Bathurst-Ilford Road (known as Sofala Road south of the Turon River and Ilford-Sofala Road north of the Turon River) is a 72.0-kilometre (44.7 mi)[1] New South Wales country road linking Ilford to the regional hub of Bathurst.
Route
Bathurst-Ilford Road commences at the intersection with Castlereagh Highway in Ilford and heads in a south-westerly direction, eventually crossing the Turon River and passing the historic town of Sofala. It then continues in a southerly direction and passes through Wattle Flat and Peel, before eventually ending at the intersection with Great Western Highway in Kelso, just east of Bathurst, which itself acts as a major highway hub with the Great Western, Mid-Western Highway and Mitchell Highways – and O'Connell Road to Oberon – meet.
It is fully sealed over its entire length, but many road maps still show sections of it as unsealed.
In conjunction with Bylong Valley Way from Castlereagh Highway near Ilford to Golden Highway near Sandy Hollow, this very quiet and scenic route provides a leisurely alternative to going through Sydney to travel between the Hunter Region and Bathurst.
History
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). Main Road No. 54 was declared along this road on 8 August 1928, from the intersection with Mudgee-Ilford Road (today Castlereagh Highway) in Ilford, via Sofala to Bathurst (and continuing southwards eventually to Goulburn);[2] 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 Trunk Road 54 on 8 April 1929.
The passing of the Roads Act of 1993[5] through the Parliament of New South Wales updated road classifications and the way they could be declared within New South Wales. Under this act, the road today retains its declaration as part of Main Road 54, between Ilford and Kelso.[6]
Major intersections
| LGA | Location | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathurst | Kelso | 0 | 0.0 |  Great Western Highway (A32) – Bathurst, Marrangaroo | Southern end of road, which runs north-west as Gilmour Street and then north as Sofala Road |
| Wattle Flat | 35.9 | 22.3 | Limekilns Road – Bathurst | Alternate route to Bathurst via Limekilns | |
| Sofala | 43.3 | 26.9 | Hill End Road (west) – Hill End Denison Street (east) – Sofala | Road continues north as Ilford Sofala Road. | |
| Turon River | 43.4 | 27.0 | Crossley Bridge | ||
| Mid Western Region | Ilford | 72.0 | 44.7 |  Castlereagh Highway (B55) – Mudgee, Marrangaroo | Northern end of road |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ a b c "Bathurst-Ilford Road" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
- ^ a b "Main Roads Act, 1924-1927". Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales. No. 110. 17 August 1928. pp. 3814–20. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to provide for the better construction, maintenance, and financing of main roads; to provide for developmental roads; to constitute a Main Roads Board Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
- ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to amend the Main Roads Act, 1924-1927; to confer certain further powers upon the MRB; to amend the Local Government Act, 1919, and certain other Acts; to validate certain payments and other matters; and for purposes connected therewith. Archived 12 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 8 April 1929
- ^ State of New South Wales, An Act to make provision with respect to the roads of New South Wales; to repeal the State Roads Act 1986, the Crown and Other Roads Act 1990 and certain other enactments; and for other purposes. Archived 11 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine 10 November 1924
- ^ Transport for NSW (August 2022). "Schedule of Classified Roads and Unclassified Regional Roads" (PDF). Government of New South Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
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