Bass Highway | |
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Bass Highway as it passes through Kilcunda | |
Coordinates | |
General information | |
Type | Highway |
Length | 87 km (54 mi) [1] |
Route number(s) |
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Former route number |
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Major junctions | |
West end | ![]() Lang Lang, Victoria |
East end | ![]() Leongatha, Victoria |
Location(s) | |
Major settlements | Grantville, Kilcunda, Inverloch |
Highway system | |
The Bass Highway [2] [3] is an 87 kilometre highway in Victoria, Australia, branching off the South Gippsland Highway at the township of Lang Lang and running south, along the eastern shore of Western Port, to Anderson (and the turn-off to Phillip Island). The Bass Highway continues easterly to Kilcunda, Wonthaggi and Inverloch, then turns north-easterly to rejoin the South Gippsland Highway at Leongatha. It was named due to its proximity to the Bass Strait.
The passing of the Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924 [4] through the Parliament of Victoria provided for the declaration of State Highways, roads two-thirds financed by the State government through the Country Roads Board (later VicRoads). The Bass Highway was declared a State Highway in the 1947/48 financial year, [5] from the South Gippsland Highway near Nyora via Anderson, and Dalyston to Wonthaggi (for a total of 30 miles); before this declaration, the roads were referred to as (Main) Coast Road, Anderson–Dalyston Road and Dalyston–Wonthaggi Road. [6] In the 1959/60 financial year, another section from Wonthaggi to Inverloch was added, [7] along the former Inverloch-Wonthaggi Road. [7] With the passing of the Transport Act of 1983 [8] (itself an evolution from the original Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924), it was extended east along the former Inverloch-Leongatha Road to Leongatha in December 1990. [9]
The Bass Highway was signed as State Route 181 between Lang Lang and Wonthaggi in 1986, [10] later extended with the road to Leongatha in 1990. With Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, this was replaced by route M420 between Lang Lang and Grantville, A420 between Grantville and the Phillip Island turn-off at Anderson, and B460 between Anderson and Leongatha. A duplication project improving the quality of the road upgraded the A420 allocation to M420 in 2013, now running the entire way between Lang Lang and a new link road to Phillip Island in south-western Bass. [11]
The passing of the Road Management Act 2004 [12] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads: in 2004, VicRoads re-declared the road as Bass Highway (Arterial #6710) between South Gippsland Highway in Lang Lang and Leongatha. [13]
A project to duplicate the Bass Highway from Lang Lang to Anderson (east of Phillip Island) commenced in the late 1990s, addressing the high traffic demand of the route and recent crash history. It was constructed in seven stages, with Stage 7 of the project from Woolmer Road to Phillip Island Road completed in 2013.
The benefits of this project include:
The project was completed in 2013. [11]
LGA | Location [1] [13] | km [1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
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Cardinia | Lang Lang | 0.0 | 0.0 | ![]() ![]() | Combined partial Y interchange and at-grade intersection for complete access Western terminus of highway, route M420 continues north along South Gippsland Highway |
Bass Coast | The Gurdies | 9.9 | 6.2 | Gurdies–St Helier Road – Woodleigh | |
Grantville | 15.0 | 9.3 | Grantville–Glen Alvie Road (east) – Grantville Pier Road (west) – Kernot, Almurta | Traffic light intersection | |
Corinella–Glen Forbes boundary | 19.1 | 11.9 | ![]() Glen Forbes Road (east) – Glen Forbes | ||
Bass | 28.8 | 17.9 | ![]() | Partial Y interchange: south-westbound exit and north-westbound entrance only Route transition: southern terminus of route M420, northern terminus of route B460 | |
Anderson | 31.0 | 19.3 | ![]() | Roundabout | |
Wonthaggi | 47.9 | 29.8 | ![]() | ||
48.3 | 30.0 | Graham Street (west), to ![]() McKenzie Street (south) – Wonthaggi | Roundabout | ||
Inverloch | 59.9 | 37.2 | ![]() | ||
60.9 | 37.8 | ![]() ![]() | Roundabout | ||
South Gippsland | Leongatha | 86.4 | 53.7 | ![]() | Roundabout |
![]() | Eastern terminus of highway; route B460 continues east along Strzelecki Highway | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Gippsland is a rural region that makes up the southeastern part of Victoria, Australia, mostly comprising the coastal plains to the rainward (southern) side of the Victorian Alps. It covers an elongated area of 41,556 km2 (16,045 sq mi) located further east of the Shire of Cardinia between Dandenong Ranges and Mornington Peninsula, and is bounded to the north by the mountain ranges and plateaus/highlands of the High Country, to the southwest by the Western Port Bay, to the south and east by the Bass Strait and the Tasman Sea, and to the east and northeast by the Black–Allan Line.
The Bass Coast Shire is a local government area in Victoria, Australia, located in the southeastern part of the state. It covers an area of 866 square kilometres (334 sq mi) and in June 2018 had a population of 35,327. It includes the towns of Bass, Cape Paterson, Cape Woolamai, Corinella, Coronet Bay, Cowes, Inverloch, Kilcunda, Lang Lang, Newhaven, Rhyll, San Remo, Summerlands and Wonthaggi as well as the historic locality of Krowera. It also includes the popular tourist destination Phillip Island. It was formed in 1994 from the amalgamation of the Shire of Bass, Shire of Phillip Island, Borough of Wonthaggi, parts of the Shire of Woorayl, Shire of Korumburra and City of Cranbourne.
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. The highway begins at Lonsdale Street, Dandenong. At the Greens Road intersection, it adopts Metropolitan Route 12 until Pound Road, then continues until the South Gippsland Freeway / Western Port Highway interchange where it becomes the M420. The M420 continues through Cranbourne and Koo Wee Rup until the Bass Highway turnoff, at which point the road is then designated A440 onwards to Sale. From the Bass Highway junction, the highway is undivided. The South Gippsland Highway is the gateway from Melbourne to many attractions including Wilsons Promontory and Phillip Island as well as being an important road for farmers in Gippsland.
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.
Inverloch is a seaside town in Victoria, Australia. It is 143 kilometres (89 mi) south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland Highway on the Bass Highway in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland. Known originally for the calm waters of Anderson Inlet, it is now also known for the discovery of Australia's first dinosaur bone.
Leongatha is a town in the foothills of the Strzelecki Ranges, South Gippsland Shire, Victoria, Australia, located 135 kilometres (84 mi) south-east of Melbourne. At the 2021 census, Leongatha had a population of 5,869.
Wonthaggi is a seaside town located 132 kilometres (82 mi) south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for its coal mining, it is now the largest town in South Gippsland, a regional area with extensive tourism, beef and dairy industries.
Kilcunda is a seaside town located 117 kilometres (73 mi) south east of Melbourne between Phillip Island and Wonthaggi near Dalyston via the South Gippsland Highway on the Bass Highway, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally as a train station near Wonthaggi, it is now the location of a very popular swimming hole at the Bourne Creek Trestle Bridge and at the 2016 census, Kilcunda had a population of 578.
Lang Lang is a town in Victoria, Australia, 73 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shires of Bass Coast, Cardinia and South Gippsland local government areas. Lang Lang recorded a population of 2,556 at the 2021 census.
The Great Southern Rail Trail is a 109-kilometre rail trail from Nyora to Welshpool in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Sections of the trail are flat or gently undulating trail through lush dairy farmland, areas of remnant bush and lowland scrub. There is a big climb on the section between Loch and Leongatha. The section between Fish Creek and Foster climbs past Mount Hoddle and goes through dense forest with occasional magnificent views of Wilsons Promontory and Corner Inlet.
The South Gippsland railway line is a partially closed railway line in Victoria, Australia. It was first opened in 1892, branching from the Orbost line at Dandenong, and extending to Port Albert. Much of it remained open until December 1994. Today, only the section between Dandenong and Cranbourne remains open for use. The section of the line from Nyora to Leongatha was used by the South Gippsland Tourist Railway until it ceased operations in 2016. The section from Nyora to Welshpool, with extension trail to Port Welshpool and a portion of the former line at Koo Wee Rup, have been converted into the Great Southern Rail Trail.
The electoral district of Bass is one of the electoral districts of Victoria, Australia, for the Victorian Legislative Assembly. It covers an area of 1,358 square kilometres (524 sq mi) south east of Melbourne, stretching from the satellite suburb of Clyde through rural areas to the coast at Inverloch and Phillip Island. It includes the suburbs and towns of Bass, Cape Paterson, Clyde, Corinella, Cowes, Grantville, Inverloch, Kilcunda, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Pearcedale, Rhyll, San Remo, Tooradin, Ventnor and Wonthaggi. It lies within the Eastern Victoria Region of the upper house, the Legislative Council.
Leongatha is a railway station in the town of Leongatha, Victoria on the former South Gippsland railway line in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia.
The Wonthaggi railway line is a closed railway line located in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Its primary purpose was to serve the State Coal Mine but the line also provided passenger and general goods services. The line was opened in 1910 and closed in 1978.
Cape Paterson is a cape and seaside village located near the town of Wonthaggi, 132 kilometres (82 mi) south-east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally for the discovery of coal by William Hovell in 1826, it is now extremely popular for its beaches and rockpool and at the 2011 census, it had a population of 718.
Strzelecki Highway is a short 55 kilometre highway that connects the towns of Leongatha and Morwell. It was named after the Strzelecki Ranges, the set of low mountain ridges the road travels through.
The Shire of Bass was a local government area about 120 kilometres (75 mi) south-southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 526 square kilometres (203.1 sq mi), and existed from 1871 until 1994.
Nyora is a town in South Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, approximately 84 kilometres (52 mi) south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the Shires of Baw Baw, Cardinia and South Gippsland local government areas. Nyora recorded a population of 1,644 at the 2021 census.
The Shire of Woorayl was a local government area about 130 kilometres (81 mi) southeast of Melbourne, the state capital of Victoria, Australia. The shire covered an area of 1,245.79 square kilometres (481.0 sq mi), and existed from 1888 until 1994.
Dalyston is a seaside town located 125 kilometres (78 mi) south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. Known originally as a train station at Powlett River near Wonthaggi, it is now the location of the Victorian Desalination Plant, and at the 2011 census, it had a population of 606. It's Bass Coast’s fastest-growing suburb, with the 2011 census showing Dalyston’s population more than doubled from 278 residents in 2006 to 606 in 2011.