Heathcote Road, Sydney


Heathcote Road is a major arterial road in the south of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It runs from Newbridge Road in Liverpool to the Princes Highway in Heathcote.

History

Heathcote Road was constructed during the second World War as a military defence route and a way to bypass the old Illawarra Road which used the ridge lines and a causeway crossing of the Woronora River between Menai and Engadine. Construction began in 1940 and was completed in 1943.

Geography

Heathcote Road plays a major role in the servicing of traffic travelling between the Illawarra and Western Sydney and also provides access to the Holsworthy Barracks.
Other major adjoining roads are the South Western Motorway in Liverpool and the New Illawarra Road at Lucas Heights.

Vegetation

As its name suggests, the road is generally surrounded by heath, but more often dry eucalyptus woodlands and shrublands with some mallee vegetation.

Incidents

The road has a history of accidents, due to its narrow nature, the number of blind corners and the steep gradients.