Road Photos & Information: Victoria: Hume Highway, Sydney Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth Street, Peel Street, Dudley Street & Wurundjeri Way (Metropolitan Route 55)

Road Photos & Information: Victoria

Hume Highway, Sydney Road, Royal Parade, Elizabeth Street, Peel Street, Dudley Street & Wurundjeri Way (Metropolitan Route 55)

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
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:
Multiplexes:
Road Authority Internal Classification: 5040 (Dudley Street), 5046 (Elizabeth Street), 5065 (Peel Street), 5550 & 5733 (Sydney Road), 5979 (Royal Parade) and 6120 (Wurundjeri Way) 1

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:

1914: Sydney Road declared a main road. 2
1928: Sydney Road renamed the Hume Highway - still a narrow two lane road. 2
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. 2
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. 5
2006: Old NH31 designation in suburban Melbourne replaced with MR55.

Click here for photos of the route signposted as National Highway 31.

Southbank to Craigieburn		Craigieburn to Southbank
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Sydney Rd (MR55) approaching Camp Rd (MR48) and Mahoneys Rd (MR48) at Campbellfield, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the corner of Dudley St (MR32 & MR55) at West Melbourne, August 2015. MR55 becomes Wurundjeri Way here. Note the incorrect NH55 shield. Image © Paul Rands
	Mahoneys Road & Camp Road: Corner of Sydney Rd (MR55, Camp Rd (MR48) and Mahoneys Rd (MR48) at Campbellfield, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Mahoneys Road & Camp Road: Corner of Sydney Rd (MR55), Camp Rd (MR48) and Mahoneys Rd (MR48) at Campbellfield, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Sydney Rd (MR55) approaching Barry Rd at Campbellfield, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Sydney Rd (MR55) approaching Cooper St (MR58) and Somerton Rd (MR35 / MR58) at Campbellfield, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Cooper Street & Somerton Road: Corner of Sydney Rd (MR55), Cooper St (MR58) and Somerton Rd (MR35 / MR58) at Campbellfield, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Cooper Street & Somerton Road: Corner of Sydney Rd (MR55), Cooper St (MR58) and Somerton Rd (MR35 / MR58) at Campbellfield, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Hume Hwy (MR55) approaching Potter St (C722) at Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Hume Hwy (MR55) approaching Potter St (C722) at Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Potter Street: Hume Hwy (MR55) at the interchange with Potter St (C722), Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Craigieburn Road: Hume Hwy (MR55) at the interchange with Craigieburn Rd (C722), Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Hume Hwy (MR55) approaching Kingswood Dr at Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Hume Hwy (MR55) approaching Amaroo Rd & Grand Blvd at Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Amaroo Road & Grand Boulevard: Corner of Hume Hwy (MR55), Amaroo Rd and Grand Blvd, Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Start Freeway: Entrance ramp to Hume Fwy (M31) and northern terminus of MR55 at Craigieburn, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands

1 VicRoads Road Maintenance Category - Road List Version 1, September 2012
2 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
3 Wandong-Heathcote Junction Community Group
4 Viseth Uch
5 VicRoads

Last updated: 23-May-2017 6:41

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