Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation

The Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation is a 1.5 km stretch of freeway grade road in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Opened on 11 February 1985, it forms part of the A8 and is the only freeway grade section of that route.[1]

It begins just past the Spit Bridge and runs from Sydney Road, Balgowlah to Condamine Street, Manly Vale. There are no entry or exit ramps, and sound barriers run the entire length. Myrtle Street and Kitchener Street run over it but there are no access ramps to or from these roads. It runs, in a northbound direction, close to Frenchs Forest Road, then Brook Road, Bangaroo Street, Serpentine Crescent, Daisy Street, Myrtle Street, Kitchener Street, West Street, Griffiths Street then terminates at Condamine Street.[2]

It is not tolled and runs in an arc around the south-east direction. The speed limit is 80 km/h for most of its length, reducing to 60 km/h prior to either terminus. The entire freeway grade road can be considered starting at the Spit Bridge and is 2.5 kilometres long with exit ramps on Battle Boulevard and Ethel Street also running over it. But the two freeway grade roads are cut in two because of the traffic lights where it intersects with Sydney Road.

The most direct alternative route is to go east on Sydney Road then north on Condamine Street.

Although it appears to be an isolated oddity, the road is a reminder of many planned and never built freeways in the Sydney Basin, much like the Gladesville Bridge road complex. The original plans for the Warringah Freeway show the Burnt Bridge Creek Deviation as part of an expressway that would service the growing Northern Beaches area, but it was never built.

Suggestions have been floated in recent years to connect the two freeways, with the aid of a tunnel. In March 2017, the Government of New South Wales announced its intention to build the Western Harbour Tunnel & Beaches Link.[3]

The road takes its name from Burnt Bridge Creek which flows beneath the road, although there is no sign of the "burnt bridge" which gives the creek its name.