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Flemington Road, Racecourse Road, Smithfield Road, Ballarat Road and Western Highway (National Highway 8) - Decommissioned

Statistics:

• Length: 431 km
• Eastern Terminus: Harker St (former NR79, now MR79), Gatehouse St and Flemington Rd (Unnumbered) at North Melbourne
• Western Terminus: Vic / SA Border
• Miscellaneous: Formerly Western Hwy from Footscray to SA Border
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Serviceton, Lillimur, Kaniva, Nhill, Salisbury, Kiata, Gerang Gerung, Dimboola, Wail, Pimpinio, Dahlen, Horsham, Green Lake , Dadswells Bridge, Deep Lead, Stawell, Great Western, Ararat, Buangor, Beaufort, Trawalla, Burrumbeet, Ballarat (Mitchell Park, Miners Rest, Mount Rowan, Wendouree, Invermay, Invermay Park, Ballarat North, Nerrina, Brown Hill, Warrenheip & Leigh Creek), Bugaree, Wallace, Gordon, Ballan, Myrniong, Pentland Hills, Bacchus Marsh, Hopetoun Park, Brookfield, Melton West, Melton, Rockbank, Caroline Springs, Burnside, Ravenhall, Deer Park, Ardeer, Albion, Sunshine North, Braybrook, Maidstone, Footscray, Flemington and North Melbourne

Route Numbering:

• Current:
• Former:
• Multiplexes:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: Text 1

General Information:

National Highway 8 once linked Melbourne westward with Adelaide. However once the Statewide Route Numbering Scheme was introduced in 1998, the route was truncated with the introduction on M8 and A8 outside the metropolitan Melbourne area. With the introduction of the Deer Park Bypass (M8) the importance of the route diminished, and part of the route was eventually changed to Metropolitan Route 8.

The route passes through commercial, industrial and residential areas and is a mix of divided and undivided roads, with tramlines traversing the route along Racecourse Rd at Flemington and North Melbourne, and also along a small section of Ballarat Rd at Footscray.

The Melbourne section of the Western Highway was shown in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan as part of the F12 Freeway corridor.

Multiplexes along the route included:

• NR1 (Princes Highway), for 6 km, between North Melbourne and Footscray (was replaced by ALT-NR1)
• ALT-NR1, 6 km, between North Melbourne and Footscray (was replaced by MR83)
• NR79, for 2 km, between North Melbourne and Parkville
• MR35, for 2 km, between Kensington and Footscray
• MR83, for 4 km, between Parkville and Footscray
• SR107 (Henty Highway), for 3 km at Horsham
• SR130 (Wimmera Highway), for 600 m at Horsham

History:

• 1994: Construction of the Ballarat Bypass (Western Freeway) commences. 3
• 1997: Ballarat Bypass opens to traffic. NH8 converted to NH-A8 / NH-M8 outside metropolitan Melbourne. 4
• August 2006: Construction commenced on the Western Highway - Deer Park Bypass interchange at Ravenhall / Caroline Springs. 1
• February 2007: Construction begins on the 9.3 km Deer Park Bypass, from the Western Ring Road at Sunshine West to the Western Highway at Caroline Springs, when complete it will emliminate 20 intersections. 1
• August 2007: Construction commenced on Leakes Road interchange. 1
• December 2007: Traffic switched onto the new Western Highway - Deer Park Bypass interchange at Ravenhall / Caroline Springs. 1

Preview:	Description:
	Distance Sign: Reassurance directional sign at Footscray, November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Droop St and Farnsworth Av in Footscray, November 2005. Image © Rob Tilley

1 VicRoads
2 Victorian Department of Transport
3 City of Ballarat
4 Viseth Uch

Last updated: 14-Feb-2019 21:34

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