Nepean Highway

Last updated

Nepean Highway

St Kilda Road, Brighton Road, Point Nepean Road

Nepean Hwy at Dromana.jpg
Point Nepean Road in Dromana
Nepeanhwy.png
Route of the Nepean Highway between Melbourne and Portsea
General information
TypeHighway
Length90.6 km (56 mi) [1]
Route number(s)
  • Australian state route 3.svg Metro Route 3 (1965–present)
    (St Kilda–Mornington)
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route B110.svg B110 (1998–present)
    (Mornington–Sorrento)
  • Concurrencies:
  • Australian state route 25.svg Metro Route 25 (1965–present)
    (through Elsternwick)
  • Australian state route 19.svg Metro Route 19 (1965–present)
    (through Brighton East)
  • Australian state route 10.svg Metro Route 10 (1965–present)
    (through Mentone)
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route C787.svg C787 (1998–present)
    (Tuerong–Dromana)
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route C788.svg C788 (1998–present)
    (Dromana–Safety Beach)
Former
route number
Australian state route 3.svg Metro Route 3 (1965–1998)
(Mornington–Point Nepean)
Major junctions
North endAustralian state route 3.svg St Kilda Road
St Kilda, Melbourne
 
South end Point Nepean National Park
Portsea, Victoria
Location(s)
Major settlements Elsternwick, Moorabbin, Cheltenham, Mordialloc, Chelsea, Carrum, Seaford, Frankston, Mount Eliza, Mornington, Dromana, Rosebud, Sorrento
Highway system

Nepean Highway is a major highway in Victoria, running south from St Kilda Junction in inner-southern Melbourne to Portsea, tracing close to the eastern shore of Port Phillip for the majority of its length. It is the primary road route from central Melbourne through Melbourne's southern suburbs. This name covers a few consecutive roads and is not widely known to most drivers except for its central section, as the entire allocation is still best known by the names of its constituent parts: St Kilda Road , Brighton Road and Nepean Highway proper, [2] and Point Nepean Road. [3] This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion, as well to avoid confusion between declarations.

Contents

Route

St Kilda Junction to Mornington

Historically starting at the Melbourne CBD at Princes Bridge as St Kilda Road and heading south through the Melbourne Arts Precinct, today Nepean Highway is declared to commence at St Kilda Junction as St Kilda Road and heads in a southerly direction until it reaches the intersection with Carlisle Street (prior to the widening in the late 1960s this section was formerly known as High Street [4] ), where it changes name to Brighton Road and heads in a south-easterly direction until it reaches the intersection with Glen Huntly Road in Elsternwick, where it changes name again to become Nepean Highway proper. Tram route 67 runs down the middle of the highway until it turns into Glen Huntly Road. In 1984 conversion of the seven kilometre section between Cochrane Street, Elsternwick and South Road, Moorabbin to a dual carriageway was completed. [5] At Glen Huntly Road, the speed limit increases to 80 km/h and the road widens to become an eight-lane dual carriageway. It is reduced to six lanes at Moorabbin, passing through Cheltenham and Mentone, and then to the 60 km/h or 70 km/h four-lane single carriageway after the roundabouts at Mordialloc. The highway then travels virtually along the foreshore of Port Phillip Bay to Frankston, with several stretches of dual carriageway, and then up Olivers Hill, from which there are good views across Frankston and the bay.

Mornington Peninsula

In the late 1960s a bypass road was constructed in the suburb of Mount Eliza. Previously the highway travelled through the main shopping village: this section is now known as Mount Eliza Way.

After passing through Mount Martha, the highway runs parallel to the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, before turning toward the town of Dromana. Here the highway changes name again, to become Point Nepean Road, its former name in the early years of settlement. From here, Arthurs Seat is accessible, which gives views across the bay, and on a clear day, the skyscrapers of Melbourne are visible. Anthonys Nose is a point, or escarpment located on the southern shore of Port Phillip Bay, between Dromana and McCrae. The highway passes between "The Nose" and the shores of the bay. It was named by Charles La Trobe in 1839. In the 1920s "The Nose" was modified in order to combat the daily tides that blocked the highway.

Route B110 leaves the highway at Sorrento to cross the bay to Queenscliff, via the ferry where it continues to Geelong, via Bellarine Highway, but the highway continues as a two lane road down to the seaside resort of Portsea. The end of the highway is the very nondescript painted turning circle, before the gates of the former Commonwealth quarantine and defence station of Point Nepean, a humble ending to Melbourne's main southern highway.

History

Originally known as Arthurs Seat Road, it was built in the 1850s to provide a road (originally a crude sandy track) from the farms (owned by Jude Roberts) south of Melbourne and link the city with its southern bay settlements and sea defences at Point Nepean.

The passing of the Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924 [6] 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). Nepean Highway was declared a State Highway in the 1947/48 financial year, [7] from Glenhuntly Road in Elsternwick via Frankston to Portsea (for a total of 55 miles); before this declaration, the road was referred to as Point Nepean Road. [8] It was named after Point Nepean, itself named after the British politician and Colonial Administrator, Sir Evan Nepean, 1st Baronet PC.

Nepean Highway was signed as Metropolitan Route 3 between Melbourne and Portsea in 1965; with Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, the southern half of the highway from Mornington to Sorrento was replaced by route B110, which continues on the other side of the bay at Queenscliff to run along Bellarine Highway until Geelong.

The passing of the Transport Act of 1983 [9] (itself an evolution from the original Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924) updated the provision for the declaration of State Highways through VicRoads. Point Nepean Road was declared a Tourist Toad in May 1991, [10] between Marine Drive in Dromana and the end of the road in Portsea; however the road was still known (and signposted) as Nepean Highway.

The passing of the Road Management Act 2004 [11] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads: in 2004, VicRoads re-declared the road as Nepean Highway (Arterial #6660), beginning at St Kilda Road at St Kilda (this declaration formally includes today's St Kilda Road from St Kilda Junction and Brighton Road, but signposts along this section have kept its original name) and ending at Mornington-Flinders Road (sign-posted as Nepean Highway) in Dromana (better known as the Mount Martha interchange with the Mornington Peninsula Freeway), [2] and the renaming of Nepean Highway as Point Nepean Road (Arterial #4034) between Mornington-Dromana Road (known as Marine Drive) between Dromana and the end of the road in Portsea. [3] The remnant between the intersection with Marine Parade and the Mount Martha interchange with the Mornington Peninsula Freeway have been declared as Bittern-Dromana Road (Arterial #5754) between Marine Parade and Bittern-Dromana Road proper, [12] and Mornington-Flinders Road (Arterial #5751) between Mornington-Flinders Road proper and the Mount Martha interchange; [13] these sections are still sign-posted as Nepean Highway.

Between the 1950s and about 1980, the road was progressively upgraded to a divided highway between the City and Mordialloc. From Mordialloc to Frankston, the highway is an undivided four lane road. The widening of the Mordialloc Bridge, [14] the last section of less than four lanes, was completed in early 2009.

Possible future north–south connection

Transurban, in their Response to the Eddington Report, July 2008, [15] believe a north–south corridor from the Hume Freeway and Metropolitan Ring Road to the Nepean Highway south of Glen Huntly Road, Elsternwick, generally via the Hoddle Highway corridor, deserves attention.[ needs update ]

This alignment would follow the original F2 Freeway corridor as proposed in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan.

Major intersections and towns

LGALocationkmmiDestinationsNotes
Port Phillip St Kilda 0.00.0Australian state route 3.svg St Kilda Road (Metro Route 3) – City Northern terminus of Nepean Highway
Metro Route 3 continues northwest along St Kilda Road
Australian state route 29.svg Punt Road (Metro Route 29 north) South Yarra, Clifton Hill, Epping
Australian national route ALT1.svg Queens Way (Alt National Route 1)  Caulfield, Oakleigh, Dandenong Eastbound entrance only
0.10.062 Fitzroy Street   St Kilda, to Australian national route ALT1.svg Queens Road westbound – Melbourne CBD
0.20.12Australian state route 29.svg Barkly Street (Metro Route 29 south)  St Kilda, Elwood
1.40.87Carlisle Street  St Kilda, Caulfield North Southern end of St Kilda Road, northern end of Brighton Road
RipponleaElwood boundary2.51.6Australian state route 22.svg Glen Eira Road (Metro Route 22)  Caulfield, Oakleigh, Ferntree Gully
Port PhillipGlen Eira boundary RipponleaElsternwickElwoodBrighton quadripoint3.32.1Australian state route 25.svg Hotham Street (Metro Route 25 north) Prahran Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 25
3.42.1Glen Huntly Road  Elwood, Glenhuntly Southern end of Brighton Road, northern end of Nepean Highway
Glen EiraBayside boundary BrightonElsternwick boundary3.72.3Australian state route 25.svg Rusden Street (Metro Route 25 south), to Australian state route 25.svg New Street  Hampton Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 25
GardenvaleBrighton EastBrighton tripoint5.43.4Australian state route 18.svg North Road (Metro Route 18)  Brighton, Clayton, Rowville
Bayside Brighton East 7.34.5Australian state route 19.svg Hawthorn Road (Metro Route 19)  Malvern, Hawthorn Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 19
7.54.7Australian state route 16.svg Centre Road (Metro Route 16 east)  Brighton, Bentleigh, Springvale
Glen EiraBayside boundary BentleighBrighton East boundary8.85.5Australian state route 19.svg Cummins Road (Metro Route 19)  Black Rock Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 19
BentleighMoorabbinHampton EastBrighton East quadripoint9.96.2Australian state route 14.svg South Road (Metro Route 14)  Brighton, Moorabbin
Kingston HighettCheltenham boundary13.08.1Bay Road (west)  Sandringham, Westfield Southland
Karen Street (east)  Highett, Westfield Southland
Cheltenham 13.78.5Chesterville Road (north)  Bentleigh East, Westfield Southland
Charman Road (south)  Cheltenham
14.18.8Western Australia MR-SM-11.svg Centre Dandenong Road (east)  Dingley Village, Moorabbin Airport
Park Road (west)  Cheltenham
Mentone 16.110.0Australian state route 10.svg Balcombe Road (Metro Route 10 west)  Black Rock Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 10
16.210.1Australian state route 15.svg Warrigal Road (Metro Route 15)  Parkdale, Oakleigh, Surrey Hills
16.510.3Australian state route 10.svg Lower Dandenong Road (Metro Route 10 east)  Dandenong Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 10
Mordialloc 19.712.2Australian state route 33.svg Beach Road (Metro Route 33)  Black Rock, Brighton, Port Melbourne
Edithvale 23.514.6Australian state route 40.svg Edithvale Road (Metro Route 40)  Springvale, Glen Waverley, Donvale
Chelsea 25.015.5Thames Promenade  Chelsea
Carrum 27.917.3Australian state route 6.svg McLeod Road (Metro Route 6)  Patterson Lakes, Cranbourne North, Clyde North
Frankston Seaford 31.719.7Seaford Road  Seaford
Frankston 34.921.7Australian state route 9.svg Fletcher Road (Metro Route 9)  Carrum Downs, Dandenong
35.722.2Australian state route 4.svgAustralian Tourist Drive 12.svg Davey Street (Metro Route 4/Tourist Route 12)  Cranbourne, Hastings
Mornington Peninsula Mornington 47.829.7AUS Alphanumeric Route C782.svg Mornington-Tyabb Road (C782)  Mornington, Tyabb Southern terminus of Metro Route 3, northern terminus of route B110
Mount MarthaTuerong boundary56.335.0AUS Alphanumeric Route M11.svg Mornington Peninsula Freeway (M11)  Portsea, City
Dromana 60.537.6AUS Alphanumeric Route C787.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route C788.svg White Hill Road (C787/C788)  Red Hill, Flinders, Bittern Moats Corner intersection
DromanaSafety Beach boundary62.338.7AUS Alphanumeric Route M11.svg Mornington Peninsula Freeway (M11)  Portsea, City
63.539.5AUS Alphanumeric Route C783.svg Marine Drive (C783)  Mount Martha, Mornington Southern terminus of Nepean Highway
Northern terminus of Point Nepean Road
Dromana 64.940.3AUS Alphanumeric Route C789.svg McCulloch Street (C789), to AUS Alphanumeric Route C789.svg Arthurs Seat Road  Arthurs Seat, Red Hill
Rosebud 71.844.6AUS Alphanumeric Route C777.svg Boneo Road (C777)  Flinders, Cape Schanck
Capel Sound 73.445.6AUS Alphanumeric Route C776.svg Elizabeth Avenue (C776), to AUS Alphanumeric Route C776.svg Eastbourne Road  Rosebud
Sorrento 86.053.4AUS Alphanumeric Route B110.svg Esplanade (B110)  Sorrento Route B110 continues north along Esplanade,
then via Queenscliff–Sorrento Ferry to Bellarine Highway, Queenscliff
Portsea 90.656.3 Point Nepean National Park Southern terminus of Point Nepean Road
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mornington Peninsula</span> Peninsula and region of Victoria, Australia

The Mornington Peninsula is a peninsula located south of Melbourne, 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 from the mainland in the area between Pearcedale and an area north of Frankston. The area was originally home to the Mayone-bulluk and Boonwurrung-Balluk clans, and formed part of the Boonwurrung nation's territory prior to European settlement.

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

Carrum Downs is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 36 km south-east of Melbourne's Central Business District, located within the City of Frankston local government area. Carrum Downs recorded a population of 21,976 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mornington Peninsula Freeway</span> Freeway in south-eastern Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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">Frankston Freeway</span> Freeway in Victoria

Frankston Freeway is a short freeway in southern Melbourne initially designed as a bypass of central Frankston and later incorporated a freeway-style upgrade to Wells Road in the 1970s, now acting as a link from suburban Melbourne to Frankston's eastern suburbs.

Moorooduc Highway is a 16 km highway which runs from Frankston to Tuerong and, together with the Mornington Peninsula Freeway, was part of the main route from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula until the completion of Peninsula Link in 2013. 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: McMahons Road, Frankston–Flinders Road, and Moorooduc Road.

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

The Dandenong Valley Highway is an urban highway stretching almost 40 kilometres from Bayswater in Melbourne's eastern suburbs to Frankston in the south. This name covers many consecutive streets and is not widely known to most drivers, as the entire allocation is still best known as by the names of its constituent parts: Stud Road, Foster Street, Dandenong-Frankston Road, Dandenong Road West and Fletcher Road. 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">Bellarine Highway</span>

The Bellarine Highway is a main arterial highway that runs east from Geelong in Victoria along the Bellarine Peninsula to Queenscliff. The highway also provides the main route to Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, localities along the southern coast of the peninsula.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dingley Arterial Project</span> Road in Melbourne, Australia

The Dingley Arterial Road Project is a partially completed arterial standard road which runs east to west through the southern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

Thompson Road is a major urban arterial road in the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

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.

Warrigal Road is a major inner urban road in southeastern Melbourne, Australia. On weekdays, it is heavily trafficked as it runs through many major suburbs along its route, traversing some of Melbourne's eastern and south-eastern suburbs. These suburbs include Chadstone, Oakleigh, and Cheltenham. The Chadstone Shopping Centre can be accessed directly from Warrigal Road at its eastern entrance.

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 (Lower Dandenong/Cheltenham) Highway</span>

State Highway, also known as Lower Dandenong/Cheltenham State Highway, is an 12.5 km stretch of continuous road in the southeastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia. 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: Lower Dandenong Road, Cheltenham Road, and Foster 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">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">Beach Road, Melbourne</span> Road in Melbourne, Victoria

Beach Road is a coastal suburban road in Melbourne, Australia that runs along the northeastern shore of Port Phillip Bay, from Bay Street in Port Melbourne to its southern point in Mordialloc. This name covers many consecutive streets and is not widely known to most drivers except for the southernmost section, as the entire allocation is still best known as by the names of its constituent parts: Beach Street, Beaconsfield Parade, Jacka Boulevard, Marine Parade, Ormond Esplanade, St Kilda Street, Esplanade and Beach Road proper. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Port Phillip</span> Bay in Victoria, Australia

Port Phillip, sometimes referred to as Port Phillip Bay, is a large bay in southern Victoria, Australia, 1,930 km2 in area, with a coastline length of 264 km (164 mi). The bay is extremely shallow for its size, but mostly navigable. The deepest portion is only 24 m (80 ft), and half the region is shallower than 8 m. Its volume is around 25 km3. The city of Melbourne is located at its northern end, near the mouth of the Yarra River.

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

Doncaster–Mordialloc Road is a major arterial road through the eastern and south-eastern suburbs of 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: Victoria Street, Wetherby Road, Middleborough Road, Stephensons Road, Clayton Road and Boundary Road. This article will deal with the entire length of the corridor for sake of completion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay Trail (Australia)</span> Shared use path in Melbourne, Australia

The Bay Trail is a shared use path for cyclists and pedestrians which follows the coastline of Port Phillip Bay through the south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

References

  1. Google (13 October 2021). "Nepean Highway" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A) 2015" (PDF). Government of Victoria. pp. 1009–11. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  3. 1 2 VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A) 2015" (PDF). Government of Victoria. p. 805. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  4. Metropolitan Town Planning Commission Report 1929 Plan for General Development Melbourne available from https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/policy-and-strategy/planning-for-melbourne/melbournes-strategic-planning-history/plan-for-general-development-1929, p86 (direct ref https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/101514/Part-3.pdf)
  5. Nepean Highway Australian Transport December 1984 page 14
  6. State of Victoria, An Act to make further provision with respect to Highways and Country Roads Motor Cars and Traction Engines and for other purposes 30 December 1924
  7. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Thirty-Fifth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1948". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 1 November 1948. p. 7.
  8. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Twenty-Sixth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1939". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 10 November 1939. pp. 93–4.
  9. State of Victoria, An Act to Re-enact with Amendments the Law relating to Transport including the Law with respect to Railways, Roads and Tramways... 23 June 1983
  10. "Victorian Government Gazette". State Library of Victoria. 22 May 1991. pp. 1341–2. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  11. 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.
  12. VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A) 2015" (PDF). Government of Victoria. p. 712. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  13. VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A) 2015" (PDF). Government of Victoria. p. 710. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  14. Nepean Highway Mordialloc Creek Bridge, Mordialloc, VicRoads Archived 23 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  15. Response to the Eddington Report,[ dead link ] July 2008