South Gippsland Freeway
Encyclopedia
South Gippsland Freeway is a short freeway linking Dandenong in Melbourne
's south-east to other south-eastern destinations, including the Mornington Peninsula
and the Gippsland
region. The freeway bears the designation M420.
) in 1970, where the Mulgrave entered a sweeping turn south, crossed Eumemmerring Creek in Doveton
and officially terminated at Princes Highway
just outside of Dandenong. This intersection was later replanned as a proper underpass and the freeway was unofficially extended under the Princes Highway to run a kilometre further south, along the eastern border of Melbourne's Holden
factory at the time, to terminate at the original alignment of the South Gippsland Highway
where it met Pound Road.
Some years later, due to the unforeseen success of this section of the freeway, it was redeveloped and "extended" another kilometre south towards Lyndhurst
. The old alignment of the South Gippsland Highway was duplicated and upgraded into the new stretch of the freeway, and a new dual-carriageway alignment of the South Gippsland Highway was constructed approximately a kilometre to the freeway's west. Pound Road was extended a few hundred metres west across a new bridge over the freeway, and Dandenong-bound ramps were constructed. The interchange (Lyndhurst interchange) where the freeway and the old and new alignments of the South Gippsland Highway met Lyndhurst Road (renamed Hastings-Dandenong Road not long afterwards) was reconsructed to allow the freeway to flow further south using an overpass above the realigned South Gippsland Highway: those wanting to follow the highway to Cranbourne
or beyond simply used the off-lanes.
The Doveton segment of freeway between Eumemmerring Creek and Princes Highway was originally labelled as Mulgrave Freeway, however - even back then - plans were made to later extend the freeway further south-east towards Beaconsfield
. Therefore, in the early 1980s, the segment of the Mulgrave Freeway south of Eumemmerring Creek was relabelled the South Gippsland Freeway, extending the northern reaches of that freeway officially by about a kilometre.
By 1988, the Mulgrave Freeway - rechristened as the South Eastern Arterial at this stage - had been over time extended and then linked to allow a freeway-style link from the city to Dandenong; this translated into a heavier use of the South Eastern Arterial and by extension the South Gippsland Highway. Not much was done to improve the freeway however, especially for the Doveton segment, which saw traffic volume leap as drivers used it to gain access to Princes Highway east beyond Dandenong and the suburbs beyond. As the entire South Eastern Arterial was designated a State Route 1 shield (later converted to M1), this section was also designated the same route: a metropolitan shield
was designated to the stretch south of the Princes Highway beyond to Hastings-Dandenong Road (now Dandenong-Hastings Road). The bridge over the Lyndhurst interchange was eventually duplicated with little fanfare in the early-1990s, leading to increased use of the road, mostly to semi-trailers and the amount of freight using the road to get to the docks in the Westernport district: Dandenong-Hastings Road was yet again renamed the Western Port Highway to reflect this and was eventually duplicated in stages.
The freeway had its metro shield abolished when Victoria switched to the alpha-numeric route system some years later, and was given the M420 designation for the southern segment of the freeway (which extended to the southern portion of the South Gippsland Highway beyond the Lyndhurst interchange, the Westernport Highway was given the A780 designation): the northern segment still retained the M1 designation until the Southern Eastern Arterial - renamed yet again to the current Monash Freeway - was extended further south-east from Doveton along the planned alignment (the "Hallam Bypass") to Berwick
in 2003. The northern segment assumed the M420 designation afterwards.
In 2010, the Pound Road half diamond interchange is being substantially upgraded with a new four lane carriageway being constructed over the freeway, with the addition of traffic lights to the on-ramp intersection, and ramp metering signals. These works will be complete in 2011.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
's south-east to other south-eastern destinations, including the Mornington Peninsula
Mornington Peninsula
The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south-east of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia. It is surrounded by Port Phillip to the west, Western Port to the east and Bass Strait to the south, and is connected to the mainland in the north. Geographically, the peninsula begins its protrusion...
and the Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
region. The freeway bears the designation M420.
History
The freeway originally began as an overflow from construction of the Mulgrave Freeway (now the Monash FreewayMonash Freeway
Monash Freeway is an urban freeway in Victoria, Australia linking Melbourne's CBD to its southeastern suburbs and the Gippsland region. The entire stretch of the Monash Freeway bears the designation...
) in 1970, where the Mulgrave entered a sweeping turn south, crossed Eumemmerring Creek in Doveton
Doveton, Victoria
Doveton is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 31 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey...
and officially terminated at Princes Highway
Princes Highway
The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....
just outside of Dandenong. This intersection was later replanned as a proper underpass and the freeway was unofficially extended under the Princes Highway to run a kilometre further south, along the eastern border of Melbourne's Holden
Holden
GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...
factory at the time, to terminate at the original alignment of the South Gippsland Highway
South Gippsland Highway
The South Gippsland Highway is a partially divided highway in Victoria, Australia which connects the city of Melbourne with the South Gippsland region of Victoria, ending in the town of Sale...
where it met Pound Road.
Some years later, due to the unforeseen success of this section of the freeway, it was redeveloped and "extended" another kilometre south towards Lyndhurst
Lyndhurst, Victoria
Lyndhurst is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is both the City of Casey and the city of Greater Dandenong....
. The old alignment of the South Gippsland Highway was duplicated and upgraded into the new stretch of the freeway, and a new dual-carriageway alignment of the South Gippsland Highway was constructed approximately a kilometre to the freeway's west. Pound Road was extended a few hundred metres west across a new bridge over the freeway, and Dandenong-bound ramps were constructed. The interchange (Lyndhurst interchange) where the freeway and the old and new alignments of the South Gippsland Highway met Lyndhurst Road (renamed Hastings-Dandenong Road not long afterwards) was reconsructed to allow the freeway to flow further south using an overpass above the realigned South Gippsland Highway: those wanting to follow the highway to Cranbourne
Cranbourne, Victoria
Cranbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Cranbourne had a population of 14,750....
or beyond simply used the off-lanes.
The Doveton segment of freeway between Eumemmerring Creek and Princes Highway was originally labelled as Mulgrave Freeway, however - even back then - plans were made to later extend the freeway further south-east towards Beaconsfield
Beaconsfield, Victoria
Beaconsfield is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 46 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Cardinia...
. Therefore, in the early 1980s, the segment of the Mulgrave Freeway south of Eumemmerring Creek was relabelled the South Gippsland Freeway, extending the northern reaches of that freeway officially by about a kilometre.
By 1988, the Mulgrave Freeway - rechristened as the South Eastern Arterial at this stage - had been over time extended and then linked to allow a freeway-style link from the city to Dandenong; this translated into a heavier use of the South Eastern Arterial and by extension the South Gippsland Highway. Not much was done to improve the freeway however, especially for the Doveton segment, which saw traffic volume leap as drivers used it to gain access to Princes Highway east beyond Dandenong and the suburbs beyond. As the entire South Eastern Arterial was designated a State Route 1 shield (later converted to M1), this section was also designated the same route: a metropolitan shield
was designated to the stretch south of the Princes Highway beyond to Hastings-Dandenong Road (now Dandenong-Hastings Road). The bridge over the Lyndhurst interchange was eventually duplicated with little fanfare in the early-1990s, leading to increased use of the road, mostly to semi-trailers and the amount of freight using the road to get to the docks in the Westernport district: Dandenong-Hastings Road was yet again renamed the Western Port Highway to reflect this and was eventually duplicated in stages.The freeway had its metro shield abolished when Victoria switched to the alpha-numeric route system some years later, and was given the M420 designation for the southern segment of the freeway (which extended to the southern portion of the South Gippsland Highway beyond the Lyndhurst interchange, the Westernport Highway was given the A780 designation): the northern segment still retained the M1 designation until the Southern Eastern Arterial - renamed yet again to the current Monash Freeway - was extended further south-east from Doveton along the planned alignment (the "Hallam Bypass") to Berwick
Berwick, Victoria
Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420....
in 2003. The northern segment assumed the M420 designation afterwards.
In 2010, the Pound Road half diamond interchange is being substantially upgraded with a new four lane carriageway being constructed over the freeway, with the addition of traffic lights to the on-ramp intersection, and ramp metering signals. These works will be complete in 2011.
Exits and Interchanges
South Gippsland Freeway  |
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| Northbound exits | Distance to Melbourne (km) |
Distance to Hastings (km) |
Southbound exits |
| End South Gippsland Freeway continues as Monash Freeway Monash Freeway Monash Freeway is an urban freeway in Victoria, Australia linking Melbourne's CBD to its southeastern suburbs and the Gippsland region. The entire stretch of the Monash Freeway bears the designation...  to Melbourne Melbourne Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...  |
36 | 38 | Start South Gippsland Freeway from Monash Freeway Monash Freeway Monash Freeway is an urban freeway in Victoria, Australia linking Melbourne's CBD to its southeastern suburbs and the Gippsland region. The entire stretch of the Monash Freeway bears the designation... |
| Warragul Warragul, Victoria Warragul is a rural centre with a population of 12,943 people east-southeast of Melbourne in Victoria. Warragul lies between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Mount Baw Baw Plateau of the Great Dividing Range to the north... , Traralgon Traralgon, Victoria Traralgon is a regional city located in the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Traralgon is a city within the City of Latrobe.... via FreewayPrinces Freeway The Princes Freeway is a , 2 section freeway, which links Melbourne to Geelong on the west and Morwell on the east . It continues beyond these extremities as the Princes Highway towards Adelaide to the west and Sydney to the east... Dandenong Dandenong, Victoria Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Situated on Dandenong Creek and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of... , Berwick Berwick, Victoria Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420.... Princes Highway Princes Highway The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway ....  |
38 | 36 | Berwick Berwick, Victoria Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420.... , Dandenong Dandenong, Victoria Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Situated on Dandenong Creek and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of... Princes Highway Princes Highway The Princes Highway extends from Sydney to Port Augusta via the coast through the states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, a distance of 1941 km or 1898 km via the former alignments of the highway .... |
| GIPPSLAND RAIL LINE Orbost railway line The Orbost railway line is a railway serving the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland regions of Victoria, Australia... |
39 | 35 | GIPPSLAND RAIL LINE Orbost railway line The Orbost railway line is a railway serving the Latrobe Valley and Gippsland regions of Victoria, Australia... |
| no exit | 41 | 33 | Narre Warren Narre Warren, Victoria Narre Warren is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 42 km south east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Narre Warren had a population of 25,667. Narre Warren has a population density of over 2000 people per square... , Mordialloc Mordialloc, Victoria Mordialloc is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 24 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Kingston... Pound Road  |
| Start South Gippsland Freeway continues from Westernport Highway Westernport Highway Westernport Highway / is a highway in Victoria, Australia, linking the south-eastern fringe of suburban Melbourne to the western coast of Western Port Bay, after which the highway is named, at the Port of Hastings nearly 30km to the south...  |
42 | 32 | Cranbourne Cranbourne, Victoria Cranbourne is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 43 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Cranbourne had a population of 14,750.... , Dandenong Dandenong, Victoria Dandenong is a suburb and major urban centre in metropolitan Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Situated on Dandenong Creek and mostly flat land at the foothills of Mount Dandenong, it is the main administrative centre for the City of... South Gippsland Highway South Gippsland Highway The South Gippsland Highway is a partially divided highway in Victoria, Australia which connects the city of Melbourne with the South Gippsland region of Victoria, ending in the town of Sale...  |
| End South Gippsland Freeway continues as Westernport Highway Westernport Highway Westernport Highway / is a highway in Victoria, Australia, linking the south-eastern fringe of suburban Melbourne to the western coast of Western Port Bay, after which the highway is named, at the Port of Hastings nearly 30km to the south... to Hastings Hastings, Victoria Hastings is a suburb on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, as a part of the urban enclave on Westernport comprising Hastings, Bittern, Crib Point, Tyabb, and Somerville. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Mornington Peninsula... |
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See also
- Freeways in AustraliaFreeways in AustraliaThis is a list of freeways and motorways in Australia, sorted by states and territories and their corresponding routes. This list includes toll roads such as the CityLink freeway system in Melbourne. This list has over 70 entries...
- Freeways in Melbourne
- Road transport in Victoria