Statistics:
- Length:
- 23 km
- Termini:
- Northern: Sunbury Rd (C743), Terminal Dr (unnumbered) and Melbourne Dr (unnumbered), Melbourne Airport
- Southern: West Gate Fwy (M1), Port Melbourne
- Miscellaneous:
- Declared Names: Link Road and Tullamarine Freeway
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Port Melbourne, Docklands, West Melbourne, North Melbourne, Flemington, Parkville, Moonee Ponds, Brunswick West, Pascoe Vale South, Strathmore, Essendon North, Airport West, Strathmore Heights, Tullamarine and Melbourne Airport
Route Numbering:
- Current: M2
- Former: 79 40 43 F81
- Multiplexed with: 40
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- Freeway 1810 (Pascoe Vale South to Melbourne Airport)
- Freeway 1999 (Port Melbourne to Pascoe Vale South)
General Information:
Metropolitan Route 43 is located in the western and inner western suburbs of Melbourne and connects the Melbourne CBD with Melbourne Airport in the city's northwest. It's a full freeway route and partially tolled, using passes and e-tags, from Port Melbourne to Pascoe Vale South.
The early incarnation of the Tullamarine Fwy prior to 1970 was Lancefield Road, skirting the western edge of Essendon Airport. 1
MR43 originally extended up Sunbury Rd to Sunbury, through the town to Gap Rd, terminating at the Calder Fwy. 2
Multiplexes along the route include:
- Metropolitan Route 40, for 3 km between Strathmore and Essendon Fields.
History:
- 1964: Work begins in sections on the route around Essendon Airport (known as Lancefield Rd). 1
- 1968: Construction of the Tullamarine Fwy from Essendon Airport to Melbourne Airport. 1
- 1970: Construction of Tullamarine Fwy from Flemington Rd to Essendon Airport (Calder Hwy Interchange). 1
- 1972: Connection of the Tullamarine Fwy to the then newly built Calder Fwy was opened. 1
- 1976: English Street interchange at Airport West / Essendon Fields constructed. 1
- 1979: Tullamarine Fwy between Essendon Airport and Calder Fwy upgraded to freeway standards. 1
- 1989: Introduction of Metropolitan Route 43. 1
- May 1996: Construction begins on CityLink. 3
- 15 August 1999: The Western Link section of CityLink and upgraded Tullamarine Fwy (to 8 lanes) between Bulla Road and Flemington Road opened to traffic. 3
- 8 October 2006: Stage 1 of the Tullamarine Fwy / Calder Fwy interchange upgrade opens to traffic. 4
- 2013: Metropolitan Route 43 route number decommissioned and replaced by M2. 1
1 Viseth Uch.
2 VIC Government, VicRoads, CityLink Project Overview.
3 BJ Winzer.
4 VIC Government, Media Release, Premiers Office, First Lanes Open To Help Free The Tulla-Calder Tangle.