Road Photos & Information: Victoria: Hume Freeway (National Highway M31)

Road Photos & Information: Victoria

M31

Hume Freeway (M31) - Former Alignment: Melbourne

Statistics:

Length: 30 km
Northern Terminus: Hume Freeway (M31) at Craigieburn
Southern Terminus: Lorimer Street, Montague Street (MR30) and West Gate Freeway (M1 / TD2), South Melbourne
Local Road Names: Wurundjeri Way, Dudley Street, Peel Street, Royal Parade and Sydney Road
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Craigieburn, Somerton, Campbellfield, Fawkner, Coburg North, Coburg, Brunswick, Carlton North, Carlton, Parkville, West Melbourne, Melbourne and South Melbourne

Route Numbering:

Current:
Former:
Multiplexed With:

General Information:

The original Hume Highway route started life as Sydney Road, cutting through Melbourne's northern suburbs. The highway was named in 1928 after Hamilton Hume (1797-1873), a famous explorer in the early 19th century who, in 1824, in conjunction with William Hovell first found an overland route between Sydney and the infant colonial outpost of Port Phillip, the original name of Melbourne.

Since the 1960s, the road has either been duplicated, where alignments allow for it, and also large deviations have also been part of the upgrade process. When the Craigieburn Bypass section of the Hume Freeway opened in December 2005, the last non freeway / expressway standard section of the highway in Victoria was bypassed.

Multiplexes along the route include:

Metropolitan Route 30, for 600 m at Docklands
Metropolitan Route 32, for 500 m at Melbourne

History (Melbourne Suburban Alignment Only):

1914: Sydney Road declared a main road. 3
1928: Sydney Road renamed the Hume Highway - still a narrow two lane road. 3
1954: Hume Highway given Australia's first National Route number, NR31, as a trial of numbering systems.
1960's: Fawkner to Somerton duplication 4
1961: The first 4 lane modern freeway standard section was completed in Victoria at Craigieburn.
1974: Hume Highway route number changed to National Highway 31, indicating it's importance and also funding by the Federal Government.
1997: NH31 number replaced with NH-M31 as part of the rollout of alphanumeric numbering. NH31 remained in the metropolitan area until the opening of Craigieburn Bypass. 4
December 2004: The first section of the Craigieburn Bypass was opened to traffic between the Metropolitan Ring Road and Cooper Street. 1
20 December 2005: The remaining section of the 17km Craigieburn Bypass, linking the Hume Freeway near Mt. Ridley Road at Craigieburn, to the Metropolitan Ring Road at Thomastown, opened to traffic. 2
2006: Old NH31 designation in suburban Melbourne replaced with MR55.

Southbank to Craigieburn		Craigieburn to Southbank
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Advance Directional Signage: Dudley Street at the at Peel Street junction, West Melbourne. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Distance Sign: RD sign near Rushwood Drive at Craigieburn. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Signage: Northbound on Peel Street in West Melbourne as you approach Victoria Street. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: Southbound approaching the intersection with Cooper Street (MR58) and Somerton Road (MR35 / 58) in Somerton. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Trailblazer: Northbound on Peel Street in the Melbourne CBD as you approach Victoria Street. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approach Cooper Street in Somerton, November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Trailblazer Assembly: Eastbound on Victoria Street as you approach the Peel Street intersection (with Metropolitan Route 32) in Melbourne's CBD. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		AD Sign: Advance directional sign as you approach Barry Road in Campbellfield, November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Direction Signage: Looking along Peel Street at Carlton at the intersection with Flemington Road (NR79 / NH8) and Royal Parade. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Approaching Camp and Mahoneys Roads: Southbound advance directional sign for the with Camp Road and Mahoneys Road (MR48) at Campbellfield, November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Trailblazer Assembly: Located at the Flemington Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth and Peel Streets roundabout at Carlton. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: Southbound at Fawkner as you approach the Metropolitan Ring Road interchange, November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Diagrammatic Directional Sign: AD sign setup at the Flemington Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth and Peel Streets roundabout at Carlton. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Intersection direction Sign: Southbound signage at Fawkner at the interchange with Metropolitan Ring Road (M80), November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Trailblazer Assembly: Signage setup to indicate the traffic flow for National Highway 8 and National Highway 31. This assembly is located at the Flemington Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth and Peel Streets roundabout at Carlton. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		RD Sign: Located in Fawkner just south of the Metropolitan Ring Road (NH-M80) as you travel southbound. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Flemington Road ID sign: Intersection Directional Sign on the Flemington Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth and Peel Streets roundabout at Carlton. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		NH31 Trailblazer: Southbound NH31 trailblazer in Coburg, November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Trailblazer Assembly: Signage setup to indicate the traffic flow for National Highway 31. This assemlby is located at the Flemington Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth and Peel Streets roundabout at Carlton. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Reassurance Trailblazer Located on Royal Parade at Parkville on the junction with Macarthur Road and Cemetary Road West as you travel southbound. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley
	Royal Parade ID sign: Intersection Directional Sign on the Flemington Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth and Peel Streets roundabout at Carlton. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Trailblazer Assembly Signage setup to indicate the traffic flow for National Highway 31 and MR83. This assembly is located on Royal Parade at Parkville on the junction with Macarthur Road and Cemetary Road West as you travel southbound. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley
	Trailblazer Assembly: Signage setup to indicate the traffic flow for National Highway 31 and MR83. This assemlby is located on Royal Parade at Parkville on the junction with Macarthur Road and Cemetary Road West as you travel northbound. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Trailblazer Assembly Signage setup to indicate the traffic flow for National Highway 8 and National Highway 31. This assemlby is located at the Flemington Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth and Peel Streets roundabout at Carlton. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: Located on Cemetary Road West as you head westbound through the Royal Parade / Macarthur Road intersection. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		Spencer Street Intersection: Trailblazer assembly on Spencer Street West Melbourne, as you approach Sydney Road. 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Reassurance Trailblazer: Located on Royal Parade at Parkville near the junction with Macarthur Road and Cemetary Road West as you travel northbound. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley		ID Sign Assembly: Intersection directional signage assembly featuring old hand painted timber sign for Footscray. Spencer Street intersection in West Melbourne, 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	RD Sign: Northbound distance sign located just after Bell Street (MR40) in Coburg. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley		Reassurance Marker Assembly: Southbound trailblazers near Spencer St in West Melbourne, 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	AD Sign: Northbound advance directional sign as you approach the Camp Road / Mahoneys Road intersection at Campbellfield. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Wurundjeri Way intersection in Docklands. Wurundjeri Way was named in 2000. It is formerly North-South Road. Click here for a media release covering it, courtesy of the Victorian Government. Image © Rob Tilley
	AD Sign: Northbound advance directional sign approaching the Barry Road intersection in Campbellfield. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley		Approaching Dudley Street / Wurundjeri Way Intersection: Advance directional street approaching the corner of Dudley St (MR32) and Wurundjeri Way (former NH31, now MR55 / MR32) at Docklands. Image © Rob Tilley
	ID Sign: Intersection directional sign facing Cooper Street at the intersection with Hume Highway and Somerton Road in Campbellfield. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley		Approaching Dudley Street / Wurundjeri Way Intersection: Advance directional street approaching the corner of Dudley St (MR32) and Wurundjeri Way (former NH31, now MR55 / MR32) at Docklands. Image © Rob Tilley
	RD Sign: Northbound distance sign located in Somerton, just after the junction with Cooper Street and Somerton Road. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley		Dudley Street / Wurundjeri Way Intersection: Corner of Dudley St (MR32) and Wurundjeri Way (former NH31, now MR55 / MR32) at Docklands. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Exit Sign: Northbound advance exit sign approaching Craigieburn Road at Craigieburn. November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Signage: Dudley Street at the at King Street junction, Docklands. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley
			Advance Directional Signage: Peel Street at the at Dudley Street junction, West Melbourne. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley
			End National Highway 31 Sign: Montague Street under the M1 / West Gate Freeway at Southbank. 2006. Image © Rob Tilley

1 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
2 VicRoads
3 Wandong-Heathcote Junction Community Group
4 Viseth Uch

Last updated: 14-Feb-2019 21:29

This site © Paul Rands. All rights reserved. Some portions © (copyright) by their respective and credited owners. Permission must be obtained before using any images from this site. For details, please email by clicking here.