South Gippsland Highway

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South Gippsland Highway

Southern view from Koo Wee Rup Observation Tower - panoramio.jpg
General information
TypeHighway
Length256 km (159 mi) [1]
Opened1933
Route number(s)
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route M420.svg M420 (1998–present)
    (Lynbrook–Lang Lang)
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route A440.svg A440 (2003–present)
    (Lang Lang–Sale)
  • Concurrencies:
  • Australian state route 12.svg Metro Route 12 (1989–present)
    (through Dandenong South)
Former
route number
  • AUS Alphanumeric Route B440.svg B440 (1998–2003)
    (Lang Lang–Sale)
  • Australian state route 180.svg State Route 180 (1985–1998)
    Entire route
Major junctions
West endAustralian national route ALT1.svg Princes Highway
Dandenong South, Melbourne
 
East endAUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg Princes Highway
Sale, Victoria
Location(s)
Major settlements Cranbourne, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Korumburra, Leongatha, Foster, Yarram, Longford
Highway system

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 (Princes Highway), 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.

Contents

Route

The highway commences in Dandenong, branching from the Princes Highway, and heads in a general south-east direction at first. It is mostly a dual carriageway with two lanes in either direction, until the Bass Highway turnoff to Phillip Island, after which it is entirely an undivided highway. It passes through the Cranbourne area, and then through or close to the Gippsland towns of Tooradin, Koo Wee Rup, Lang Lang, Nyora, Korumburra, Leongatha, Foster, Welshpool and Yarram, before heading north to rejoin the Princes Highway at Sale.

History

The passing of the Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924 [2] 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 South Gippsland Highway was declared a State Highway in 1933, [3] cobbled together from roads between Dandenong and Nyora, and between Sale and Yarram (for a total of 83 miles); before this declaration, these roads were referred to as (Main) South Gippsland Road and Sale-Yarram Road. [4] In 1939, another section between Foster through Welshpool to Yarram was added, [5] along the former Foster-Yarram Road. [6] In the 1947/48 financial year, another section between Nyora via Korumburra and Leongatha to Meeniyan was added, [7] along the former Loch-Nyora Road, Bena-Korumburra Road and Korumburra-Leongatha Roads. [5] In the 1965/66 financial year, the last section between Meeniyan and Foster was added, [8] completing its present-day alignment at this stage.

Conversion to dual carriageways at the western end began in 1975, initially between the South Gippsland Freeway and Cranbourne; a distance of 17 km. [9] The final link in the duplication of the highway between the Princes Highway, Dandenong and Bass Highway opened in the early 1990s between Princes Highway and Pound Road. [10]

The South Gippsland Highway was signed as State Route 180 between Dandenong and Sale on 13 December 1985, the first road in Victoria signed with a State Route; [11] with Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, this was replaced by route M420 between Lynbrook and Lang Lang, and B440 between Lang Lang and Sale (which was upgraded to A440 when highway upgrades along South Gippsland Highway raised the quality of the road in 2003).

Timeline of upgrades and duplication

Level crossing elimination

The Gippsland railway line crossing just south of the intersection with Princes Highway in Dandenong South was removed in 3 August 2021. The contract was awarded in March 2020, [16] with construction starting in October 2020 [17] on a new road bridge over the rail line on an alignment just east of the original level crossing to a new intersection with Princes Highway; construction was completed and the new alignment was opened to traffic in 3 August 2021. [18]

Major intersections and towns

LGALocation [1] km [1] miDestinationsNotes
Greater Dandenong Dandenong South 00.0Australian national route ALT1.svg Princes Highway (National Alt Route 1)  Dandenong, Melbourne, Berwick, Warragul Western terminus of highway
0.10.062 Gippsland railway line
0.50.31 Dandenong Bypass   Keysborough, Moorabbin
1.81.1Australian state route 12.svg Greens Road (Metro Route 12)  Mordialloc, Keysborough Concurrency with Metro Route 12
3.32.1Australian state route 12.svg Pound Road (Metro Route 12 east)  Hampton Park, Narre Warren
Pound Road West (west)  Dandenong South
Dandenong South, Lynbrook, Hampton Park 4.52.8AUS Alphanumeric Route M420.svg South Gippsland Freeway (M420)  Chadstone, City
AUS Alphanumeric Route M780.svg Western Port Highway (M780)  Hastings, Flinders
Partial cloverleaf interchange; route M420 north and southeast from here
Casey Lynbrook 7.34.5 Hallam Road   Hampton Park, Hallam
Evans Road  Lyndhurst, Cranbourne West
Cranbourne North, Cranbourne 10.26.3Australian state route 6.svg Thompsons Road (Metro Route 6)  Carrum, Berwick
Cranbourne 13.88.6Australian state route 4.svgAUS Alphanumeric Route C407.svg Sladen Street (Mero Route 4 west, C407 east)  Frankston, Berwick
Cranbourne, Cranbourne East 14.89.2AUS Alphanumeric Route C404.svg Cameron Street (C404)  Narre Warren, Belgrave, Lilydale
Devon Meadows, Clyde 20.112.5AUS Alphanumeric Route C778.svg Clyde-Five Ways Road (C778 north)  Clyde, Berwick
Fisheries Road (south)  Cannons Creek, Pearcedale
Tooradin, Devon Meadows, Blind Bight 24.715.3AUS Alphanumeric Route C781.svg Baxter-Tooradin Road (C781)  Baxter, Pearcedale Roundabout
Tooradin 31.419.5Dalmore Road  Cardinia
Cardinia Koo Wee Rup 36.422.6AUS Alphanumeric Route C421.svg Rossiter Road (C421)  Koo Wee Rup, Longwarry, to AUS Alphanumeric Route C422.svg Koo Wee Rup Road (C422)  Pakenham Roundabout
38.924.2AUS Alphanumeric Route C419.svg Sybella Avenue (C419)  Koo Wee Rup
Lang Lang 45.928.5AUS Alphanumeric Route C429.svg McDonalds Track (C429)  Lang Lang, Nyora
47.529.5AUS Alphanumeric Route C431.svg Westernport Road (C431)  Lang Lang, Drouin Roundabout
49.730.9AUS Alphanumeric Route M420.svg Bass Highway (M420)  Wonthaggi, Phillip Island Partial Y interchange: southbound entrance to and northbound exit from Bass Highway only
Route transition: route M420 continues south, western terminus of route A440
South Gippsland Loch, Nyora 60.937.8AUS Alphanumeric Route C434.svg Lang Lang-Nyora Road (C434)  Nyora, Poowong
Loch 68.742.7Victoria Road  Loch, to Loch-Wonthaggi Road  Almurta, Wonthaggi
Loch-Poowong Road  Poowong
69.743.3Former South Gippsland railway line
Bena 77.047.8Former South Gippsland railway line
Korumburra 81.550.6AUS Alphanumeric Route C425.svg Warragul-Korumburra Road (C425)  Poowong, Warragul
82.051.0AUS Alphanumeric Route C437.svg Korrumburra-Wonthaggi Road (C437)  Wonthaggi, Inverloch
Leongatha 96.359.8AUS Alphanumeric Route B460.svg Strzelecki Highway (B460 northeast)  Mirboo North, Morwell
AUS Alphanumeric Route B460.svg Bass Highway (B460 southwest)  Inverloch, Wonthaggi, Phillip Island
96.960.2AUS Alphanumeric Route C454.svg Ogilvy Street (C454)  Dumbalk
Meeniyan 110.068.4AUS Alphanumeric Route C443.svg Tarwin Lower (C443)  Venus Bay
113.370.4AUS Alphanumeric Route C455.svg Farmers Road (C455)  Dumbalk, Mirboo North
114.070.8AUS Alphanumeric Route C444.svg Meeniyan-Promontory Road (C444)  Fish Creek, Wilsons Promontory
Foster 134.383.5AUS Alphanumeric Route C445.svg Fish Creek-Foster Road (C445)  Fish Creek, Wilsons Promontory
Agnes 152.494.7AUS Alphanumeric Route C447.svg Barry Road (C447)  Agnes
Welshpool 156.197.0AUS Alphanumeric Route C451.svg Port Welshpool Road (C451 south)  Port Welshpool
Woorarra Road (north)  Boolarra
Wellington Alberton 177.8110.5AUS Alphanumeric Route C452.svg Yarram-Port Albert Road (C452)  Port Albert
Yarram 185.2115.1AUS Alphanumeric Route C484.svg Tarra Valley Road (C484) – Tarra Valley
187.5116.5AUS Alphanumeric Route C482.svg Hyland Highway (C482)  Traralgon
Woodside 203.5126.4AUS Alphanumeric Route C453.svg Carrajung-Woodside Road (C453)  Carrajung, Traralgon Concurrency with route C453 over Bruthen Creek bridge
203.7126.6Bruthen Creek
203.9126.7AUS Alphanumeric Route C453.svg Woodside Beach Road (C453)  Woodside Beach, to AUS Alphanumeric Route C459.svg McLoughlins Road (C459)  McLoughlins Beach
Longford 248.4154.3AUS Alphanumeric Route C496.svg Seaspray Road (C496)  Seaspray, to AUS Alphanumeric Route C497.svg Garretts Road (C497) – Dutson
249.7155.2AUS Alphanumeric Route C485.svg Longford-Loch Sport Road (C485)  Golden Beach, Loch Sport Concurrency with route C485
250.1155.4AUS Alphanumeric Route C485.svg Rosedale-Longford Road (C485)  Rosedale
Sale 255.8158.9AUS Alphanumeric Route A1.svg Princes Highway   Traralgon, Bairnsdale, Orbost Roundabout; eastern terminus of highway and route A440
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Google (10 October 2021). "South Gippsland Highway" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. 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
  3. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Twentieth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1933". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 10 November 1933. p. 4.
  4. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Fourteenth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1927". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 30 April 1928. pp. 44, 54, 56.
  5. 1 2 "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. 4, 91.
  6. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Twenty-First Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1934". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 19 November 1934. p. 66.
  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. Fifty-Third Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1966". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 4 February 1967. p. 46.
  9. 1 2 Country Roads Board Victoria. Sixty-Second Annual Report: for the year ended 30th June, 1975, Burwood, Victoria: Brown, Prior, Anderson, 1975. p. 7.
  10. 1 2 VicRoads. VicRoads Annual Report, 1991-1992, Kew, Victoria: VicRoads, 1992, p. 39.
  11. "Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1986". Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 24 November 1986. p. 30,42.
  12. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Forty-Eighth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1961". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 1 December 1961. p. 21.
  13. Road Construction Authority Victoria. Annual Report 1986-87, Kew, Victoria: Road Construction Authority, Victoria, 1987. p. 66
  14. 1 2 3 VicRoads. VicRoads Annual Report, 1989-1990, Kew, Victoria: VicRoads, 1990, p. 56.
  15. 1 2 VicRoads. VicRoads Annual Report, 1990-1991, Kew, Victoria: VicRoads, 1991, p. 37
  16. "South Gippsland Highway contract awarded". Level Crossing Removal Project. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  17. "Major construction progressing at South Gippsland Highway". Level Crossing Removal Project. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  18. "South Gippsland Highway level crossing gone months ahead of schedule". Level Crossing Removal Project. Retrieved 10 October 2021.