Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Hume Motorway & Hume Highway (M31)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

M31

Hume Motorway & Hume Highway (M31) - Wilton to Berrima

Statistics:

Length: 513 km (Wilton to Berrima: 50 km)
Northern Terminus: Westlink (M7) and South Western Mwy (M5) at Prestons
Southern Terminus: NSW-Vic border at Albury
Miscellaneous: Continues as Hume Freeway (M31) at the Victorian border and travels for 303 km to the Metropolitan Ring Road (M80).
Suburbs, Towns & Localities along route: Tahmoor, Bargo, Mittagong and Berrima

Route Numbering:

Current: M31

Former:
Road Authority Internal Classification: HW2 1

General Information:

The Hume Highway is one of Australia's most vital highway links. Providing access between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's 2 largest cities. The National Highway section of the Hume Highway consists of 100% dual carriageway road, either rural expressway or motorway standard.

In NSW, the highway in one form or another started life as the Great South Road, linking Sydney with the southern highlands and eventually beyond. The highway was named in 1928 after Hamilton Hume (1797-1873), a famous explorer in the early 19th century who, in 1824, in conjunction with William Hovell first found an overland route between Sydney and the infant colonial outpost of Port Phillip, the original name of Melbourne.

M31 is the main freight and commuter route between Sydney and Melbourne and has gone through a massive amount of transformation over the past 30 or so years, with many towns being bypassed along its route as well and gradual upgrades to motorway standards. Since the 1960s, the road has either been duplicated, where alignments allow for it, and also large deviations have also been part of the upgrade process.

The route around the Mittagong area averages around 16,000 vehicles every day, in other sections the number drops off a little or closer to Sydney increases.2

The route forms the Remembrance Driveway which honors war veterans, click here for the Remembrance Driveway web site.

Here are some interesting statistics on the Hume Highway: 1

The Mittagong Bypass is 15 km long.
The Goulburn Bypass is 13 km of concrete dual carriageway.
The Cullerin Range Deviation consists of 34 km of dual carriageway.
17 km of dual carriageways between the Cullerin Range Deviation and the Yass Bypass.
The Yass Bypass, has 15 bridges and 18 km of dual carriageways.
The Jugiong Bypass, features 13 km of dual carriageways.

History:

1914: Sydney-Melbourne road (Great South Road) is declared a main road
1928: Sections of Great South Road renamed to Hume Highway
1950s: In 1952, a group of citizens met and formed a committee under Lt-General Sir Frank Berryman to create a national memorial to servicemen by using trees and shrubs as living memorials. The NSW Premier, J J Cahill, officially launched the scheme on 9 December 1953. The Remembrance Driveway project as it was called started on 5 February 1954, when trees were planted at either end of the Driveway at the War Memorial, Canberra, and in Macquarie Place, Sydney, by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. By June 1959, 10,000 trees had been planted. Since then, planting of trees in avenues or groves has continued. When the M5 Motorway replaced the Hume Highway (and also Camden Valley Way) south of Liverpool, it became the focus for planting trees and shrubs in remembrance. 1
1959: An experiment using advisory speed signs on curves on the Hume Highway between Camden and Berrima was successful and was extended to other roads. 1
17 March 1967: The last single-laned bridge on the Hume Hwy was eliminated when the bridge over the Bargo River and Main Southern Railway Line at Tahmoor opened. The bridge length is 191 metres. 2
May 1977: South Western Freeway between Yanderra and Alpine opens to traffic
December 1980: Opening of freeway between Campbelltown and Yanderra north of Mittagong. This section of the Hume Hwy features the highest bridge ever built in NSW, which was the Pheasants Nest Bridge across the Nepean River, which is 76 metres above water level. 3When this section was built, it formed part of the longest freeway in Australia at the time and won the DMR world wide design and engineering awards.
March 1989: Berrima was bypassed by the South Western Freeway 4
1992: Mittagong Bypass opened.
2002: Replacement of bridges over Nattai River and Gibbergunyah Creek near Mittagong 3
2013: National Highway 31 replaced by M31.
2016: Trial implementation of exit numbering between Aylmerton and Prestons.

Wilton To Berrima		Berrima To Wilton
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Pheasants Nest, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Berrima, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Advance directional sign for Pheasants Nest Service Centre, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Woodlands approaching Old Hume Hwy, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Advance directional sign for Pheasants Nest Service Centre, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Woodlands approaching Old Hume Hwy, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Pheasants Nest Service Centre: Southbound service centre at Pheasants Nest, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Old Hume Highway: Old Hume Hwy interchange at Woodlands, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Avon Dam Rd, Pheasants Nest, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Colo Vale approaching Church Av and Old Hume Hwy (TD12), November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching Avon Dam Rd, Bargo, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Church Avenue Interchange: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Church Av / Old Hume Hwy (TD12) interchange at Colo Vale, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Avon Dam Rd, Bargo, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Church Av, Colo Vale, approaching Hume Mwy (M31) and Old Hume Hwy (TD12) interchange. September 2016. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching Avon Dam Rd, Bargo, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Alpine, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Avon Dam Road Interchange: Hume Mwy (M31) at the Avon Dam Rd interchange in Bargo, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Yerrinbool for Rememberance Dr interchange, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Avon Dam Road: Hume Mwy (M31) as it passes under Avon Dam Rd at Bargo, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Yerrinbool approaching Remembrance Dr (former Hume Hwy) interchange, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: RD sign at Bargo, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Remembrance Drive: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Remembrance Dr interchange at Yanderra, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	RD sign: Distance sign at Yerrinbool, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: RD sign at Bargo, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	No Stopping On Freeway: Unusual no stopping on freeway sign at Yerrinbool, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Services Sign: Advance directional sign for Pheasants Nest Service Centre, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Tourism Reassurance Directional Sign: Tourism region distance sign at Yerrinbool, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Services Sign: Services sign at Pheasants Nest approaching Kenna VC Rest Area, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Sierra Street: Hume Mwy (M31) as it passed under Sierra St, Yerrinbool, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Services Sign: Advance directional sign for Pheasants Nest Service Centre, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Yerrinbool, approaching Church Av, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Pheasants Nest Service Centre: Hume Mwy (M31) at the interchange to Pheasants Nest Service Centre and the Kenna VC Rest Area, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Alpine, approaching Church Av, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Pheasants Nest Service Centre: Hume Mwy (M31) at the interchange to Pheasants Nest Service Centre and the Kenna VC Rest Area, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Alpine, approaching Church Av, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Distance Sign: RD sign at Pheasants Nest, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Church Avenue Interchange: Hume Mwy (M31) at the Church Av interchange at Alpine, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Pheasants Nest for the Picton Rd (B88) interchange, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Alpine near Church Av for the Old Hume Hwy (B73) interchange, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Pheasants Nest for the Picton Rd (B88) interchange, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Aylmerton approaching Old Hume Hwy (B73), November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Pheasants Nest for the Picton Rd (B88) interchange, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Bypassed Town Sign: Bypassed town sign at Aylmerton approaching Old Hume Hwy (B73), September 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Services Sign: Services sign at Pheasants Nest approaching Picton Rd (B88) interchange, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Aylmerton for the Old Hume Hwy (B73) interchange, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Pheasants Nest for the Picton Rd (B88) interchange, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Aylmerton approaching Old Hume Hwy (B73), November 2013. Image © Paul Rands		Nepean River: Hume Mwy (M1) as it crosses Nepean River via Pheasants Nest Bridge, December 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Old Hume Highway Interchange: Hume Mwy (M31) at the Old Hume Hwy (B73) interchange at Aylmerton, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Mittagong, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Wingecarribee River: Hume Mwy (M31) as it passes over Wingecarribee River at Berrima, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Medway Rd, Berrima, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Services Sign: Services sign at Berrima, approaching Medway Rd, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Medway Rd, Berrima, November 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Medway Road Interchange: Hume Mwy (M31) as it passes through the Medway Rd interchange in Berrima, September 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green End Freeway Sign: 1980s end freeway sign approaching the end of limited access conditions along Hume Mwy (M31) at Berrima, September 2013. This sign has since been removed. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green End Freeway Sign: 1980s end freeway sign approaching the end of limited access conditions along Hume Mwy (M31) at Berrima, September 2013. This sign has since been removed. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green End Freeway Sign: 1980s end freeway sign approaching the end of limited access conditions along Hume Mwy (M31) at Berrima, September 2013. This is where the route changes name to Hume Highway. This sign has since been removed. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of M31 between Berrima and Goulburn Click here for the continuation of M31 between Prestons and Wilton

1 Roads and Maritime Services
2 Department of Main Roads. The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4
3 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
4 Berrima Business Houses

Last updated: 26-Oct-2018 22:27

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