ON THE RECORD

 

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LOCATION

 

Length: 10km

Eastern Terminus: East Tamar Highway (A8), 19km south of George Town

Western Terminus: West Tamar Highway (A8), 10km north of Exeter

Route taken: Highway B73 [ PKA Batman Highway]

Focal Points: George Town, Beaconsfield/Exeter/Launceston

Route B73 introduced: 1980

Batman Highway proclaimed:

Batman Bridge opened: 18 May 1968

Responsibility: State Government

Highway B73 [ PKA Batman Highway]

Highway B73 [ PKA Batman Highway] is a two-lane, undivided east-west highway in Tasmania's north, linking the East and West Tamar Highways via the Batman Bridge. The Batman Highway provides the only crossing of the Tamar River north of Launceston and serves traffic from the West Tamar to the port at Bell Bay.

Route B73:

Route B73 is an east-west route in northern Tasmania, utilising Highway B73 [ PKA Batman Highway] and the BRIDGE B73 [ PKA Batman Bridge] to connect the East and West Tamar Highways. It was officially introduced in 1979 and, judging by the age of some signs along the route, signs were erected not long afterwards. There have been no changes to the route since its inception.

Route B73 provides the only vehicle crossing of the Tamar River north of Launceston and is thus heavily utilised - traffic volumes peak at 2,013 vehicles per day (2003) at the BRIDGE B73 [ PKA Batman Bridge]

During July 2008, the junction with Spring Hill Main Rd (C725) was reconstructed to give priority to B73 traffic. Prior to this, traffic from Exeter gave way to between Spring Hill Main Rd and BRIDGE B73 [ PKA Batman Bridge].