Road Photos & Information: New South Wales
Hume Highway (National Highway 31)
Coolac to Holbrook
Construction Photos
Statistics:
- Length:
- 498 km (Coolac to Holbrook: 121 km)
- Termini:
- Northern: Narellan Rd (Metroad 9 and SR69), Campbelltown
- Southern: NSW-VIC Border, Albury
- Miscellaneous:
- Continued as M31 in Victoria
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Coolac, Gundagai, South Gundagai, Tumblong, Mundarlo, Mount Adrah, Tarcutta, Kyeamba and Little Billabong
Route Numbering:
- Former: 31 31
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- HW2
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 route consisted 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.
National Highway 31 was 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 honours war veterans.
- 1914: Sydney-Melbourne road (Great South Road) is declared a main road.
- 1928: Sections of Great South Road renamed to Hume Highway.
- December 1938: Tumbalong-Tarcutta deviation construction, a major roadworks project which was partly funded under the significant Unemployment Relief Works Program. 3
- 1939: 95% (557 km) of the Hume Highway paved with a bituminous surface. 4
- 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. 3
- 1976: Completion of the 8 km Gundagai deviation and bridge over the Murrumbidgee River. 4
- March 1977: The 1.1 kilometre Sheahan Bridge over the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai opened to traffic. 5
- 1983: The highway between Conroys Gap and Coolac, had most of the earlier alignment replaced, also a new Tarcutta deviation completed - 11.5 kilometres in length. This bypassed the bowstring arch across Hillas Creek from the 1930s. The new section of road featured a dual carriageway.3
- 2009: Hume Highway Duplication, Sturt Highway to Table Top completed. 5
- May 2009: The duplicated Sheahan Bridge at Gundagai was officially opened by the Federal Minister for Transport. 5
- 2013: National Highway 31 decommissioned.
This page concentrates on construction photos between Coolac and Holrook
Coolac Area:
The Coolac Bypass was designed to eliminate one of the last sections of single carriageway highway between Sydney and Melbourne, by bypassing the town of Coolac (upgrading the last single carriageway section of the Hume Highway north of Gundagai to dual carriageway, by doing so, removing heavy vehicle traffic from Coolac) and also the duplication of Sheahan Bridge at Gundagai. Once it was completed, the upgrade provided continuous four-lane traffic conditions between Sydney and the Sturt Highway turn-off.
Coolac to Holbrook
End of Dual Carriageway:
Looking southbound, north of Coolac as you see the start of the upgrade works. In the distance you can see the earthworks for the new roadway. December 2007.
Image © Paul Rands
Worksite and Project Signage:
Southbound at Coolac with the earthworks for the new roadway right of centre. November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Speed Camera:
Old speed camera site at Coolac, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Divided Road Ahead:
Sign indicating distance to divided roadway, Coolac, most likely the dual carriageway that was south of the town before the completion of the bypass, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Goobarralong Road:
The former Hume Hwy (NH31) at the Goobarralong Rd junction at Coolac, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Old Meets New:
Southbound through the workzone at Coolac with earthworks on either side of the existing carriageway. December 2007.
Image © Paul Rands
Transition point:
The old highway joins with the new alignment, south of Coolac town centre, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Return to Dual Carriageway:
Two-way Hume Hwy (NH31) meets the Gundagai Bypass, south of Coolac town centre, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Tarcutta Area:
Coolac to Holbrook
Dual Carriageway Ends:
End of dual carriageway at Tarcutta, with earthworks for highway upgrade in the distance, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Undivided Section:
Undisturbed undivided section of the highway at Tarcutta, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Earthworks:
Deviation and duplication works underway at Tarcutta, November 2007.
Image © Tim Cole
Holbrook to Coolac
Tarcutta Deviation:
Cutting on the then new deviation of the Hume Highway near Tarcutta, 1938. This has since been bypassed.
Image © Department of Main Roads. Scanned from The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4
Tumbalong-Tarcutta Deviation:
A "trail-builder" spreading filling on the Tumbalong-Tarcutta deviation of the Hume Hwy, 1939.
Image © Department of Main Roads. Scanned from The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4
2 Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
4 NSW Government, Department of Main Roads. The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4.
3 NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services.
5 NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services, RMS achievements in transport infrastructure projects.