Statistics:
- Length:
- 296 km
- Termini:
- Northern: NSW-VIC Border, Wodonga
- Southern: Metropolitan Ring Rd (M80), Thomastown
- Miscellaneous:
- Continues as M31 (Hume Hwy) in New South Wales
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Wodonga, West Wodonga, Barnawartha, Chiltern, Springhurst, Boralma, Bowser, East Wangaratta, Wangaratta, Laceby, Glenrowan, Glenrowan West, Winton, Benalla, Baddaginnie, Violet Town, Balmattum, Euroa, Longwood, Locksley, Avenel, Seymour, Hilldene, Tallarook, Broadford, Clonbinane, Waterford Park, Wandong, Wallan, Wallan East, Beveridge, Kalkallo, Craigieburn, Epping and Thomastown
Route Numbering:
- Current: M31
- Multiplexed with: B400
- Former: M31 31 31
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- 1550
General Information:
The Hume Freeway is one of Australia's most vital highway links. Providing access between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's 2 largest cities. Formerly known as the Hume Highway, the route is 100% dual carriageway road, either rural expressway or motorway standard.
The route started life as Sydney Road, cutting through Melbourne's northern suburbs. 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. Around 66 000 vehicles use the Hume Freeway north of Melbourne every day. 2
Multiplexes along the route include:
- B400, for 16 km, between Wodonga and Barnawartha North.
History:
- 1914: Sydney Road declared a main road. 3
- 1928: Sydney Road renamed the Hume Highway - still a narrow two lane road. 3
- 1954: Hume Highway given Australia's first National Route number, NR31, as a trial of numbering systems.
- 1960s: Fawkner to Somerton duplication (now Sydney Rd (MR55)). 4
- 1961: The first 4 lane modern freeway standard section was completed in Victoria at Craigieburn (now Sydney Rd (MR55)).
- 1969: Hume Freeway bypass from Wallan to Broadford started. 3
- 1974: Hume Highway route number changed to National Highway 31, indicating it's importance and also funding by the Federal Government.
- 1976: Hume Freeway - a modern 4 lane highway at Wandong opened by the Premier of Victoria Rupert J Hamer. 3
- 1980: Violet Town bypassed. 4
- 1982: Seymour bypassed. 4
- 1984: Longwood duplication & bypass construction. 4
- 1985: Wodonga bypassed. 4
- 1987: Benalla bypassed. 4
- 1988: Glenrowan and Chiltern bypassed. 4
- 1992: Euroa bypassed. 4
- 1994: Springhurst bypassed. 4
- 1997: NH31 number replaced with NH-M31 as part of the rollout of alphanumeric numbering. NH31 remained in the metropolitan area until the opening of Craigieburn Bypass. 4
- December 2004: The first section of the Craigieburn Bypass was opened to traffic between the Metropolitan Ring Road and Cooper Street. 2
- 20 December 2005: The remaining section of the 17 km Craigieburn Bypass, linking the Hume Freeway near Mt. Ridley Road at Craigieburn, to the Metropolitan Ring Road at Thomastown, opened to traffic. 5
- 2006: Old NH31 designation in suburban Melbourne replaced with MR55.
- 6 March 2007: 17.4 km upgrade of the Hume Freeway through Albury-Wodonga opened to traffic. 5
1 VIC Government, VicRoads, Road Management Plan 2020-2021, 07 December 2020.
2 VIC Government, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
3 Wandong-Heathcote Junction Community Group.
4 Viseth Uch.
5 VIC Government, VicRoads.