australia portion highway completed ceremony held october south_australia decade long program seal highway began mid-1960s section completed kilometre route port december october seal completed final link sealed state border completed ceremony held september near south_australia state border highway realigned considerably original route deciding new alignment south australian section highway state border long straight flat sections purposely avoided prevent driver consequent fatigue sun oncoming new alignment took consideration potential tourism opportunities provided coast older highway route runs approximately kilometres away coast previous route travelled inland new alignment past ivy improvements 1960s standard foot sealed width foot wide gravel shoulders proving inadequate 1980s increasing numbers truck tourist coaches caused reduced actual sealed width metres highway western_australia spent million dollars year kilometre sections major project improve repair damage began federal government funding reconstruct kilometres western_australia highway rebuilt seven metre wide pavement shoulders partially sealed width metre work began near kilometre long section completed work undertaken reached kilometres east kilometres completed june upgrade state border completed october 1990s regular maintenance minor improvements ongoing effort million spent works western_australia larger scale works including reconstruction sections near range western australia south_australia major intersections
Eyre Highway