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| tourist = | direction_a = Southwest | end_a = Morrison Road, (National Routes 1), Midland, Perth | exits = | direction_b = Northeast | end_b = Harbour Road, Wyndham | est = | through =, }} Great Northern Highway links Western Australia's capital city Perth with its northernmost port, Wyndham. With a length of almost , it is the longest highway in Australia, with the majority included as part of the Perth Darwin National Highway. The highway is constructed as a sealed, predominantly two-lane single carriageway, but with some single-lane bridges in the Kimberley. Great Northern Highway travels through remote areas of the state, and is the only sealed road link between the Northern Territory and northern Western Australia. Economically, it provides vital access through the Wheatbelt and Mid West to the resource-rich regions of the Pilbara and Kimberley. In these areas, the key industries of mining, agriculture and pastoral stations, and tourism are all dependent on the highway. In Perth, the highway begins in Midland near Great Eastern Highway, and further north intersects the Reid and Roe highways, which together form Perth's ring road. There are also three rural highways that spur off Great Northern Highway. Brand Highway and North West Coastal Highway provide an alternative coastal route between Muchea and Port Hedland, while Victoria Highway carries the National Highway route and interstate traffic into the Northern Territory. Various road routes are allocated to sections of Great Northern Highway, including the Highway 1 routes National Route 1 and National Highway 1, as well as National Highway 95. The highway was created in 1944 from existing roads in the Wheatbelt and a series of tracks through remote pastoral areas. However, it was a hazardous route that could be dusty in the dry season, and boggy or washed away in the wet season. Some sections were effectively impassable sand, while others contained limestone outcrops. Economic growth and development in northern Western Australia prompted initial improvement efforts, and the federal government's Beef Roads Scheme in the 1960s resulted in a noticeably higher-quality road in the Kimberley. Construction of a sealed road from Perth to Wyndham, including numerous bridges to reduce the impact of seasonal flooding, took many years to complete. The last section opened on 16 December 1989, and received national media coverage. However, by then many older sections were either worn out or not up to modern standards. Various upgrades have been carried out in small sections, across the length of the highway, with further works planned. A major realignment of the highway in Perth is scheduled for construction between 2016 and 2019, as part of the NorthLink WA project that will also upgrade Tonkin Highway. ==Route description== Great Northern Highway is the main north-south route between Perth and the northern areas of Western Australia. Covering a distance of ,〔 it is the longest highway in Australia.〔 〕 From Midland in Perth's north-east, the highway heads generally north-east through the Wheatbelt and Mid West to Newman, north-west to the coastal Pilbara town of Port Hedland, along the coastline to Broome, east to Halls Creek, and finally north to Wyndham, on the state's northern coastline. out from Wyndham, the highway intersects the start of Victoria Highway, which carries interstate traffic to the Northern Territory via Kununurra. Various road routes are allocated to sections of Great Northern Highway, which is mostly a National Highway route, and also forms part of Australia's Highway 1. It is signed as National Route 1 from Midland to Middle Swan, National Highway 95 and National Route 1 concurrently from Middle Swan to Muchea, National Highway 95 from Muchea to Mundabullangana, and National Highway 1 from Mundabullangana to Victoria Highway.〔 The vast majority of the highway is a two-lane single carriageway, although there are thirteen single-lane bridges and four single-lane floodways in the Kimberley.〔 〕 The speed limit is except in and around built up areas.〔 Great Northern Highway travels to remote areas of Western Australia, including the Munjina Roadhouse near the Hamersley Ranges,〔 〕 and the communities of Eighty Mile Beach, Wallal, Sandfire and Mandora, which are located between Broome and Port Hedland.〔 〕 It is the only sealed road between the Northern Territory border and major population centres in the north of the state.〔 Economically, Great Northern Highway is also a vital link in the resource rich regions of the Wheatbelt, Mid West, Pilbara, and Kimberley. The key industries of mining, agriculture, and pastoral stations are all dependent on the highway as a significant and in some cases only method of transport. Tourism accounts for a significant portion of the road's traffic, and is a growing part of or potential growth source for the regional economies. The highway provides access to a variety of tourist attractions, including New Norcia, the Yilgarn area, and various national parks, including Karijini.〔 〕〔 〕〔 〕〔 〕 Parts of the highway itself are included in the tourist routes Swan Valley Tourist Drive (Tourist Drive 203) in Perth, Chittering Valley Tourist Way (Tourist Drive 359) in Bullsbrook, Midlands Tourist Way (Tourist Drive 360) from Upper Swan to Walebing, and Geikie–Windjana Tourist Way (Tourist Drive 350) from Geikie Gorge National Park to Fitzroy Crossing.〔 〕 Main Roads Western Australia monitors traffic volume across the state's road network, including various locations along Great Northern Highway.〔 〕 From 2007/08 to 2008/09, the recorded traffic volumes ranged between 7,830 and 17,710 vehicles per weekday in Perth,〔 510 to 2,990 in the Wheatbelt,〔 470 to 590 in the Mid West,〔 390 to 10,840 in the Pilbara,〔 and 170 to 4,090 in the Kimberley.〔 The highest percentage of heavy traffic was 52.5%, north of Newman Drive in the Pilbara.〔 Overall, Great Northern Highway performs favourably in terms of road safety, compared to other major highways in Western Australia. Whilst making up two thirds of the state's National Highway network, it was the location of only half of all recorded fatalities for 2005–2009. For that period, the sections of the highway from Wubin to the Sandfire Roadhouse, north-east of Port Hedland, were considered by the Australian Automobile Association to be among the lowest risk highway links in the state. However, the section from Perth to Wubin was rated as medium risk, and the northern sections of the highway were rated medium-high and high risk.〔 〕 In 2013, Great Northern Highway received a similar rating, still higher overall than the other highways. Out of five stars, 21% was rated as one- or two-star, and 79% was rated three- or four-star, with the southern and northern ends of the highway generally less safe than the portion from Wubin to the Sandfire Roadhouse.〔 〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Great Northern Highway」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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