Great Alpine Road

Great Alpine Road
Victoria
Map of the Great Alpine Road in eastern Victoria
General information
Type Highway
Length 303 km (188 mi)
Opened 1998
Route number(s) B500
Former
route number
  • State Route 156 (1986–1996)
  • Wangaratta-Omeo
    as Ovens Highway & Alpine Road
  • State Route 195 (1986–1996)
  • Omeo-Bairnsdale as Omeo Highway
Major junctions
NW end
 
for full list see major intersections
SE end
Location(s)
Major settlements Myrtleford, Ovens, Bright, Harrietville, Mount Hotham, Dinner Plain, Omeo, Swifts Creek, Ensay, Bruthen
Highway system
Highways in Australia
National Highway • Freeways in Australia
Highways in Victoria

The Great Alpine Road (B500)[1][2][3] is a country tourist road in Victoria, Australia, running from Wangaratta in the north to Bairnsdale in the east, and passing through the Victorian Alps. The road was given its current name because it was considered the mountain equivalent to Victoria's world famous Great Ocean Road in the south-west of the state.

Route details

The Great Alpine Road[4] winds through mountains, valleys and forests, and past rivers, vineyards and farms. At a length of 303 kilometres (188 mi), it is Australia's highest year-round accessible sealed road. The section over Mount Hotham rises to an altitude of 1,840 metres (6,040 ft) AMSL.[5] It is blanketed with snow during winter months and must be cleared on a daily basis. Extreme weather conditions can sometimes still result in the road being closed between Harrietville and Omeo.

The Great Alpine Road links Victoria's North East with Gippsland. It was completed with the sealing of the section between Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain and was officially opened on 4 April 1998. The road itself has existed since colonial times in some form, but was unsealed for much of its history, and was only given the Great Alpine Road designation after being fully sealed.

The current Great Alpine Road includes the former Ovens Highway from Wangaratta to Bright, and a former section of the Omeo Highway from Omeo to Bruthen,[6] along with the section of the Princes Highway from Bruthen to Bairnsdale. Attractions include the Mount Buffalo National Park, the popular tourist town of Bright, the Mount Hotham and Dinner Plain alpine resorts, the historic gold rush township of Omeo, the folk art sculpture Mr. Stringy, and stunning views and challenging driving along its length.

Also in the region is the 3,600 hectares (8,900 acres) Cassilis historic area. Once a thriving mining town, it contains gold-mining relics and a lonely cemetery.[7]

Gallery of some notable sights

Major Intersections, Towns and Resorts

Great Alpine Road
Northbound Distance to
Wangaratta
(km)		 Distance to
Bairnsdale
(km)		 Southbound
T-Intersection (clockwise from highway)
Parfitt Road to Wangaratta and Yarrawonga
Parfitt Road to Wodonga
End Great Alpine Road 1 306 Start Great Alpine Road
Wodonga, Sydney
Hume Freeway 		5 302 Wodonga, Sydney
Hume Freeway
Seymour, Melbourne
Hume Freeway 		6 301 Seymour, Melbourne
Hume Freeway
Beechworth, Yackandandah
Beechworth-Wangaratta Road 		12 295 Beechworth, Yackandandah
Beechworth-Wangaratta Road
Beechworth
Buckland Road 		35 272 Beechworth
Buckland Road
Milawa, Glenrowan
Snow Road 		41 266 Milawa, Glenrowan
Snow Road
Yackandandah
Myrtleford-Yackandandah Road 		46 261 Yackandandah
Myrtleford-Yackandandah Road
Myrtleford
Lake Buffalo
Buffalo River Road 		47 260 Lake Buffalo
Buffalo River Road
Myrtleford
Ovens 51 256 Ovens
Mount Beauty
Happy Valley Road 		Mount Beauty
Happy Valley Road
Porepunkah 70 237 Porepunkah
Mount Buffalo
Mount Buffalo Road 		71 236 Mount Buffalo
Mount Buffalo Road
Bright 77 230 Bright
Mount Beauty
Tawonga Gap Road 		83 224 Mount Beauty
Tawonga Gap Road
Harrietville 101 206 Harrietville
Mount Hotham 132 175 Mount Hotham
Dinner Plain 143 164 Dinner Plain
Omeo 186 121 Omeo
Benambra, Tallangatta
Omeo Highway 		187 120 Benambra, Tallangatta
Omeo Highway
Swifts Creek 213 94 Swifts Creek
Ensay 231 76 Ensay
Bruthen 282 25 Buchan, Orbost
Bruthen-Buchan Road
Buchan, Orbost
Bruthen-Buchan Road 		Bruthen
Swan Reach
Sarsfield-Tambo Upper Road 		286 21 Swan Reach
Sarsfield-Tambo Upper Road
Start Great Alpine Road 305 2 End Great Alpine Road
Roundabout (clockwise from highway)
Princes Highway to Lakes Entrance and Orbost
Princes Highway to Bairnsdale and Melbourne

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Great Alpine Road.

References

  1. ↑ "Map NE Victoria". vic roads. p. p16. Retrieved 09/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help) size 2.4MB
  2. ↑ "Google Maps". 2009 Google – Map data 2009 MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, PSMA. Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ↑ State Route 156 – Ovens Highway, Main Roads Victoria. Retrieved on 23 September 2013.
  4. ↑ "Great Alpine Road". Tourism Victoria. Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  5. ↑ "Mt Hotham Section". 2009 Google – Map data 2009 MapData Sciences Pty Ltd, PSMA. Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  6. ↑ 8423 Omeo, Victoria, Topographic Map. National Topographic Map Series (1 ed.). Commonwealth of Australia. 1982.
  7. ↑ "Great Alpine Road". Discover East Gippsland. Retrieved 30 September 2013.

External links

"Great Alpine Road – Tourism Victoria". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
"Australian Traveller". Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
"Sydney – Melbourne Touring". Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
"Victoria's Alpine High Country". Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
"NRMA Motoring Services". Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
"Discover East Gippsland". Retrieved 10/02/2009. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)