Airport Drive (Melbourne)

Last updated

Airport Drive

Australia Victoria metropolitan Melbourne location map.svg
Red pog.svg
North end
Red pog.svg
South end
Coordinates
General information
TypeHighway
Length5.7 km (3.5 mi) [1]
Opened1997–2015
Major junctions
North endGrants Road
Melbourne Airport
 
South endWestfield Drive
Tullamarine, Melbourne
Location(s)
Major suburbs Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine
Highway system

Airport Drive is a 5.7 kilometre highway in Melbourne, Australia, linking Centre Road at Melbourne Airport with the M80 Ring Road at Airport West. This road is an important thoroughfare for the adjacent Melbourne Airport Business Park along South Centre Road, and acts as an alternative access road to Tullamarine Freeway.

Contents

Route

Airport Drive starts at the intersection of Grants and Centre Road at Melbourne Airport, just south of Terminal 4, running east as a four-lane, dual-carriageway road past the Long Term Parking lot, turning south-east past more car parks and Airport service companies, before turning south along a wide alignment (to incorporate a future railway link to the airport) to the intersection with Sharps Road, then through the Tullamarine Park industrial area to terminate at the Western Ring Road; Westfield Drive continues past the interchange over the Albion–Jacana railway line to link to the Westfield Airport West shopping centre just under a kilometre away.

History

Airport Drive originally opened to traffic between Sharps Road and the Western Ring Road in May 1997.

The passing of the Road Management Act 2004 [2] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads: in 2004, VicRoads declared Airport Connection Road (Freeway #1280) from Western Ring Road in Tullamarine to Sharps Road in Tullamarine; [3] the declaration formally makes this section a freeway; signposts along this section have also kept their original name.

In July 2013, construction began on an extension from Sharps Road to the intersection of Melrose Drive and Mercer Drive, Melbourne Airport. Airport Drive Extension opened to traffic on 28 June 2015, at a cost of $100 million, with the existing Melrose Drive roadway between Mercer Drive and Centre Road subsumed into Airport Drive. [4] [5] As part of the extension project, Link Road was realigned to form a new traffic-light intersection at Airport Drive, with through traffic connecting to Watson Drive and Melrose Drive. The extension is not part of VicRoads' freeway declaration and presently remains undeclared.

Intersections

LGALocation [1] [3] km [1] miDestinationsNotes
Hume Melbourne Airport 0.00.0Western Australia MR-SM-11.svg Grants RoadContinues west as Grants Road
Western Australia MR-SM-11.svg Centre RoadTraffic light intersection
0.60.37Western Australia MR-SM-11.svg Naarm Way, to T4 Transport Hub access roadNo southbound access
0.70.43AUS Alphanumeric Route M2.svg Tullamarine Freeway (M2 east)  Docklands, Port Melbourne
Western Australia MR-SM-11.svg Apac Drive (west)
Traffic light intersection
1.30.81Western Australia MR-SM-11.svg Francis Briggs Drive (west)
Mercer Drive (east)
Roundabout; no access to Mercer Drive
2.51.6Western Australia MR-SM-11.svg Link Road, to Melrose Drive  Tullamarine Traffic light intersection
3.01.9Sky RoadNorthbound entrance and exit only
HumeBrimbank boundary Melbourne AirportTullamarine boundary4.12.5Australian state route 39.svg Sharps Road (Metro Route 39)  Keilor Park, Gladstone Park, Mickleham Traffic light intersection
Brimbank Tullamarine 5.73.5AUS Alphanumeric Route M80.svg Western Ring Road (M80)  Laverton North, Thomastown Dogbone interchange
Westfield Drive  Airport West Continues east as Westfield Drive

See also

Australia road sign W5-29.svg   Australian Roadsportal

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tullamarine, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Tullamarine is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 14 km (8.7 mi) north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Cities of Brimbank, Hume and Merri-bek local government areas. Tullamarine recorded a population of 6,733 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CityLink</span> Tollway network in Melbourne, Australia

CityLink is a network of tollways in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, linking the Tullamarine, West Gate and Monash Freeways and incorporating Bolte Bridge, Burnley Tunnel and other works. In 1996, Transurban was awarded the contract to augment two existing freeways and construct two new toll roads – labelled the Western and Southern Links– directly linking a number of existing freeways to provide a continuous, high-capacity road route to, and around, the central business district. CityLink uses a free-flow tolling electronic toll collection system, called e-TAG. CityLink is currently maintained by Lendlease Services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Airport, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Melbourne Airport is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 19 km (12 mi) north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Hume local government area. Melbourne Airport recorded a population of 64 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoddle Highway</span> Highway in Melbourne, Victoria

Hoddle Highway is an urban highway in Melbourne linking CityLink and the Eastern Freeway, itself a sub-section of Hoddle Main Road. Both these names are not widely known to most drivers, as the entire allocation is still best known as by the names of its constituent parts: Hoddle Street, Punt Road and Barkly Street. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion, as well to avoid confusion between declarations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tullamarine Freeway</span>

The Tullamarine Freeway, is a major urban freeway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, linking Melbourne Airport to the Melbourne City Centre. It carries up to 210,000 vehicles per day and is one of Australia's busiest freeways. The entire stretch of the Tullamarine Freeway bears the designation M2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monash Freeway</span> Freeway in Victoria, Australia

The Monash Freeway is a major urban freeway in Victoria, Australia, linking Melbourne's CBD to its south-eastern suburbs and beyond to the Gippsland region. It carries up to 180,000 vehicles per day and is one of Australia's busiest freeways. The entire stretch of the Monash Freeway bears the designation M1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calder Highway</span> Highway in Victoria

Calder Highway is a rural highway in Australia, linking Mildura and the Victoria/New South Wales border to Bendigo, in North Central Victoria. South of Bendigo, where the former highway has been upgraded to freeway-standard, Calder Freeway links to Melbourne, subsuming former alignments of Calder Highway; the Victorian Government completed the conversion to freeway standard from Melbourne to Bendigo on 20 April 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mornington Peninsula Freeway</span>

The Mornington Peninsula Freeway is a freeway in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, that provides a link from south-eastern suburban Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula. Whilst the entire freeway from Dingley Village to Rosebud is declared by VicRoads as the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, the section between EastLink in Carrum Downs and Moorooduc Highway in Moorooduc is locally and commonly known as Peninsula Link. The entire freeway corridor bears the designation M11.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western Highway (Victoria)</span> Highway in Victoria

The Western Highway is the Victorian part of the principal route linking the Australian cities of Melbourne and Adelaide, with a length of approximately 258 kilometres (160 mi) of single carriageway, then 161 kilometres (100 mi) of dual carriageway known as the Western Freeway. It is a part of the National Highway network and designated routes A8 and M8. The western end continues into South Australia as the Dukes Highway, the next section of the Melbourne–Adelaide National Highway. The Western Freeway joins Melbourne's freeway network via the Western Ring Road, in the western suburbs of Melbourne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gowanbrae, Victoria</span> Suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Gowanbrae is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km (8.1 mi) north-west of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Merri-bek local government area. Gowanbrae recorded a population of 2,971 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mickleham Road</span> Road in Victoria, Australia

Mickleham Road is a secondary road located in Victoria, Australia, north of Melbourne.

Westall Road is a major north to south thoroughfare west of Springvale, Victoria, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greensborough Highway</span>

Greensborough Highway is a highway in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, and is an important route for north-east Melbourne. This name is not widely known to most drivers, as the entire allocation is still best known as by the names of its constituent parts: Lower Heidelberg Road, Rosanna Road, Lower Plenty Road, Greensborough Road and Greensborough Bypass. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion, as well to avoid confusion between declarations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Alexander Road</span> Road in Melbourne, Victoria

Mount Alexander Road is a major road in Melbourne's inner northern suburbs, connecting the northern edges of the city district to just south of Essendon Airport. It was named after its original destination: the Gold Fields of Mount Alexander, now known as Castlemaine.

Western Port Highway is a highway in Victoria, Australia, linking the south-eastern fringe of suburban Melbourne to the western coast of Western Port, after which the highway is named, at the Port of Hastings nearly 30 km to the south. It runs from the end of South Gippsland Freeway at Lynbrook, firstly as a dual carriageway and later as an undivided road, to Frankston-Flinders Road at Hastings.

Yarra Bank Highway is a short urban highway in central Melbourne, Australia. It runs parallel to the Yarra River and provides an important alternate route to CityLink's Domain and Burnley Tunnels, used by trucks carrying hazardous loads prohibited from the tunnels, and provides another route when the tunnels are closed for maintenance. Prior to the construction of CityLink, the highway provided the main link between the Monash Freeway and the West Gate Freeway. It is known along its route as Power Street, City Road, Alexandra Avenue and Olympic Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State (Bell/Springvale) Highway</span> Highway in Melbourne, Victoria

State (Bell/Springvale) Highway, also known as Bell Street/Springvale Road State Highway, is the longest self-contained urban highway in Melbourne, Australia, linking Tullamarine Freeway and Nepean Highway through Melbourne's north-eastern suburbs. These names are not widely known to most drivers, as the entire allocation is still best known as by the names of its constituent parts : Bell Street, Banksia Street, Manningham Road, Williamsons Road, Doncaster Road, Mitcham Road, Springvale Road and Edithvale Road. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completeness, as well to avoid confusion between declarations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M80 Ring Road</span> Freeway in Melbourne, Australia

The M80 Ring Road is a partially complete urban freeway ring road around Melbourne, Australia. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion, as well to avoid confusion between declarations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doncaster–Eltham Road</span>

Doncaster–Eltham Road is a major arterial road in the north-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. This name is not widely known to most drivers, as the entire allocation is still best known as by the names of its constituent parts: Fitzsimons Lane and Williamsons Road. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion, as well to avoid confusion between declarations.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Google (4 June 2017). "Airport Drive" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 4 June 2017.
  2. State Government of Victoria. "Road Management Act 2004" (PDF). Government of Victoria. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 October 2021. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A) 2015" (PDF). Government of Victoria. p. 19. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  4. "VicRoads Annual Report 2014-15". VicRoads . Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 3 September 2015. p. 13.
  5. Choahan, Neelima (29 June 2015). "Melbourne Airport Drive extension opened". The Age . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 4 June 2017.