Old Princes Highway (Victoria)

Princes Highway (West) runs from the interstate border with South Australia through western Victoria all the way to the western suburbs of Melbourne, with some towns along this route later bypassed. Old Princes Highway, consisting of former sections of Princes Highway, include: through greater Geelong (from Waurn Ponds to Corio), bypassed by Geelong Ring Road and now allocated route A10; and through Werribee (from Cocoroc to Hoppers Crossing), bypassed by Maltby Bypass and now allocated route C109. One last section runs through western suburban Melbourne, from the interchange with West Gate Freeway and Western Ring Road in Laverton North to Flemington, signposted as both Princes Highway and Geelong Road, but this is still officially gazetted as Princes Highway (West), and the former alignment through central Melbourne was eventually re-declared as their own separate constituent parts.

Princes Highway (East) runs from central Melbourne through eastern Victoria all the way to the interstate border with New South Wales, with many of the towns along this route, particularly through Gippsland, later bypassed by sections of Princes Freeway. This first section runs through south-eastern suburban Melbourne, from the intersection with King and Flinders Streets in the Melbourne CBD to the interchange with Monash and Princes Freeways in Narre Warren, signposted as both Princes Highway and Dandenong Road, but is still officially gazetted as Princes Highway (East). Old Princes Highway includes: from Berwick through Beaconsfield and Pakenham to Nar Nar Goon and now allocated route C101; through Drouin and Warragul and more commonly known as Princes Way, now allocated route C102; through Moe and Newborough (along what is now Lloyd Street and Narracan Drive) as route C103, then descending into the La Trobe Valley through the Haunted Hills, along what is now Haunted Hills Road, passed almost due west through what is now the Yallourn Open Cut Mine to join today's Morwell Bridge Road at the Morwell River, and from there, through Morwell along what is now Princes Drive and now allocated route C104.

The first improvements to the route came in the late 1950s when the expansion of the Yallourn open cut necessitated the relocation of the highway. The CRB took this opportunity to provide a high standard access-controlled alignment as well as a bypass of Moe. The first section of the new highway opened in 1959/60 as a single carriageway super-2 expressway between Hernes Oak and the Morwell River. Following in December 1964 was a westerly extension of the super-2 highway from Hernes Oak to Gunns Gully (Newborough) and the Moe Bypass completed the new route - opening in early 1967. The section between Gunns Gully and Hernes Oak inherited the "Haunted Hills" nickname that applied to the original highway between Newborough and Hernes Oak. Duplication of the Moe-Morwell section was commenced after the opening of the Moe Bypass and completed west to Gunns Gully in 1971 and to the western side of Moe in 1979.[1]

It is anticipated that with the future completion of the Traralgon bypass that a new section of the highway will become superseded from the original Highway 1.

Old Princes Highway has many former route allocations including former National Route 1; its routing through Melbourne and along present sections of Princes Highway have been included for sake of completion. Where and when the former route numbers were implemented are stated below.

through Waurn Ponds:

• National Route 1 (1955–1997)
• A1 (1997–2013)
• unallocated: (2013–present)

Waurn Ponds – Corio:

• National Route 1 (1955–1997)
• M1 (1997–2009)
• A10 (2009–present)

Cocoroc – Hoppers Crossing:

• National Route 1 (1955–1961)
• unallocated: (1961–1998)
• C109 (1997–present)

Brooklyn – North Melbourne:

• National Route 1 (1955–1978)
• Alt National Route 1 (1978–1988)
• Metro Route 83 (1988–present)

North Melbourne – Parkville:

• National Route 1 (1955–1978)
• Alt National Route 1 (1978–1988)
• National Route 79 (1988–2013)
• Metro Route 60 (2013–present)

Parkville – Hallam:

• National Route 1 (1955–1988)
• Alt National Route 1 (1988–present)

Hallam – Narre Warren:

• National Route 1 (1955–1997)
• M1 (1997–2003)
• Alt National Route 1 (2003–present)

Berwick – Beaconsfield:

• National Route 1 (1955–1983)
• unallocated: (1983–1997)
• C101 (1997–present)

Beaconsfield – Nar Nar Goon:

• National Route 1 (1955–1997)
• M1 (1997–2007)
• C101 (2007–present)

Drouin – Nilma:

• National Route 1 (1955–1981)
• unallocated: (1981–1997)
• C102 (1997–present)

Moe – Newborough:

• National Route 1 (1955–1969)
• unallocated: (1969–1997)
• C103 (1997–present)

Morwell – East Morwell:

• National Route 1 (1955–1992)
• unallocated: (1992–1997)
• C104 (1997–present)