Length:

41 km

Termini:

Eastern: Princes Fwy (M1) and Princes Hwy (C101), Narre Warren

Western: Kings Way (MR60), West Gate Fwy (M1) and Citylink (M1), Southbank

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Southbank, South Melbourne, Melbourne, St Kilda, Windsor, Prahran, Armadale, Malvern, Malvern East, Murrumbeena, Hughesdale, Oakleigh, Oakleigh East, Clayton, Mulgrave, Springvale, Noble Park North, Dandenong, Dandenong South, Doveton, Eumemmerring, Hallam and Narre Warren.

Current: 1

Multiplexed with: 9 17 19 22 26

Former: 1

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

6510

General Information:

Alternative National Route 1 is a collection of roads that forms a major arterial route in Melbourne. It's mostly dual carriageway, and in some suburbs carries a tram line down the median strip. It once formed part of the main road from Melbourne to eastern Victoria. The route has since been bypassed by the Monash Freeway (M1) and now acts as a local suburban arterial road.

Metropolitan Route 9, for 400 m, Dandenong.

Metropolitan Route 17, for 200 m, Malvern East.

Metropolitan Route 19, for 100 m, between Armadale and Malvern.

Metropolitan Route 22, for for 3 km, between Murrumbeena and Oakleigh.

Metropolitan Route 26, for 200 m, Melbourne.

1911: Tram network extended down Dandenong Rd (Princes Hwy) by the Prahran & Malvern Tramways Trust. ²

1920: The Princes Highway was officially opened at Warragul. ³

1961: The Flinders Street overpass was built during the construction of Kings Way. It was the first major grade-separation bridge project in Victoria. ⁴

January 2006: Piling works began for the Princes Hwy / Heatherton Rd interchange. ⁵

June 2007: The Heatherton Road overpass, one of the largest bridges on the $2.5 billion EastLink project, opened to traffic this weekend providing a direct flyover of Princes Highway (Dandenong Road) and EastLink. ⁶

September 2009: Construction works for the direct connection between Princes Highway and Heatherton Road, Dandenong commenced. ⁷

Southbank to Narre Warren

Approaching Albert Road:

Kings Way approaching Albert Rd (MR26) at South Melbourne, December 2006.

Image © Stuart Fox

ALT-NR1 Trailblazer:

ALT-NR1 trailblazer at Armadale, approaching Norwood Rd, April 2006.

Image © Stuart Fox

Heatherton Road / Eastlink Interchange:

Looking southwest along Princes Hwy (ALT-NR1) from the Heatherton Rd (MR14) and Eastlink (M3) interchange at Noble Park, February 2008.

Image © Peter McCallum

Heatherton Road / Eastlink Interchange:

Looking southwest along Princes Hwy (ALT-NR1) from the Heatherton Rd (MR14) and Eastlink (M3) interchange at Noble Park, February 2008.

Image © Peter McCallum

Narre Warren to Southbank

Heatherton Road / Eastlink Interchange:

Looking northeast along Princes Hwy (ALT-NR1) from the Heatherton Rd (MR14) and Eastlink (M3) interchange at Noble Park, February 2008.

Image © Peter McCallum

Intersection Directional Signs:

Southbound from Eastlink / Heatherton Rd interchange at Noble Park, February 2008.

Image © Peter McCallum

Changeable Lane Allocation Sign:

Changeable lane allocation sign, Malvern East, approaching Burke Rd (MR17), April 2006.

Image © Stuart Fox

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign on Princes Hwy at St Kilda East, December 2006.

Image © Stuart Fox

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign showing old NR1 shield approaching Queens Rd (ALT-NR1) and Kings Way (ALT-NR1) on Toorak Rd (MR26) at South Melbourne, December 2006.

Image © Stuart Fox

Supplemental Advance Directional Signs:

Supplemental AD signs on Kings Way (ALT-NR1) at South Melbourne, approaching Albert Rd (MR26), December 2006.

Image © Stuart Fox

Advance Directional Sign:

Small AD sign approaching Kings Way (ALT-NR1 / NR79, now SR60) on Sturt St, South Melbourne, October 2006.

Image © Stuart Fox