Road Photos & Information: Australian Capital Territory: Northbourne Avenue, Vernon Circle, Commonwealth Avenue, State Circle, Canberra Avenue, Hume Place and Monaro Highway (National Route 23)

Road Photos & Information: Australian Capital Territory

Northbourne Avenue, Vernon Circle, Commonwealth Avenue, State Circle, Capital Circle, Canberra Avenue, Hume Place and Monaro Highway (National Route 23) - Downer to Acton

Statistics:

Length: 45 km (Full length (ACT, NSW and Vic): 320 km) (Downer to Capital Hill: 8 km)
Northern Terminus: Corner of Barton Highway (NH25) and Federal Highway (NH23) at Downer and Lyneham
Southern Terminus: NSW Border at Williamsdale
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Downer, Dickson, Lyneham, Braddon, Turner, Civic (Canberra) and Acton

Route Numbering:

Current:
Multiplexed with:

General Information:

In the ACT, NR23 serves as the main connector route from Canberra to the snowfields in southern NSW and northern Victoria. Large numbers of motorists travel the 2.5 hour trip from Sydney to Canberra, and then continue through Cooma and beyond.

The route varies from multi laned dual carriageway in the urban areas of North and South Canberra to rural highway further south of the city. It passes directly past Australia's Parliament House and other significant areas containing offices for the administration of the country. It also passes through suburban areas, industrial areas at Fyshwick and Hume, plus farming zones and bushland.

National Route 23 shares its path with several Tourist Drives, which are 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Between the spans on the southern side of the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge over Lake Burley Griffin, there's two granite stones from the 1817 Waterloo Bridge across the River Thames in London. These were presented to Australia after the 1817 Waterloo Bridge was demolished in the 1940s and replaced by a modern structure. A plaque reads, in part, "Stones such as these from the bridge were presented to Australia and other parts of the British world to further historic links in the British Commonwealth of Nations".

History:

1911: Planning of Commonwealth Avenue, Vernon Circle and Northbourne Avenue by Walter Burley Griffin. 1
1916: The first Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, completed 1916. 2
1922: The first Commonwealth Avenue Bridge was damaged by flood. 2
1923-1924: The second Commonwealth Avenue Bridge built, using three NSW 'Leychester' type trusses. 2 The second bridge was built using materials that had been intended for a bridge near Kings Avenue but not on the current Kings Avenue alignment. 3
1925: The second Commonwealth Avenue Bridge damaged by flood. 2
1927: The completion of the third Commonwealth Avenue Bridge was a modification of the previous bridge. It was by a metre and had an added fourth truss. 2
May 1927: The third Commonwealth Avenue Bridge opened to traffic. 3
20 September 1928: Northbourne Avenue name gazetted, 4
21 July 1960: Vernon Circle name gazetted, named after Walter Liberty Vernon, former New South Wales Government architect, Member of Advisory Board on Federal Capital site in 1909. 5
1963: The fourth and current high-level concrete Commonwealth Avenue Bridge completed. 2
November 1963: The fourth Commonwealth Avenue Bridge opened to traffic. 6
4 June 1982: Commonwealth Avenue name gazetted, 7

Downer to Acton (Southbound)		Acton to Downer (Northbound)
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Southbound at Downer: Looking towards Civic from the intersection with the Barton Highway at Downer, July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Albert Street: Northbound near Albert Street at Acton,just after Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Tourist Drive 4 Trailblazer: Shield indicating that NR23 is duplexed with TD4 along this section, southbound at Downer, January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Black Diagramatic Sign: Northbound black AD sign from the 1970s on Commonwealth Avenue, outside the western section of Commonwealth Park at Acton, July 2006. Note the unusual lack of white border around the edge of the sign. Also note the obselete hospital legend - Royal Canberra Hospital, which this is indicating, closed some years ago. Image © Paul Rands
	NR23 Trailblazer: NR23 trailbazer attached to lamp post at Downer, near Swinden Street. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Parkes Way Interchange: Northbound through the interchange with Parkes Way (the ramps are named Commonwealth Place) at Acton, December 2009. Click here for a photo of this junction from July 2006. Note the odd Exit sign withno arrow. Image © Paul Rands
	Swinden Street Junction: Corner of Northbourne Av & Swinden St Downer. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Parkes Way Interchange: Northbound through the interchange with Parkes Way (the ramps are named Commonwealth Place) at Acton, December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Southbound AD sign approaching Antill & Mouat Streets at Downer, January 2010. Click here for a photo of this sign in July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		London Circuit Exit: Commonwealth Avenue at the ramp to London Circuit (TD7), and also approaching Vernon Circle and City Hill in Civic. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Antill & Mouat Streets: Southbound at the junction with Antill Street Dickson and Mouat Street at Downer. Mouatt Street used to be the Barton Highway until it was rerouted in the 1960s. January 2010. Click here for a photo of this area from July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Road Safety Sign: Road safety sign on Vernon Circle in Civic. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental AD Sign: Supplemnental advance directional sign approaching the Antill Street and Mouat St (TD4) junction at Downer. January 2010, Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign where Vernon Circle transitions into Nortbourne Avenue, approaching London Circuit (TD1) in Civic. The TD2 and TD4 multiplex begins here. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Entering Dickson: Northbourne Av as it enters Dickson, at the Antill St / Mouat St intersection. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		London Circuit Intersection: Northbound at the London Cct intersection in Civic. The intersection is the location of the first ever traffic signals to ever be installed in the ACT. December 1996. Since this image was taken, the signals have been updated to LED models. Image © Paul Rands
	Tourist Drive 4 Trailblazer: Shield indicating that NR23 is duplexed with TD4 along this section, southbound at Dickson, January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Trailblazer: NR23 trailblazer outside the Jolimont Centre in Civic at the junction with Rudd and Bunda Streets. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Southbound at Dickson: AD sign for the tourist information centre at Dickson. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Northbourne Avenue approaching Cooyong Street and Barry Drive (TD2 / TD7) in Civic. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Murdoch & Morphett Street Junction: Northbourne Avenue approaching Murdoch and Morphett Streets at Dickson. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign for Cooyong Street in Civic. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Southbound at Dickson: Looking south approaching the tourist information centre at Dickson. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Directional Sign: AD sign acting as an ID sign on Northbourne Avenue facing Cooyong Street at the junction with Barry Drive (TD2 / TD7). January 2010. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Southbound AD sign at Dickson as you approach Macarthur Avenue & Wakefield Avenue, January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign for Girrawheen Street and Masson Street in Turner. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Wakefield & Macarthur Avenue Intersection: Southbound through the Wakefield and Macarthur Avenue junction at Dickson, January 2010. Click here for a photo of this junction taken in July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign facing Masson Street in Turner. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Wakefield & Macarthur Avenue Intersection: Southbound through the Wakefield and Macarthur Avenue junction at Dickson, January 2010. Click here for a photo of this junction taken in July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Approaching Macarthur Avenue & Wakefield Avenue: Northbourne Av in Turner approaching Macarthur Av and Wakefield Av. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Girrahween & Masson Street intersection: Southbound on Northbourne Avenue as you approach the abovementioned streets in Braddon, January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign facing Macarthur Av in Turner. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Southbound AD sign approaching the junction with Barry Drive and Cooyong Street at Braddon. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Northbound at Dickson: AD sign at Lyneham for the tourist information centre. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Cooyong Street and Barry Drive (TD2) intersection. January 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Morphett Street Junction: Corner of Northbourne Av and Morphett St in Lyneham. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: AD sign acting as an ID sign at the Cooyong Street and Barry Drive (TD2) intersection. January 2010. The tourist drive 2 multiplex begins along Northbourne Avenue from this junction. Image © Paul Rands		Murdoch Street Junction: Corner of Northbourne Av and Murdoch St in Lyneham. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Civic: Entering Civic. Southbound at the intersection with Barry Drive and Cooyong Street, July 2006. Note the extra wide median, which was designed for use with trams in Walter Burley Griffin's original plan for Canbera. July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Lyneham approaching Mouat St & Antill St. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Bunda & Rudd Street Junction: Southbound approaching Bunda and Rudd Streets in Civic. Note the TD2 shield on the left. July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign approaching the Antill Street turn lane. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Southbound at Civic: Passing the Sydney Building - it along with the Melbourne building across the road from were the first 2 commercial buildings in the Civic part of the ACT. July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Mouat Street & Antill Street Intersection: Northbourne Av at the junction with Antill St and Mouat St (TD4) (former Barton Hwy) at Lyneham. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	London Circuit Intersection: Southbound at the London Cct intersection in Civic. The intersection that boasts having the first ever traffic signals installed in the ACT, they have since been upgraded of course. July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the Antill Street turn lane at Lyneham. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Parkes Way Overpass & Interchange: Southbound approaching the bridge over Parkes Way at Civic, July 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign in Lyneham at the junction with Swinden St. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Commonwealth Avenue, approaching Albert Street near Civic. February 2010. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Lyneham approaching Barton Hwy (NH25 / TD4) and Federal Hwy (NH23). December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Commonwealth Avenue Bridge: Southbound near Albert Street just outside Civic, as you approach the Commonwealth Avenue Bridge over Lake Burley Griffin, February 2010. Note Parliament House atop of Capital Hill in the distance. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Lyneham approaching Barton Hwy (NH25 / TD4) and Federal Hwy (NH23). December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
	Commonwealth Avenue Bridge: Looking towards Parliament House, standing on the northern shoreline of Lake Burley Griffin. October 2007. Image © Lee-Ann Wooster		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign near the Barton Hwy junction at Lyneham. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
			Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign near the Barton Hwy junction at Lyneham. December 2009. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of NR23 between Acton & Fyshwick Click here for the Federal Highway (National Highway 23)

1 Canberra - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow, John Overall, p. 12, ISBN 0-9593910-6-1
2 ACT Heritage Library, ImagesACT, Second Commonwealth Avenue Bridge
3 Canberra’s Engineering Heritage, 2nd edition, 1990
4 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Northbourne Avenue
5 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Vernon Circle
6 ACT Heritage Library, ImagesACT, Commonwealth Avenue bridge, with Scotts Crossing in the foreground, the Albert Hall at left and the Canadian flagpole at Regatta Point at right
7 ACT Planning & Land Authority, Place Name Search, Commonwealth Avenue

This site © Paul Rands. All rights reserved. Some portions © (copyright) by their respective & credited owners. Permission must be obtained before using any images from this site. For details, please email by clicking here.