| Road Name: | O'Connell Road |
| Type: | rural road |
| State: | nsw |
| Length: | 41.7 |
| Maintained: | Transport for NSW, Oberon Council, Bathurst Regional Council |
| Gazetted: | August 1928 [1] February 1934 [2] |
| Tourist: | Tourist Route 1 |
| Coordinates A: | -33.4194°N 149.6149°W |
| Coordinates B: | -33.7035°N 149.8468°W |
| Pushpin Label Position A: | top |
| Pushpin Label Position B: | bottom |
| Direction A: | Northwest |
| Direction B: | Southeast |
| End A: | Great Western Highway |
| End B: | Rupert Street |
| Exits: | Goulburn-Oberon Road |
O'Connell Road is a New South Wales rural road linking Oberon to the regional highway hub of Bathurst, where several roads including Great Western Highway, Mid-Western Highway, Mitchell Highway and Bathurst-Ilford Road join.
O'Connell Road commences at the roundabout with Great Western Highway in Kelso, New South Wales (just east of Bathurst) and heads in a southeasterly direction, crossing the Fish River just north of O'Connell, and continuing southeast until it eventually terminates in Oberon. It is fully sealed over its entire length and of high enough standard to accommodate B-double trucks.
In conjunction with Goulburn-Oberon Road from Hume Highway to Oberon, this scenic route provides a leisurely and surprisingly direct route between Bathurst and Goulburn. It is designated part of Tourist Route 1.
The passing of the Main Roads Act of 1924[3] through the Parliament of New South Wales provided for the declaration of Main Roads, roads partially funded by the State government through the Main Roads Board (MRB, later Transport for NSW). Main Road No. 256 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with Great Western Highway near Bathurst to Oberon (and continuing southwards via Taralga to the intersection with Hume Highway at Goulburn); with the passing of the Main Roads (Amendment) Act of 1929[4] to provide for additional declarations of State Highways and Trunk Roads, this was amended to Main Road 256 on 8 April 1929.
The Department of Main Roads, which had succeeded the MRB in 1932, truncated the northern end of Main Road 256 to Oberon, and extended the western end of Main Road 253 over it instead, from Oberon to Bathurst, on 13 February 1934.
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[5] updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, O'Connell Road today is declared part of Main Road 253, from Bathurst to Oberon (and continuing eastwards via the Jenolan Caves and Hampton to the intersection with Great Western Highway at Hartley).[6]