Length:

29 km

Termini:

Northern: Heidelberg-Kinglake Rd (C746) and Kangaroo Ground-Wattle Glen Rd (MR9), Wattle Glen

Southern: Victoria St (MR32) and Exhibition St (unnumbered), Melbourne

Miscellaneous:

Declared Names: Rathdowne St, Princes St, Eastern Hwy, George St, Heidelberg Rd, Main Heidelberg-Eltham Rd, Upper Heidelberg Rd, Lower Plenty Rd, Greensborough Hwy and Heidelberg-Kinglake Rd

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Melbourne, Carlton, Fitzroy, Fitzroy North, Clifton Hill, Fairfield, Alphington, Ivanhoe, Eaglemont, Heidelberg Heights, Rosanna, Yallambie, Macleod, Watsonia, Watsonia North, Greensborough, Diamond Creek and Wattle Glen

Current: 46

Multiplexed with: 44 57 83 2

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

Arterial 5091 (Fitzroy to Fitzroy North)

Arterial 5092 (Carlton to Fitzroy)

Arterial 5743 (Heidelberg Heights to Rosanna)

Arterial 5747 (Ivanhoe to Heidelberg Heights)

Arterial 5762 (Clifton Hill to Ivanhoe)

Arterial 5811 (Greensborough to Wattle Glen)

Arterial 5812 (Fitzroy to Clifton Hill)

Arterial 6830 (Fitzroy)

Arterial 6850 (Rosanna to Greensborough)

General Information:

Metropolitan Route 46 is an arterial servicing Melbourne's northeastern suburbs. The route is a mix of divided and undivided road, passing through residential, commercial, industrial and semi-rural areas. It acts as a connector with one of Melbourne's most important routes, the Metropolitan Ring Rd (M80).

Metropolitan Route 44, for 400 m, Rosanna.

Metropolitan Route 57, for 1.6 km, Diamond Creek.

Metropolitan Route 83, for 700 m, between Carlton and Fitzroy.

Tourist Drive 2, for 2 km, between Alphington and Ivanhoe.

1850s: The first toll gate in Victoria was established on Heidelberg Road just over the Merri Creek Bridge from Clifton Hill. It was a great success, raising sufficient income to macadamise the road for over 1½ miles from the bridge, towards Alphington. ²

March 2017: Work begins to eliminate the railway level crossing on Lower Plenty Rd at Rosanna. ³

Wattle Glen to Melbourne

Lane Allocation Sign:

Lane allocation sign on Greensborough Bypass (MR46) at the junction with Metropolitan Ring Rd (M80) at Greensborough, June 2016.

Image © Rob Tilley

Metropolitan Ring Road:

Corner of Greensborough Bypass (MR46) and Metropolitan Ring Rd (M80) at Greensborough, August 2015. Greensborough Bypass becomes Greensborough Hwy at this point.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Watsonia North, approaching Grimshaw St (MR48), June 2016.

Image © Rob Tilley

Grimshaw Street:

ID sign at Watsonia North, at the junction with Grimshaw St (MR48), June 2016.

Image © Rob Tilley

Grimshaw Street:

ID sign at Watsonia North, at the junction with Grimshaw St (MR48), , August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign on Greensborough Hwy (MR46) at Watsonia, August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Yallambie, approaching Lower Plenty Rd (MR44), August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

Lane Allocation Sign:

Lane allocation sign at Yallambie approaching Lower Plenty Rd (MR44) and Rosanna Rd (MR44), August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

Lower Plenty Road & Rosanna Road:

Corner of Greensborough Hwy (MR46), Lower Plenty Rd (MR44 / MR46) and Rosanna Rd (MR44) at Yallambie, August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

Lower Plenty Road & Rosanna Road:

Corner of Greensborough Hwy (MR46), Lower Plenty Rd (MR44 / MR46) and Rosanna Rd (MR44) at Yallambie, August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Lower Plenty Rd (MR44 / MR46) approaching Rosanna Rd (MR44) at Rosanna, August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

Rosanna Road:

Corner of Lower Plenty Rd (MR44 / MR46) and Rosanna Rd (MR44) at Rosanna, August 2015.

Image © Paul Rands

¹ VIC Government, Department of Transport and Planning Road Maintenance Category - Road List Version: 2, 29 February 2024.
² City of Darebin, Darebin Libraries, Darebin Heritage, Toll Gates.
³ VIC Government, Media Release, Construction Begins On Massive Hurstbridge Line Upgrade, 16 March 2017.