Midland Highway (Victoria)

The Midland Highway is a major rural highway linking major towns in Victoria, beginning from Geelong and winding through country Victoria in a large arc through the cities of Ballarat, Bendigo and Shepparton, eventually reaching Mansfield at the foothills of the Victorian Alps.

Midland Highway

General information
TypeHighway
Length450 km (280 mi)[1]
Route number(s)
  • A300 (1998–present)
    (Geelong–Benalla)
  • B300 (1998–present)
    (Benalla–Barjarg)
  • C518 (1998–present)
    (Barjarg–Mansfield)
Former
route number
  • State Route 149 (1986–1998)
    (Geelong–Benalla)
  • State Route 153 (1986–1998)
    (Benalla–Barjang)
  • State Route 153 (1986–1998)
    (Midland Link Highway: Barjarg-Maindample)
  • Alternative State Route 153 (1986–1998)
    (Barjarg–Mansfield)
  • State Route 190 (1986–1998)
    (Morwell–Port Welshpool)
Major junctions
Southwest end Princes Highway
Geelong, Victoria
 
Northeast end Maroondah Highway
Mansfield, Victoria
Location(s)
Major settlementsBallarat, Daylesford, Castlemaine, Bendigo, Elmore, Shepparton, Benalla
Highway system

The Midland Link Highway links Barjarg (on the Midland Highway) and Maindample (on the Maroondah Highway), bypassing Mansfield and reducing the journey from Benalla to Alexandra by 19 kilometres (12 mi).

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 Midland Highway was declared a State Highway in 1933,[3] cobbled together from roads between Geelong and Ballarat, between Shepparton and Benalla, and between Benalla to the turn-off road to Maindample in Barjang (for a total of 114 miles); before this declaration, these roads were referred to as Geelong-Ballarat Road, Shepparton-Nalinga Road and Benalla-Mansfield Road.[4] In the 1947/48 financial year, another section from Shepparton via Stanhope to Elmore was added,[5] along the former Shepparton-Elmore Road;[6] with the realignment of the Northern Highway south of Elmore running to Kilmore instead of to Bendigo declared at the same time,[5] the previous alignment of the Northern Highway between Elmore and Bendigo was also added to the Midland Highway. In the 1959/60 financial year, the last section from Ballarat via Creswick and Daylesford to Castlemaine was added,[7] along the former Ballarat-Creswick Road, Creswick-Daylesford Road and Castlemaine-Daylesford Roads.[7] With the deviation of the Calder Highway past Castlemaine declared at the same time,[7] the previous alignment of the Calder Highway between Castlemaine and Harcourt was also added to the Midland Highway. With the highway running concurrent with Calder Highway between Harcourt and Bendigo, the Midland Highway had finally achieved its present-day alignment at this stage. The Midland Link Highway was later declared in June 1983 along the former Maindample-Benalla Road.[8][9]

The Midland Highway also had a separate, southern section through South Gippsland, declared in 1939, from Morwell through Boolarra to Welshpool (with the intention to be linked up in the future with the existing highway at Mansfield),[6] along the former Morwell-Mirboo Road;[10] this appears to have been extended to Port Welshpool by 1972,[11] and a 9.6 km portion of highway through Yinnar was declared the Midland Freeway in 1975,[12] despite being only a single-carriageway road. The highway was re-routed with a 20 km deviation from south of Yinnar via Churchill to the Princes Highway in eastern Morwell in 1976;[13] the former alignment is now known as Yinnar Road and Brodribb Road (the latter signed route C468 in 1998). This section, eventually 88km long,[14] was eventually stripped of both freeway and State Highway status: from south of Grand Ridge Road to Port Welshpool in August 1990,[15] and from north of Grand Ridge Road to Morwell in September 1990[16] - replaced as a north-south route through South Gippsland by the recently-declared Strzelecki and Hyland Highways - and renamed into its current constituent parts (Monash Way, Budgeree Road, Woorarra Road and Port Welshpool Road), with the section between Wonyip and Albert River Road incorporated back into the Grand Ridge Road.[15][16]

The alignment of the highway through southern Ballarat was altered in May 1990: previously running north through Buninyong along Warrenheip Street, Geelong Road, Main Road and along the Western Highway to meet its northern half at Doveton Street North, it was re-aligned to its current route running west through Buninyong along Buninyong-Sebastopol Road via Sebastopol and then along Skipton Street and Doveton Street South (the former alignment of the Glenelg Highway, truncated back to Sebastopol at the same time) to meet its northern half directly at Sturt Street; the former alignment is now known as Ballarat-Buninyong Road (signed route C294 in 1998).[17]

The Midland Highway was signed as State Route 149 between Geelong and Benalla,[18] State Route 153 between Benalla and Barjang, Alternative State Route 153 between Barjang and Mansfield, and State Route 190 between Morwell and Port Welshpool in 1986; with Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, this was replaced by route A300 between Geelong and Benalla, route B300 between Benalla and Barjang, and route C518 between Barjang and Mansfield; despite highway status being removed between Morwell and Port Welshpool, the former highway alignment continued to be signed as State Route 190 until the change-over to the new alphanumeric system, when all traces of the former route were removed. Midland Link Highway was signed State Route 153 between Barjang and Maindample in 1986, and was later replaced by route B300.

The passing of the Road Management Act 2004[19] granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads: in 2004, VicRoads re-declared the Midland Link Highway (Arterial #6030) from Midland Highway in Barjang to Maroondah Highway in Maindample,[20] and in 2013 re-declared the Midland Highway to begin at Corio-Waurn Ponds Road (Princes Highway) in Geelong and end at the Maroondah Highway in Mansfield.[21]

Major intersections and towns

LGALocation[1][20][21]km[1]miDestinationsNotes
Greater GeelongGeelongGeelong West boundary0.00.0 Melbourne Road (A10/Tourist Drive 21 north)  Corio, Melbourne, Avalon Airport
Kerra Street (A10/Tourist Drive 21 south) – City Centre, Colac
Southwestern terminus of highway and route A300
Geelong West-Geelong North boundary0.30.19Geelong railway line
Geelong North-Hamlyn Heights boundary1.50.93 Shannon Avenue (C136 south)  Belmont, Ceres
Thompsons Road (C136 north)  Norlane
Southbound left turn via Lily Avenue
Hamlyn Heights-Bell Park-Bell Post Hill tripoint3.01.9 Anakie Road (C118)  Corio, Fyansford
Bell Post HillBatesford boundary4.52.8 Geelong Ring Road (M1)  Melbourne, Colac, Avalon Airport
Batesford6.13.8 Geelong-Ballan Road (C141)  Anakie, Ballan, Daylesford
Moorabool River8.75.4Batesford Bridge
Golden PlainsGheringhap12.27.6 Fyansford-Gheringhap Road (C111)  Ceres, Mount Moriac
13.18.1Western SG and Geelong-Ballarat railway lines
Bannockburn17.110.6 Shelford-Bannockburn Road (C143)  Shelford
Meredith43.126.8Meredith-Steiglitz Road  Steiglitz
MooraboolElaine52.832.8Geelong-Ballarat railway line
BallaratBuninyong73.245.5 Ballarat-Buninyong Road  Mount Clear, Ballarat East
MagpieSebastopol79.049.1 Colac-Ballarat Road  Rokewood, Cressy, Colac
Sebastopol83.251.7 Glenelg Highway (B160 west)  Skipton, Hamilton, Mount Gambier
Sayle Street (east)Sebastopol
Redan84.452.4 Drummond Street South  Ballarat, Lake WendoureeNo right turn from Midland Highway southbound
84.752.6 Ballarat-Carngham Road  Newington, Carngham
Ballarat86.353.6Sturt Street  Alfredton, Burrumbeet
86.553.7 Mair Street (C805)  Ballarat East, Warrenheip
87.754.5 Macarthur Street, to Drummond Street North (C305)  Ballarat, Redan
88.254.8Ararat railway line
Wendouree88.555.0 Howitt Street (C287 west, no shield east)  Clunes, Talbot, Maryborough
WendoureeMount Rowan boundary91.156.6 Western Freeway (M8)  Melbourne, Horsham, Bordertown, Adelaide
BallaratHepburn boundarySulky97.160.3Mildura railway line
HepburnCreswick103.664.4 Bungaree-Creswick Road (C291 south)  Bungaree, WallaceConcurrency with route C291
104.564.9 Clunes-Creswick Road (C291 north)  Clunes
Newlyn113.070.2 Daylesford-Ballarat Road (C292 south)  Clarkes Hill, Ballarat East
Dean-Newlyn Road (east)  Dean
Daylesford131.181.5 Hepburn Springs Road (C138 north)  Hepburn Springs
Hepburn Springs Road (C141 south)  Ballan, Anakie, Geelong
132.382.2 Daylesford-Trentham Road (C317)  Trentham, Woodend
133.482.9 Daylesford-Malmsbury Road (C316)  Denver, Malmsbury
Dry Diggings139.586.7Back Hepburn Road  Hepburn Springs
Mount Franklin143.789.3 Daylesford-Newstead Road  Newstead, Maldon
Mount AlexanderGuildford157.798.0Moolort railway line
Castlemaine165.2102.7Victorian Goldfields Railway
165.3102.7 Pyrenees Highway (B180 west)  Newstead, Maryborough, AraratSouthern terminus of concurrency with route B180
167.2103.9Bendigo railway line
167.5104.1 Forest Street (B180 east, no route west)  ElphinstoneNorthern terminus of concurrency with route B180
169.8105.5Bendigo railway line
Barkers CreekHarcourt boundary175.3108.9 Calder Freeway (M79 south)  Melbourne
Victoria Road (east)  Harcourt
Southern terminus of concurrency with route M79
Greater BendigoRavenswood South–Harcourt North boundary181.0112.5Fogartys Gap Road (west)  Maldon
Harmony Way (east)  Harcourt, Elphinstone
At-grade intersection
Ravenswood189.3117.6 Calder Alternative Highway (A790)  Marong, MilduraContinues north as Calder Highway (route A79), south as Calder Freeway (route M79)
Kangaroo Flat199.8124.1 Bendigo-Maryborough Road (C277)  Maryborough
Golden Square201.8125.4 Oak Street (C323 north/C353 south)  Long Gully, Eaglehawk, Quarry Hill, Strathdale
Bendigo204.4127.0 Don Street (A79 north)  Marong
Myrtle Street (C331 south)  Quarry Hill, Flora Hill
Northern terminus of concurrency with route A79
205.9127.9 Chapel Street (B280 south/C329 north)  California Gully, Axedale, Heathcote
207.3128.8Mildura railway line
White Hills209.2130.0 Lyons Street (C333 west, no route east)  Long Gully
209.9130.4 Hamelin Street (C343 east, no route west)  Strathdale, Bendigo Airport
Huntly219.8136.6 Bendigo-Tennyson Road (C338)  Drummartin, Mitiamo
Bagshot224.4139.4Echuca railway line
Goornong239.5148.8 Bendigo-Murchison Road (C345)  Murchison, Violet Town
Elmore251.1156.0 Northern Highway (B75 north)  Rochester, EchucaWestern terminus of concurrency with route B75
Campaspe River251.5156.3Elmore Bridge
CampaspeBurnewang–Runnymede boundary252.7157.0 Northern Highway (B75 south)  Heathcote, Kilmore, WallanEastern terminus of concurrency with route B75
Corop269.0167.1 Heathcote-Rochester Road (C347 north)  RochesterConcurrency with route C347
269.9167.7 Heathcote-Rochester Road (C347 south)  Heathcote
Stanhope288.3179.1 Girgarre-Rushworth Road (C348)  Girgarre, Rushworth
Greater SheppartonByrneside305.8190.0 Kyabram-Byrneside Road (C354)  Lancaster
307.4191.0Toolamba-Echuca railway line
Tatura310.2192.7 Tatura-Undera Road (C357)  Undera, Tatura
Mooroopna322.3200.3 Echuca-Mooroopna Road (C355 north)  Wyuna
Mooroopna-Murchison Road (C369 south)  Murchison
Goulburn River325.1202.0Daintons Bridge
Greater SheppartonShepparton325.7202.4 Goulburn Valley Highway (A39)  Tocumwal, Nagambie, Seymour
326.4202.8Goulburn Valley railway line
328.7204.2 Doyles Road (C391)  Congupna, Kialla
Nalinga354.8220.5 Dookie-Nalinga Road (C365)  DookieConcurrency with route C365
356.4221.5 Dookie-Violet Town Road (C365)  Violet Town
BenallaBenalla376.4233.9 Benalla-Tocumwal Road (C371)  Katamatite, Tocumwal
385.8239.7North East railway line
386.5240.2 Bridge Street East (C313)  Winton
391.6243.3 Hume Freeway (M31)  Melbourne, Wangaratta, Albury, SydneyRoute transition: route A300 north, route B300 south
MansfieldBarjang434.6270.0 Midland Link Highway (B300 southwest)  Maindample, YarckRoute B300 continues southwest along Midland Link Highway, northern terminus of route C518
Mansfield449.5279.3 High Street (B320 west)  Maindample, Yarck
High Street (Mount Buller Road) (C320 east) – Mount Buller
Southern terminus of highway and route C518
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. Google (12 November 2021). "Midland Highway" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 12 November 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. 45–6, 54, 59, 63.
  5. "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.
  6. "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. p. 4, 14.
  7. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Forty-Seventh Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1960". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 21 November 1960. pp. 7–8.
  8. "Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1984". Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 21 December 1984. p. 54.
  9. "Victorian Government Gazette". State Library of Victoria. 30 June 1983. p. 1973. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  10. "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. 74.
  11. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Fifty-Ninth Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1972". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 1 November 1972. p. 41.
  12. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Sixty-Second Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1975". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 3 November 1975. p. 51.
  13. "Country Roads Board Victoria. Sixty-Second Annual Report: for the year ended 30 June 1976". Country Roads Board of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 3 November 1976. p. 40.
  14. Google (3 December 2021). "Midland Highway, South Gippsland" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 3 December 2021.
  15. "Victorian Government Gazette". State Library of Victoria. 15 August 1990. pp. 2502–5. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  16. "Victorian Government Gazette". State Library of Victoria. 12 September 1990. pp. 2746–50. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  17. "Victorian Government Gazette". State Library of Victoria. 2 May 1990. pp. 1216–9, 1225. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  18. "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. 42.
  19. 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.
  20. VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A) 2015" (PDF). Government of Victoria. p. 937. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
  21. VicRoads. "VicRoads – Register of Public Roads (Part A) 2015" (PDF). Government of Victoria. pp. 999–1001. Archived from the original on 1 May 2020. Retrieved 19 October 2021.
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