Length:

27 km

Termini:

Northern: High St (C729), Memorial Av (MR58 and unnumbered), Epping

Southern: Marine Pde (MR33) and Ormond Esp (MR33), Elwood

Miscellaneous:

Declared Names: Hoddle Main Rd, Hoddle Hwy, Hoddle Main Rd, Queens Pde, High St, Epping Rd and Epping-Kilmore Rd

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Elwood, St Kilda, Windsor, Prahran, South Yarra, Melbourne, East Melbourne, Collingwood, Clifton Hill, Northcote, Thornbury, Preston, Reservoir, Thomastown, Lalor and Epping

Current: 29

Multiplexed with: 3 58

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

Arterial 5147 (Northcote)

Arterial 5205 (Northcote to Thornbury)

Arterial 5515 (Epping)

Arterial 5817 (Reservoir to Epping)

Arterial 5850 (Elwood to St Kilda and Clifton Hill to Northcote)

Arterial 6080 (Clifton Hill)

General Information:

Metropolitan Route 29 is a major arterial route linking Melbourne's bayside, CBD and northern suburbs. It also connects with 3 freeway routes: Citylink (M1), Eastern Fwy (M3) and Metropolitan Ring Round (M80).

The route is a mix of undivided and divided road, which along some sections features tramlines, and passes through residential, commercial and industrial zones.

Metropolitan Route 3, for 170 m, St Kilda.

Metropolitan Route 58, for 850 m, Epping.

11 September 1848: High Street officially gazetted as a road. It is one of the oldest roads in Victoria, the oldest being Heidelberg Road. ²

1854-1877: Tolling imposed on High Street. The first toll house was near Merri Creek where Hoddle Street intersects with Queens Parade, but this was found to be unsuitable and the toll house was relocated to south west corner of High and Westgarth streets. Another location included the corner of High Street and Murray Road, Preston. In 1863 this gate was moved further north to near the Preston Arms Hotel. ³

1860s: Renaming of Plenty Road to High Street. ²

1946: Installation of the first traffic lights along High Street at the Westgarth Street intersection in Northcote. ²

1965: Introduction of Metropolitan Route 29. ¹

1971: Hoddle Street widened. ⁴

23 May 2005: Transit lane becomes operational along the northbound carriageway of Hoddle St. ⁵

Elwood to Epping

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Hoddle St (MR29) approaching Johnston St (MR34) at Collingwood, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Lane Allocation Sign:

Lane allocation sign on Hoddle St (MR29) approaching Eastern Fwy (M3) interchange at Collingwood, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the outbound on-ramp at the interchange with Eastern Fwy (M3, then MR83), Eastern Hwy (MR83) and Alexandra Pde (MR83) at Clifton Hill, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign on Hoddle St (MR29) at Collingwood, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Black Advance Directional Sign:

Black AD sign with incorrect shaped shields on Hoddle St (MR29) approaching the interchange with Heidelberg Rd (MR46) at Clifton Hill, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Black Intersection Directional Sign:

ID signs on Hoddle St (MR29) at the Heidelberg Rd (MR46) interchange at Clifton Hill, November 2005. Note the pre-metric text on the clearance sign beginning to come through the white paint.

Image © Rob Tilley

Epping to Elwood

AD Sign:

Advance directional sign near Noone Street in Clifton Hill, approaching the Eastern Freeway (M3, then M83), Alexandra Pde (MR83) and Eastern Hwy (MR83) interchange, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

ID Sign:

Intersection directional sign on Hoddle Street (MR29) at Clifton Hill at the Eastern Freeway (M3, then M83), Alexandra Pde (MR83) and Eastern Hwy (MR83) interchange, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at Clifton Hill facing Alexandra Pde (MR83), Clifton Hill, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Trailblazer:

MR29 trailblazer on Hoddle St (MR29) in Collingwood, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Hoddle St (MR29), Collingwood, approaching Johnston St (MR34), November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Trailblazer:

MR29 trailblazer on Hoddle St (MR29), near Turner St, in Collingwood, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign on Hoddle St (MR29) at Collingwood, November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Hoddle St (MR29) in Collingwood approaching Victoria Pde (MR32) and Victoria St (MR32), November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on Hoddle St (MR29) in Collingwood at the junction with Victoria Pde (MR32) and Victoria St (MR32), November 2005.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Hoddle St (MR29), East Melbourne, approaching Bridge Rd (MR30), August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands