# Bass Highway, Tasmania

The Bass Highway is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. It connects the three cities across the north of the state – Burnie, Devonport and Launceston. The road was named due to its proximity to the Bass Strait. It is a part of the National Highway, designated as National Highway 1, together with the Midland and Brooker highways in Tasmania.
The highway passes through or past the following localities:
* Launceston
* Prospect and other Launceston suburbs
* Hadspen
* Carrick
* Hagley
* Westbury
* Exton
* Deloraine
* Elizabeth Town
* Sassafras
* Latrobe
* Devonport
* Forth
* Ulverstone
* Penguin
* Burnie
From here, the highway ceases to be part of the National Highway, but continues as the Bass Highway (A2) through the following towns:
* Somerset
* Wynyard
* Smithton
* Marrawah

## Upgrades

The name "Bass Highway" was in use by 1938. Since the mid-1970s the highway has undergone significant upgrades that have included bypasses and deviations, duplications and grade separations, particularly between Burnie and Launceston. On 30 March 1977, 'stage A' of the 'Burnie Highway System' was opened to traffic. This stage connected the Bass Highway east of the town with Alexander Street by an elevated roadway over the port access road and rail lines. Shortly after, on 19 April 1977, the bypass of Devonport was completed with the opening of the final section between Middle Road, Devonport and Don, referred to in that year's Main Roads Annual Report as the 'Devonport to Don Freeway'. This section was an extension of the earlier Victoria Bridge project. Three years later, the Ulverstone bypass was completed and opened to traffic in August 1980. The duplication of the highway from Wivenhoe, east of Burnie, to Chasm Creek was completed during the 1983–84 financial year, and was followed in May 1984 with the opening of 500 metres of 'stage B' of the Burnie Highway System. This section duplicated the highway along North Terrace. In September 1986, all four lanes over the complete length of 'stage B' of the 'Burnie Expressway' ('Burnie Highway System') were brought into operation. Throughout 1986 and 1987, sections of the highway were progressively duplicated and opened to traffic between Don (Devonport) and the Forth River, with the last section completed in June 1987. This was followed by completion of duplication between Forth River and Ulverstone in late 1987. In 1988, at the eastern terminus of the Bass Highway, a new alignment was opened to connect directly to the then new Launceston Southern Outlet, which itself had opened to traffic in 1985. Known as the Prospect bypass, this alignment was opened to traffic on 23 January 1988. West of Burnie, the Smithton bypass was opened to traffic in May 1988. The Deloraine Bypass was opened on 8 June 1990. The project was carried out over five years and cost a total of A$19 million. The bypass opening was performed by the Federal and State ministers for Land Transport and Roads and Transport respectively.
Other bypasses have included Carrick and Hadspen in the late 1980s and the longest stretch of highway, the Hagley–Westbury bypass, which was completed in 2001. The 'old' highway alignment between Deloraine and Hadspen is now known as Meander Valley Road, and is promoted as a tourist route.
The Bass Highway is, like Bass Strait, named for explorer George Bass.

## Major intersections

| LGA | Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes |
| Launceston | Prospect | 0 | 0.0 | Midland Highway (National Highway 1) – north – Launceston / southeast – Hobart | Eastern end of Bass Highway. Continues south west as National Highway 1. |
| Launceston | Prospect / Prospect Vale midpoint | 2.0– 2.8 | 1.2– 1.7 | Meander Valley Road (B54) – northwest – Prospect Vale / southwest – Travellers Rest / Westbury Road – northeast – Prospect Vale | Eastbound exit via Westbury Road |
| Meander Valley | Travellers Rest | 4.8– 5.0 | 3.0– 3.1 | Meander Valley Road (B54) – west – Hadspen / northeast – Prospect / Pateena Road (C531) – south – Longford | No eastbound exit from or westbound entry to Bass Highway |
| South Esk River | South Esk River | 8.9– 9.0 | 5.5– 5.6 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Meander Valley | Carrick | 10.8– 11.6 | 6.7– 7.2 | Illawarra Road (B52) – northwest – Carrick / southeast – Longford | |
| Meander Valley | Carrick | 14.9 | 9.3 | Bishopsbourne Road (C513) – north – Carrick / south – Bishopsbourne | |
| Liffey River | Liffey River | 15.8 | 9.8 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Meander Valley | Carrick | 16.1– 17.1 | 10.0– 10.6 | Oaks Road (C511) – northeast – Carrick / southwest – Bracknell | |
| Meander Valley | Carrick | 18.3 | 11.4 | Whitemore Road (C508) – northeast – Carrick / southwest – Whitemore | |
| Whitemore Creek | Whitemore Creek | 21.8– 21.9 | 13.5– 13.6 | Bridge over creek (name not known) | Bridge over creek (name not known) |
| Meander Valley | Hagley | 23.1– 23.5 | 14.4– 14.6 | Hagley Station Lane (C507) – northeast – Hagley southwest – Whitemore | No eastbound exit from or westbound entry to Bass Highway |
| Meander Valley | Hagley / Westbury midpoint | 26.0– 27.6 | 16.2– 17.1 | Meander Valley Road (B54) – west – Westbury / east – Hagley | No westbound entry to Bass Highway |
| Meander Valley | Westbury | 30.2– 30.9 | 18.8– 19.2 | Birralee Road (B72) – northwest – Birralee / William Street (B72) – southeast – Westbury | |
| Meander Valley | Deloraine | 42.5– 43.2 | 26.4– 26.8 | Lake Highway (A5) – south – Deloraine | |
| Meander River | Meander River | 44.6 | 27.7 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Meander Valley | Deloraine | 46.3– 48.0 | 28.8– 29.8 | Mole Creek Road (B12) – south – Mole Creek / Weetah Road (C710) – north – Weetah | Westbound entry via Emu Bay Road |
| Meander Valley | Elizabeth Town | 52.8 | 32.8 | Bengeo Road (C163) – south – Red Hills | |
| Meander Valley | Elizabeth Town | 55.3 | 34.4 | Railton Road (B13) – west – Railton | |
| Meander Valley | Elizabeth Town | 55.3 | 34.4 | Parkham Road (C711) – northeast – Parkham | |
| Latrobe | Sassafras | 77.0 | 47.8 | Chapel Road (C713) – north – Harford | |
| Latrobe | Sassafras | 80.1 | 49.8 | East Sassafras Road (C706) – east – Sassafras / Cutting Road – west – Sassafras | From the eastern part of Sassafras, route C706 runs north on Greens Creek Road to Harford |
| Latrobe | Sassafras | 81.4 | 50.6 | Native Plains Road (C153) – south – Railton | |
| Latrobe | Sassafras / Latrobe midpoint | 82.4 | 51.2 | Oppenheims Road (C704) – north, then east – Harford | |
| Latrobe | Latrobe | 85.5 | 53.1 | Gilbert Street to Mersey Main Road (B19) – west – Spreyton | |
| Latrobe | Latrobe | 86.8– 87.0 | 53.9– 54.1 | Moriarty Road (C702) – east – Moriarty / southwest – Latrobe | |
| Devonport | Latrobe / East Devonport midpoint | 90.7– 91.2 | 56.4– 56.7 | Port Sorell Road (B74) – northeast – Port Sorell / southwest – Latrobe | |
| Devonport | East Devonport | 92.9– 93.4 | 57.7– 58.0 | Tarleton Street – north – East Devonport / River Road – south – Ambleside | |
| Mersey River | Mersey River | 93.5– 93.7 | 58.1– 58.2 | Victoria Bridge | Victoria Bridge |
| Devonport | Devonport / Miandetta midpoint | 93.9– 94.5 | 58.3– 58.7 | Formby Road – north – Devonport / to Devonport Road – south – Miandetta | |
| Devonport | Devonport / Miandetta midpoint | 95.1– 95.7 | 59.1– 59.5 | Middle Road – north – Devonport / southwest – Miandetta | |
| Devonport | Stony Rise | 96.8– 98.0 | 60.1– 60.9 | Stony Rise Road (B19) – southeast – Spreyton / northwest, then southwest as Forth Road – Forth / Don Road – northeast – Devonport | |
| Don River | Don River | 98.4 | 61.1 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Central Coast | Leith | 105.8 | 65.7 | Leith Road (C132) – southwest, then south – Forth / Braddons Lookout Road (C189) – northeast, then south – Forth | |
| Forth River | Forth River | 106.1– 106.2 | 65.9– 66.0 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Central Coast | Turners Beach | 107.3– 108.4 | 66.7– 67.4 | Forth Road (B19) – south – Forth / Turners Beach Road – north – Turners Beach | Westbound entry via Westella Drive |
| Central Coast | Ulverstone | 110.5– 111.4 | 68.7– 69.2 | Eastland Drive (C142) – north, then west – Ulverstone | |
| Central Coast | Ulverstone | 111.9– 112.1 | 69.5– 69.7 | Main Street (B15) – northwest – Ulverstone / Castra Road (B15) – south – Upper Castra | No eastbound entry to or exit from Bass Highway |
| Central Coast | Ulverstone | 113.8– 114.6 | 70.7– 71.2 | Lovett Street (B17) – north – Ulverstone / Gawler Road (B17) – south – Gawler | Westbound entry via Adaihi Street |
| River Leven | River Leven | 115.1– 115.3 | 71.5– 71.6 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Central Coast | West Ulverstone | 116.5– 117.2 | 72.4– 72.8 | South Road (C142) – east – Ulverstone | |
| Central Coast | Penguin | 125.2– 125.8 | 77.8– 78.2 | Pine Road (B17) – southwest – Riana / Mission Hill Road – north-east – Penguin | |
| Central Coast | Howth / Sulphur Creek midpoint | 130.7 | 81.2 | Nine Mile Road (C118) – northwest, then south – West Pine | |
| Central Coast | Heybridge | 132.9 | 82.6 | River Avenue (C117) – south, then southwest to Cuprona Road – Cuprona | |
| Blythe River | Blythe River | 133.4– 133.5 | 82.9– 83.0 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Central Coast | Heybridge | 133.9 | 83.2 | Minna Road (C113) – southwest – Stowport | |
| Burnie | Wivenhoe | 138.1 | 85.8 | Stowport Road (C102) – southwest – Stowport | |
| Emu River | Emu River | 139.1 | 86.4 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Burnie | South Burnie | 139.2– 139.3 | 86.5– 86.6 | Old Surrey Road (C112) – south – Emu Heights | |
| Burnie | Burnie | 141.2– 141.4 | 87.7– 87.9 | Mount Street (B18) – south – Upper Burnie | Bass Highway changes from National Highway 1 to A2 |
| Burnie | Parklands / Burnie midpoint | 142.5 | 88.5 | West Park Grove (C108) – southwest – Park Grove | |
| Burnie | Camdale | 147.3 | 91.5 | East Cam Road (C109) – south – East Cam | |
| Cam River | Cam River | 147.6– 147.7 | 91.7– 91.8 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Somerset | 147.8 | 91.8 | Murchison Highway (A10) – south – Queenstown | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Somerset | 149.0 | 92.6 | Raglan Street to Seabrook Road (C241) – south, then west – Mount Hicks | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Doctors Rocks | 153.8 | 95.6 | Old Bass Highway (C240) – northwest – Wynyard | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Wynyard | 156.7 | 97.4 | Mount Hicks Road (B26) – south – Mount Hicks / Mount Hicks Road (no shield) – north – Wynyard | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Wynyard | 160.8 | 99.9 | Deep Creek Road (C239) – west, then south – Yolla | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Wynyard | 161.8 | 100.5 | Oldina Road (C237) – southwest – Oldina | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Wynyard | 162.4 | 100.9 | Calder Road (C235) – southwest – Calder | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Wynyard | 162.8 | 101.2 | Inglis Street (C240) – southeast – Wynyard | |
| Inglis River | Inglis River | 163.5 | 101.6 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Flowerdale | 164.9 | 102.5 | Preolenna Road (C229) – west – Preolenna | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Flowerdale / Table Cape / Boat Harbour tripoint | 167.4 | 104.0 | Tollymore Road (C234) – northeast – Table Cape | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Boat Harbour | 168.3 | 104.6 | Gates Road (C231) – south (to route C229) – Flowerdale | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Boat Harbour | 171.6 | 106.6 | Port Road (C232) – north – Boat Harbour Beach | |
| Waratah-Wynyard | Sisters Creek | 176.3 | 109.5 | Myalla Road (C229) – south – Myalla | From Preolenna C229 turns west and then north, returning to the Bass Highway via Myalla |
| Circular Head | Rocky Cape | 191.0 | 118.7 | Rocky Cape Road (C227) – northeast – Rocky Cape | |
| Detention River | Detention River | 192.3 | 119.5 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Circular Head | Black River | 204.4 | 127.0 | Mawbanna Road (C225) – southeast – Mawbanna | |
| Black River | Black River | 205.8 | 127.9 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Circular Head | Wiltshire | 208.6 | 129.6 | Back Line Road (C221) – south, then west – Forest | |
| Circular Head | Wiltshire / Forest / Stanley tripoint | 212.3 | 131.9 | Mengha Road (C219) – south – Mengha / Stanley Highway (B21) – north – Stanley | |
| Circular Head | Smithton / Forest midpoint | 221.2 | 137.4 | Back Line Road (C221) – east – Forest | From Forest C221 runs west, returning to the Bass Highway at the Smithton boundary |
| Circular Head | Smithton | 223.7 | 139.0 | Irishtown Road (B22) – south – Irishtown | |
| Circular Head | Smithton | 224.4 | 139.4 | Brittons Road – northwest – Smithton | |
| Circular Head | Smithton | 225.9 | 140.4 | Trowutta Road (C217) – south – Edith Creek Nelson Street (C215) – north – Smithton | From Smithton C215 runs west as Montagu Road, eventually intersecting with C213 at Marrawah |
| Duck River | Duck River | 227.6 | 141.4 | Bridge over river (name not known) | Bridge over river (name not known) |
| Circular Head | Redpa | 265.6 | 165.0 | Comeback Road (C213) – north, then west – Marrawah | |
| Circular Head | Marrawah | 272.6 | 169.4 | Arthur River Road (C214) – southwest, then south – Arthur River / Comeback Road (C213) – northeast, then east – Redpa | Western end of Bass Highway. From Redpa C213 runs west, returning to the Bass Highway in Marrawah. |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Incomplete access Route transition ||||||