Road Photos & Information: Hume Motorway & Hume Highway (M31): Gundagai to Holbrook

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

M31

Hume Motorway & Hume Highway (M31): Gundagai to Holbrook

Statistics:

Length: 513 km (Gundagai to Holbrook: 110 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: Gundagai, Tumblong, Tarcutta, Kyeamba, Little Billabong and Holbrook

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 honours 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 (Covers current alignment and previous alignments, which may be now under another route number):

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. 1
1939: 95% (557 km) of the Hume Highway paved with a bitumous surface. 3
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
1983: 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.1
2013: National Highway 31 replaced by M31.

Click here for the former alignment between Gundagai and Tarcutta

Tarcutta to Gundagai		Gundagai to Tarcutta
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Holbrook approaching the northern end of Woomargama Way (former Hume Hwy), March 2015. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mundarlo approaching Sturt Hwy (A20) interchange, October 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Woomargama Way: Corner of Hume Hwy (M31) and Woomargama Way at Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mundarlo approaching Sturt Hwy (A20) interchange, October 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Woomargama Way: Corner of Hume Hwy (M31) and Woomargama Way at Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands		Sturt Highway: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Sturt Hwy (A20) interchange at Mundarlo, October 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Bypassed Town Sign: Bypassed town sign at Holbrook approaching Albury St interchange, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching Albury St, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Services SIgn: Services sign approaching Albury St, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign approaching Albury St, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching Albury St, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Albury Street Interchange: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Albury St interchange, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Albury Street Interchange: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Albury St interchange, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Holbrook approaching Wagga Rd, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Holbrook approaching Wagga Rd, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Wagga Road: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Wagga Rd interchange, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Wagga Road: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Wagga Rd interchange, Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Little Billabong approaching Little Billabong Rd, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Little Billabong Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (M31) and Little Billabong Rd at Little Billabong, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Little Billabong Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (M31) and Little Billabong Rd at Little Billabong, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Little Billabong, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Kyeamba approaching Tumbarumba Rd, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Tumbarumba Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (M31) and Tumbarumba Rd at Kyeamba, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Tumbarumba Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (M31) and Tumbarumba Rd at Kyeamba, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: RD sign at Kyeamba, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Tarcutta for the Sydney St interchange, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Bypassed Town Sign: Bypassed town signage approaching Sydney St interchange in Tarcutta, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Services Sign: Services sign approaching Sydney St, Tarcutta, March 2015. Click here for a photo of this location from January 2012 by Tim Cole. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Tarcutta approaching Sydney St interchange, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Sydney St interchange at Tarcutta, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Cycle Route Sign: Sign forcing cyclists to exit and travel via Tarcutta town centre, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Sydney Street Interchange: Southern Sydney Street interchange at Tarcutta, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Sydney Street Interchange: Hume Hwy (M31) at the southern Sydney St interchange at Holbrook, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Tarcutta Creek Floodplain M31 as it crosses the Tarcutta Creek Floodplain at Tarcutta, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Tarcutta Creek: M31 as it crosses Tarcutta Creek at Tarcutta, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Sydney Street Interchange: Northern Sydney Street Interchange at Tarcutta, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Sydney Street Interchange: Northern Sydney Street Interchange at Tarcutta, January 2012. Image © Tim Cole
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Tarcutta, north of the town, March 2015. Click here for a photo of this location from January 2012 by Tim Cole. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tarcutta approaching Sturt Hwy (A20) interchange, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Sturt Highway: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Sturt Hwy (A20) interchange at Tarcutta, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Sturt Highway: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Sturt Hwy (A20) interchange at Tarcutta, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Distance Sign: Reassurance directional sign at Tarcutta, October 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mundarlo approaching Snowy Mountains Hwy (B72) interchange, October 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mundarlo approaching Snowy Mountains Hwy (B72) interchange, October 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Snowy Mountains Highway: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Snowy Mtns Hwy (B72) interchange at Mundarlo,March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Snowy Mountains Highway: Hume Hwy (M31) at the Snowy Mtns Hwy (B72) interchange at Mundarlo, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Mundarlo approaching Sylvias Gap Rd and Old Hume Hwy, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Sylvias Gap Road & Old Hume Highway: Hume Hwy (M31) at the junction with Sylvias Gap Rd (former Hume Hwy alignment) and Old Hume Hwy at Mundarlo, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the corner of Hume Hwy, Old Hume Hwy and Sylvias Gap Rd at Mundarlo, March 2015. The section of Old Hume Hwy here features an old bow string concrete arch bridge over Hillas Creek, click here for a photo of the bridge from October 2013. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign at the corner of Hume Hwy, Old Hume Hwy and Sylvias Gap Rd at Mundarlo, March 2015. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of M31 between Holbrook and the Victorian border Click here for the continuation of M31 between Yass and Gundagai

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 Roads and Maritime Services, RMS achievements in transport infrastructure projects

Last updated: 23-Feb-2017 20:48

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