Princes Freeway | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Princes Freeway atLara | |||
| General information | |||
| Type | Freeway | ||
| Length | 159 km (99 mi)[1][2] | ||
| Route number(s) |  (1997–present) | ||
| Former route number |  National Route 1(1955–1997) | ||
| Tourist routes |  Tourist Route 21(Corio–Altona North) | ||
| Major junctions | |||
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| SW end | Geelong Ring Road Corio, Geelong | ||
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| NE end | West Gate Freeway Laverton North, Melbourne | ||
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| West end | Monash Freeway Narre Warren, Melbourne | ||
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| East end | Princes Highway Morwell, Victoria | ||
| Location(s) | |||
| Major suburbs / towns | Geelong,Little River,Werribee,Laverton,Drouin,Warragul,Moe,Morwell | ||
| Highway system | |||
Princes Freeway is a 159-kilometre (99 mi)Australianfreeway, divided into two sections, both located inVictoria, Australia. The freeway linksMelbourne toGeelong in the west, and toMorwell in the east. It continues beyond these extremities as thePrinces Highway towardsAdelaide to the west andSydney to the northeast. The freeway bears the designation M1.
The western section linking Geelong and Melbourne is an important commuter, freight and tourism route between the two cities; the eastern section links Melbourne with theLatrobe Valley and major business suburbs, namely Dandenong and Berwick. The entire freeway is one of the busiest sections of rural highway in Victoria, used by large numbers of freight and commercial vehicles and provides access to tourist attractions in central and eastGippsland. It supports Victoria's rural industries and tourism.
The western section (also known as Princes Freeway West or Geelong Road) starts atCorio, in the northern suburbs ofGeelong and heads north-east as a six-lane dual-carriageway freeway, widening to eight lanes east of Werribee, and ends at the West Gate Interchange inLaverton, where theWestern Ring Road and the old Geelong Road can be accessed by off-ramps. This section ranges from six lanes (three in each direction) between Geelong andWerribee, to ten lanes near theRing Road interchange. Between 1999 and 2003 the section from Hoppers Crossing to Geelong was progressively widened to provide a third lane in each direction, in addition to a number of other safety upgrades being completed. Following this upgrade the speed limit was lowered from 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in response to the freeway's poor safety record.
The eastern section (also known as Princes Freeway East) starts fromNarre Warren, as a six-lane dual-carriageway freeway, narrowing to four lanes just west of Pakenham. There are also several highway-standard at-grade intersections, most notably betweenNar Nar Goon andLongwarry. These intersections are speed limited to 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph), with the only 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph) section on the freeway fromLongwarry toMorwell. However, traffic still travels through the towns ofYarragon andTrafalgar, therefore urban speed limits apply to these towns (between 60 and 80 kilometres per hour (37 and 50 mph)) where the road reverts to the Princes Highway (though planning for bypasses of these towns are underway).
The western and eastern sections are connected together through the Melbourne suburbs byWest Gate Freeway,CityLink tollway andMonash Freeway. These five sections of road together constitute the routeM1 through Melbourne, which is part of NationalHighway 1.
On the urban section of Princes Freeway (betweenLaverton North andWerribee), the standard travel time is 9 minutes: 6 minutes between theWestern Ring Road and Forsyth Road, and 3 minutes between Forsyth Road and Duncans Road. The usual peak period travel time is between 12 and 18 minutes; however, in times of extreme congestion or traffic accidents, the travel time can well exceed 20 minutes.
The Maltby Bypass was Victoria's first freeway which opened on 16 June 1961, and was the first section of Princes Freeway to open.[3]
Both sections of Princes Freeway were signed National Route 1, either inheriting it when converted from older sections ofPrinces Highway, or assigned when newly constructed to bypass a section of it. With Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, the freeway's National Route 1 designation began conversion to M1 in late 1996, and was completed in 1997.[4] Former bypassed sections of Princes Highway are generally signed as Metropolitan Route 83 or route C109 (western section), Alternative National Route 1 or designated successive routes from C101 to C104 (eastern section).
The passing of theRoad Management Act 2004[5] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads: in 2012, VicRoads re-declared the western section asPrinces Freeway West (Freeway #1500) fromCorio-Waurn Ponds Road inHighton to Little Boundary Road atLaverton North (this definition includesGeelong Ring Road,[6] and in 2007, VicRoads re-declared the eastern section asPrinces Freeway East (Freeway #1510) from Monash Freeway atNarre Warren to the eastern end ofPrinces Drive inMorwell (minus the highway section betweenYarragon andTrafalgar).[7] VicRoads also classifies a 5km[8] stretch of road betweenNewmerella andOrbost as part of Princes Freeway East, despite being a two-lane, single-carriageway road and signed as Princes Highway.[7]
In March 2010 it was announced by the State Government that trucks would be banned from the right-hand lane along a 38-kilometre (24 mi) section of freeway between Geelong and Melbourne. Suggestions of a ban began in 2005 but increased after the fatal 2007Burnley Tunnel fire that killed three people.[9] The ban was put into place from 1 July 2010 between Kororoit Creek Road, Altona, and Avalon Road, Lara and covers all heavy vehicles weighing more than 4.5 tonnes (4.4 long tons; 5.0 short tons), except buses and caravans.[10] A fine of $358 applies to those breaking the rules, the ban being a trial before a full roll-out on the other major roads in the state.[11]
The road is divided in two distinct sections that do not meet, but are connected byWest Gate Freeway,CityLink andMonash Freeway; the western section is 46 kilometres (29 mi)[1] long, while the eastern section is 113 kilometres (70 mi)[2] long.
| LGA | Location[1][6] | km[1] | mi | Exit[12] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobsons Bay | Laverton North | 0 | 0.0 | West Gate Freeway (M1) – Melbourne, to West Gate Tunnel (M4) –Port of Melbourne | Northeastern terminus of freeway, continues east asWest Gate Freeway | |
| W9 |  Geelong Road (Metro Route 83) – Brooklyn,Footscray,Parkville | |||||
| W10 |   Western Ring Road (M80/Tourist Route 21) – Ardeer,Fawkner,Greensborough,Melbourne Airport | Eastern terminus of concurrency; Tourist Route 21 continues north alongWestern Ring Road | ||||
| Laverton | 3 | 1.9 | 11 |  Kororoit Creek Road (Metro Route 35) – Williamstown,Tarneit | North-eastbound exit to Kororoit Creek Road eastbound only | |
| 4 | 2.5 | 12 |  Old Geelong Road (B77) – Laverton,Deer Park | North-eastbound exit only | ||
| Altona Meadows | 5.8 | 3.6 | 13 | Newland Street – Altona Meadows,Laverton | South-westbound exit and entrance only | |
| 6 | 3.7 | 13 | High Street – Altona Meadows,Laverton | North-eastbound exit and entrance only | ||
| Seabrook | 7.2 | 4.5 | 14 | Aviation Road (south) – Point Cook,Laverton Central Avenue (Metro Route 41 east) – Laverton,Altona Meadows | ||
| 8.2 | 5.1 | 15 |   Palmers Road (A91 north/B91 south) – Seabrook,Point Cook | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only | ||
| Wyndham | Point Cook | 9.3 | 5.8 | 16 |  Forsyth Road (A93 north) – TruganinaBoardwalk Boulevard (south) – Point Cook | |
| 11.4 | 7.1 | 17 |  Princes Highway (C109 west) – Werribee Old Geelong Road (C701 north) – Hoppers Crossing | Westbound exit, eastbound entrance and exit only | ||
| 13.7 | 8.5 | 18 | Sneydes Road – Werribee,Hoppers Crossing | |||
| Werribee South | 16.4 | 10.2 | 19 |   Duncans Road (C108/Tourist Route 11 north-west, south-east) – Werribee South,Werribee K Road (Tourist Route 11 south) –Werribee Open Range Zoo | ||
| Cocoroc | 21 | 13 | Geelong Road (C109 north) – Werribee William Thwaites Drive (east) – Cocoroc | |||
| Little River | 29 | 18 | Little River Road (west) – Little River 160 South Road (east) – Cocoroc | |||
| 31.6 | 19.6 | Point Wilson Road – Point Wilson | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only | |||
| Greater Geelong | Lara | 38.5 | 23.9 | Beach Road – Point Wilson,Avalon Airport | ||
| 42.2 | 26.2 | Avalon Road – Lara,Avalon | ||||
| 45.8 | 28.5 |  Shell Parade (C115) – North Shore | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only | |||
 Corio-Waurn Ponds Road – North Geelong,Geelong City Centre,Queenscliff | Western terminus of concurrency; Tourist Route 21 continues southwest alongCorio-Waurn Ponds Road | |||||
Geelong Ring Road (M1) – Colac,Warrnambool,Mount Gambier,Adelaide, to Great Ocean Road | Southwestern terminus of freeway, continues west asGeelong Ring Road | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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| LGA | Location[2][7] | km[2] | mi | Exit[12] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latrobe | Morwell | 0 | 0.0 | Princes Highway (M1) – Traralgon,Sale,Bairnsdale,Orbost, toSydney,New South Wales | Eastern terminus of freeway, continues east asPrinces Highway | |
 Princes Drive (C104) – Morwell | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance only | |||||
| 2.9 | 1.8 |  Tramway Road (C474) – Morwell,Churchill | Westbound entrance and eastbound exit only | |||
| 3.8 | 2.4 |  Monash Way (C456) – Morwell,Churchill | ||||
| 5.7 | 3.5 |  Commercial Road (C475) – Morwell,Churchill | Westbound entrance; eastbound exit only | |||
| 8.5 | 5.3 |  Commercial Road (Strzelecki Highway) (B460) – Morwell,Mirboo North,Leongatha | ||||
| 9.8 | 6.1 | Princes Drive (C104) – Morwell | Westbound exit to the north only | |||
| Hernes Oak | 14.4 | 8.9 |  Haunted Hills Road (C471) – Yallourn North | |||
| Newborough | 19.5 | 12.1 | To John Field Drive (C103) – Moe,Newborough | |||
| Moe | 23.9 | 14.9 | Old Gippstown Drive (C103) – Moe | |||
| Baw Baw | Trafalgar | 32 | 20 |  Willow Grove Road (C463 north) – Willow Grove,Mount Baw Baw Trafalgar–Thorpdale Road (C469 south) – Thorpdale | ||
| Yarragon | 39.4 | 24.5 | Yarragon–Shady Creek Road (north) – Shady Creek Rollo Street (Yarragon–Leongatha Road) (south) – Leongatha,Mirboo North | |||
| Darnum | 45.6 | 28.3 | East–West Road/Darnum–Shady Creek Road – Darnum, Cloverlea | |||
| Nilma | 48.7 | 30.3 |  Queen Street (Princes Way) (C102 west) – Warragul, to Bloomfield Road (C462) – NoojeeNilma–Bona Vista Road (south) – Bona Vista | |||
| Warragul | 50.6 | 31.4 | Alfred Street – Warragul | Eastbound entrance only | ||
| 52.2 | 32.4 |  Warragul–Korumburra Road (C425) – Korumburra,Warragul | ||||
| Drouin | 57.9 | 36.0 | Princes Way (C102) – Drouin | North-westbound exit via Balfour Road | ||
| 64.9 | 40.3 | Princes Way (C102) – Drouin,Mount Baw Baw | ||||
| Drouin West | 70.1 | 43.6 |  Sand Road (C421) – Longwarry,Labertouche | |||
| Cardinia | Bunyip North | 73.1 | 45.4 | Abeckett Road (south) – Bunyip Wimpole Road (north) – Bunyip North | ||
| Bunyip | 75.9 | 47.2 | Tonimbuk Road – Tonimbuk,Bunyip | |||
| Garfield | 78.2 | 48.6 | Martin Road – Garfield North | |||
| 78.8 | 49.0 | Jefferson Road – Garfield | Westbound entrance and exit only | |||
| 79.5 | 49.4 | Garfield Road – Garfield | ||||
| 79.8 | 49.6 | Garfield North Road – Garfield North | ||||
| Tynong North | 81.2 | 50.5 | Brew Road (east) – Tynong North andGumbuya Park | |||
| 82 | 51 | Brew Road (west) – Tynong North andGumbuya Park | ||||
| Tynong | 84.4 | 52.4 | Tynong North Road (north) – Tynong North andBunyip State Park Tynong Road (south) – Tynong | |||
| Nar Nar Goon | 89.6 | 55.7 |  Nar Nar Goon Connection Road (C433 south) – Nar Nar Goon Princes Highway (C101 west) – Pakenham | |||
| Pakenham | 96.4 | 59.9 | 31 |   Koo Wee Rup Road (M420 south/C422 north) – Koo Wee Rup,Pakenham | ||
| 98 | 61 | 30 | C695 McGregor Road (C695) – Rythdale,Pakenham | |||
| Officer | 101.6 | 63.1 | 28 |  Cardinia Road (C417 north, no shield south) – Cardinia,Officer | ||
| 104.1 | 64.7 | 27 | Officer South Road – Officer,Officer South | Westbound entrance and eastbound exit only | ||
| 105.3 | 65.4 | 26 | Westbound BP Service Centre | Westbound exit and entrance only | ||
| 105.9 | 65.8 | 26 | Eastbound BP Service Centre | Eastbound exit and entrance only | ||
| Beaconsfield | 107.6 | 66.9 | 25 |   O'Shea Road (A17/B668) – Beaconsfield,Hampton Park | ||
| Casey | Berwick | 110.8 | 68.8 | 24 |  Clyde Road (C407) – Berwick,Clyde,Cranbourne | |
| Narre Warren | 113.4 | 70.5 | 23 |  Princes Highway (Alt National Route 1 west/C101 east) – Narre Warren,Berwick,Dandenong | ||
| Monash Freeway (M1) – Chadstone,Melbourne,Geelong,Melbourne Airport | Western terminus of freeway, continues northwest asMonash Freeway | |||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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The Pakenham Bypass was the final missing link of a continuous freeway from Melbourne to Gippsland in the East of Victoria (excluding the single sets of traffic lights in the small rural towns of Yarragon and Trafalgar). Federal and State Governments jointly funded construction of the bypass at a cost of $242 million which commenced in April 2005 and was completed on 1 December 2007.[13] The 24 km freeway which runs from Beaconsfield to Nar Nar Goon bypasses the townships of Pakenham and Officer and provides an important link between Gippsland and Melbourne.[14][15][16][17][18][19]
The new section of freeway also bypassed a small section of the original Princes Freeway at Beaconsfield, which remains as a connection between Princes Highway and the freeway known as the Princes Link Highway.[20] The interchange between Princes Link Highway and the freeway was reconfigured as part of the O'Shea Road extension project, and was completed in 2022.
The Federal and State Government announced the construction of a new bypass extending 23 kilometres along Geelong's western outskirts from the Princes Freeway in Corio to the Princes Highway in Waurn Ponds. Drivers using the Bypass between Corio and Waurn Ponds will avoid up to 29 sets of traffic lights, with a travel time at freeway speeds of less than 15 minutes compared with the current 25–60 minute trip through Geelong.[21]
The Federal Government allocated $186 million in funding[22] with the State Government providing the remainder, giving a total of $380 million.[23] Construction works for Section 1, between Corio and Bell Post Hill commenced in February 2006. Contracts for Section 2, between Hamlyn Heights and Fyansford, commenced in September 2006 and construction of Section 3, between Fyansford and Waurn Ponds, commenced in November 2007. All 3 stages were scheduled for completion in June 2009.
West of Geelong, duplication of the Princes Highway between Waurn Ponds and Winchelsea commenced in 2011 and was to be completed by late 2014, though opened in May 2016 after substantially being delayed. Construction for the Winchelsea - Colac section is now underway (which began in early 2016), with both the Victorian and Australian governments contributing $515 million for this project. Once completed around 2018 and beyond, it will be an M standard road.[24]
Since 2010, the Princes Highway between Traralgon and Sale has progressively been duplicated and upgraded to rural freeway standard. Since 2016, the duplication has been done in three stages.
The ten sections of the duplication project now complete are:
The remaining section of Stage 3, which started construction in July 2021 and expected completion in 2024 is:
Proposed safety and grade separation improvements, Princes Freeway East – Nar Nar Goon to Longwarry North, to be funded in future.[25]
In 2009, VicRoads with Latrobe City Council completed a planning project for the Traralgon Bypass. Four options were put to the public, with Option 2 chosen as the preferred route. This route was formalised in the Latrobe Planning Scheme thereafter. In August 2017, the State Government announced $1.4 million towards further planning of the Traralgon Bypass.
As of 2023, the bypass is dependent on additional state and federal government funding for detailed planning and construction to proceed.
Bypasses of Winchelsea and Colac as well as possible duplication of the Princes Hwy from Colac to Warrnambool, to be funded in future.[26]
{{cite web}}:|archive-url= is malformed: timestamp (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Road infrastructure inGeelong | ||
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Road infrastructure in regionalVictoria | |||
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| Freeways and dual carriageways | |||
| Main highways | |||
| Minor highways |
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| Other roads | |||
