Road routes in the Northern Territory of Australia assist drivers navigating roads throughout the territory, by identifying important through-routes. The Northern Territory's National Highways are the main routes connecting Darwin to the adjacent states of Queensland, South Australia, and Western Australia. National Routes spur off the National Highways, and are other routes of national importance, while the remaining significant routes are designated as State Routes.[1] [2]
According to the Roads & Maritime Services, the Northern Territory has begun converting their numbered routes to alphanumeric routes, with a "progressive replacement" scheme that sees alphanumeric route markers introduced only when signs are replaced.[3] The table below has a list of most signed alphanumeric routes.
Below are the existing alpha numeric routes as of November 2020. Even though the Northern Territory has been converting to alphanumerics for more than two decades, only four routes are fully signed, and a former State Route 23 that is missing a letter in all of its signs and just says "23". Signage in the Northern Territory is very inconsistent. For example C24 in not signed at the Stuart Highway junction but signed further into the route. Most signs were like this and as such very few routes have been signed in the Northern Territory.
A-Routes are major roads that link major destinations like Stuart Highway which connects Darwin to Adelaide.
| Route | Component roads | From | To | Length | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A1 | WA–NT border (near Keep River National Park) | 743 km (462 mi) | Continues east to Daly Waters as | |||
| 2,834 km (1,761 mi) | Partially signed as alphanumeric route ;[4] spur section connecting to Darwin. Note that this is a separate route from the A1 that goes from WA to Daly Waters | |||||
A3 | Petermann, Northern Territory | Watarrka National Park | 161 km (100 mi) | Partially signed as A3[5] | ||
A4 | Uluru | Erldunda | 244 km (152 mi) | Partially signed as B4 | ||
A15 | Tiger Brennan Drive | Tivendale | Holtze | 6.7 km[6] (4.2 mi) | ||
A21 | Kakadu | 58.4 km (36.2 mi) | ||||
A36 | Mount Bundey, Northern Territory | McMinns Lagoon | 78.4abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Partially signed as alphanumeric route A36/B36[7] [8] | ||
A87 | SA–NT border (near Kulgera) | 2,834 km (1,761 mi) | Has been partially signed as A87 |
B routes are routes that connect major settlements in the State but not eligible for A Rotes due to Road quality.
| Route | Component roads | From | To | Length | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
B1 | Qld–NT border (near Wollogorang Airport) | 380 km (236 mi) | Continues north from Daly Waters as National Highway 1Has been partially signed as B1[9] | |||
B6 | Watarrka National Park | Alice Springs | 325 km (202 mi) | Partially signed as B6 | ||
B11 | Cape Crawford | 375 km (233 mi) | See here | |||
B20 | Mataranka | Roper Bar | 206 km (128 mi) | Partially signed as alphanumeric route B20 | ||
B21 | Kakadu | 150.6 km (93.5 mi) | ||||
B23 | Adelaide River | Hayes Creek, | 65 km (40 mi) | Partially signed as 23[10] - It seems that the B is missing. Also there are no more State Route 23 signs, all of them have been replaced.[11] | ||
B30 | Blackmore | Coomalie Creek | 145abbr=onNaNabbr=on | |||
B34 | Noonamah | Cox Peninsula | 79.5 km (49 mi) | Partially signed as alphanumeric route B34 | ||
B36 | Kakadu National Park | Mount Bundey, Northern Territory | 148.6abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Partially signed as alphanumeric route A36/B36 | ||
B96 | Duncan Road, Nicholson, WA | Delamere | 581abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Has been fully signed[12] Partially unpaved |
These are essentially roads that link minor settlements or areas that aren't eligible for an A or a B route.
| Route | Component roads | From | To | Length | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
C5 | WA–NT border (near Tanami) | 1,035 km (643 mi) | Partially signed as C5[13] Partially unpaved | |||
C12 | Qld–NT border (near Tobermorey) | 496abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Signs on the Alice Springs Golf Club Facebook page shows a C12 sign | |||
C16 | Lake Woods | 251 km (156 mi) | See here | |||
C24 | 663 km (412 mi) | Signage very inconstant[14] Partially unpaved | ||||
C80 | Victoria Highway (29.40NaN0 south-east of Timber Creek | Birdum | 3930NaN0 | Has been fully signed[15] [16] [17] Partially unpaved |
There are three national highways and one current existing national route in the Northern Territory.
| Component roads | From | To | Length | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Routes that haven't been replaced with an Alphanumeric Route | |||||||
National Highway 66 | A2or A66 | Tennant Creek | Qld–NT border (near) | 754 km (469 mi) | |||
| Routes that have been replaced with an Alphanumeric Route | |||||||
National Highway 1 | A1 | WA–NT border (near Keep River National Park) | 743 km (462 mi) | Mostly signed as alphanumeric route A1Continues east from Daly Waters as B1 | |||
| 2,834 km (1,761 mi) | Mostly signed as alphanumeric route A1; spur section connecting to Darwin | ||||||
National Highway 87 | A87 | SA–NT border (near Kulgera) | 2,834 km (1,761 mi) | Mostly signed as A87 instead of National Highway 87 | |||
National Route 1 | B1 | Qld–NT border (near Wollogorang Airport) | 380 km (236 mi) | Continues north from Daly Waters as A1.Has been partially signed as B1. | |||
| Fully decommissioned National Routes | |||||||
| FormerRoute | Replaced alphanumeric route | Component roads | From | To | Length | Notes | |
National Route 80 | C80 | Birdum | Victoria Highway (29.40NaN0 south-east of Timber Creek | 3930NaN0 | Has been fully signed Partially unpaved | ||
National Route 96 | B96 To Nicholson | Delamere | Duncan Road, Nicholson, WA | 581abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Has been fully signed Partially unpaved | ||
State routes are numbered based on their position in the territory, generally increasing in number from south to north.
| Route | Planned Alphanumeric Replacement | Component roads | From | To | Length | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Routes that haven't been replaced with an Alphanumeric Route | |||||||
State Route 2 | B7 | Larapinta Drive, | Larapinta Drive, | 156 km (97 mi) | |||
State Route 12 | B12 | Qld–NT border (near Tobermorey) | 496abbr=onNaNabbr=on | ||||
State Route 14 | C14 | Plenty Highway, | Qld–NT border (near Alpurrurulam) | 561 km (349 mi) | Unpaved | ||
State Route 28 | B28 | Robin Falls | Wadeye | 256abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Not signed at all | ||
| Routes that have been replaced with an Alphanumeric Route | |||||||
State Route 3 | A3 | Lasseter Highway | Watarrka National Park | 161 km (100 mi) | Partially signed as A3 | ||
State Route 4 | B4 | Erldunda | Uluru | 244 km (152 mi) | Partially signed as A4/B4[19] | ||
C4 | Uluru | WA–NT border (near Kaltukatjara) | 189 km (117 mi) | ||||
State Route 5 | C5 | WA–NT border (near Tanami) | 1,035 km (643 mi) | Partially signed as C5 | |||
State Route 6 | B6 | Watarrka National Park | Alice Springs | 325 km (202 mi) | Partially signed as B6 | ||
State Route 8 | B8 | Arltunga Historical Reserve, | 90 km (56 mi) | ||||
State Route 11 | B11 | 375 km (233 mi) | |||||
State Route 16 | C16 | Lake Woods | 251 km (156 mi) | ||||
State Route 20 | B20 | Mataranka | Roper Bar | 206 km (128 mi) | Partially signed as alphanumeric route B20[20] | ||
State Route 23 – decommissioned | B23 | Adelaide River | Hayes Creek, | 65 km (40 mi) | Partially signed as 23. However you will no longer be able to see a SR23 sign in the NT. | ||
State Route 24 | C24 | 663 km (412 mi) | Signage very inconstant. Partially signed as C24. | ||||
State Route 30 | B30 | Coomalie Creek | Blackmore | 145abbr=onNaNabbr=on | Partially Signed | ||
State Route 34 | B34 | Noonamah | Cox Peninsula | 79.5 km (49 mi) | Partially signed as alphanumeric route B34[21] | ||
