Goulburn Valley Freeway

The Goulburn Valley Freeway^[1] is a rural freeway located in northern Victoria, Australia. The freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway (together with Hume Freeway) network and is the main link between these two cities as well as a major link between Victoria and inland New South Wales. It is also the most direct route to the major regional centre of Shepparton in Victoria (via the Hume Freeway of course). The freeway roughly follows the course of the Goulburn River and has made sections from the original of Goulburn Valley Highway redundant, either incorporating into the new freeway or acting as local access roads. The entire freeway is covered with a speed limit of 110 km/h, the standard speed limit for rural freeways in Australia.

Past and future development

The Goulburn Valley Highway exit to Seymour and Yea near the Hume Freeway.

The Goulburn Valley Highway is defined as a National Highway which means the Australian Government fully funds improvements to it. It is progressively being upgraded to freeway standard and will ultimately bypass all towns between the junction with the Hume Freeway and the New South Wales border.

Freeway Upgrade

The Goulburn Valley Highway is defined as a Road of National Importance (RONI) which means the Australian Government fully funds improvements to it. It is progressively being upgraded to freeway standard with the goal to ultimately bypass all towns between the Hume Freeway and north of Shepparton.

Timeline of upgrade

• 2001 - Hume Freeway to Nagambie. 16 km opened in April 2001, at a cost of $A53m. The opening ceremony was held in a new south-bound rest area and was attended by representatives of the local Taungurung Aboriginal People, who referred to the significance of the relocated ‘scarred tree’, which had been relocated as part of the project.^[2]

• 2003 - Murchison East deviation. 18 km opened to traffic on 18 February 2003, almost eleven months early, at a cost of $A88.9m.^[3]

• 2008 – 10 km Arcadia section duplication, from north of the Murchison-Violet Town Road interchange to Gribben Road, south of Shepparton. Opened in June 2008, at a cost of A$40.5m.^[4]

• 2013 - Nagambie bypass. 17 km bypass opened at the end of April, 2013.^[5]

Arcadia Duplication

The duplication is a $40.55 million project funded by the Australian Government as part of its Auslink Program. The works involve duplication of 11 km of the existing Goulburn Valley Highway between the Murchison East deviation and the proposed Shepparton Bypass, just north of Ross Road.

The highway will carry an estimated 6,500 vehicles per day, including more than 2,000 commercial vehicles. The freeway will cut travel time and significantly improve the safety of this section of the Goulburn Valley Highway.

It will incorporate four at-grade intersections, frontage access roads, a rest area with full facilities, and installation of wire rope safety barriers.

The Arcadia section runs adjacent to the Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue of Honour. A Conservation Management Plan has been developed in consultation with Heritage Victoria to ensure that impact on the significant Calder Woodburn Memorial Avenue of Honour is minimised. The plans included measures to enhance and highlight the avenue of trees.

Start Date: June 2006 Completion Date: Open to traffic February 2008, with final completion of all works in April 2008 Cost: $40.55 million funded by the Australian Government

Nagambie Bypass

Nagambie Bypass, to be funded by Auslink 2 (2009–2014). Bypassing the town of Nagambie to the east, funding was announced in 2009,^[6] and construction commenced in December 2009 with the bypass opening to traffic in April 2013.^[5]

Costed at $222 million, $177.6 million was contributed by the Australian Government, with the remaining $44.4 million from the State Government.^[7] The project was made up of two sections: duplicating the existing highway north of Nagambie for 3.5 km between Kirwans Bridge-Longwood Road and Moss Road (completed in November 2011), and the 13.5 km bypass road from Mitchellstown Road to Kirwans Bridge-Longwood Road.^[7]

Start Date: December 2009 Completion Date: Open to traffic April 2013.^[5]

Shepparton Bypass

An alignment for the Shepparton bypass has been decided. The bypass will cross the Goulburn River at Toolamba and travel west of Mooroopna rejoining the existing highway north of Congupna.

Proposed Shepparton Bypass to be funded by Auslink 2 (2009–2014).

Strathmerton Deviation

This realignment will bypass the small townships of Strathmerton and Yarroweyah and avoid dangerous bends south of the Murray River crossing at Tocumwal.

Proposed Strathmerton Deviation to be funded by Auslink 2 (2009–2014).

Exits & intersections

Goulburn Valley Freeway
Northbound exits / intersections	Distance to Shepparton (km)	Distance to Melbourne (km)	Southbound exits / intersections
End Goulburn Valley Freeway continues as Goulburn Valley Highway to Shepparton, Tocumwal and Brisbane	16	173	Start Goulburn Valley Freeway from Goulburn Valley Highway
Ross Road / Karramomus Road
Doyles Road	18	171	Doyles Road
Arcadia, Tamleugh West Arcadia Road	20	169	Tamleugh West, Arcadia Arcadia Road
Euroa Arcadia Two Chain Road	21	168	Euroa Arcadia Two Chain Road
Zocks Road	21.5	167.5	Zocks Road
Arcadia Noonans Road	23	166	Noonans Road
Baliffs Road	25	164	Baliffs Road
Murchison, Violet Town Murchison-Violet Town Road	27	162	Violet Town, Murchison Murchison-Violet Town Road
Douglas Road / Burkes Road	31	158	Burkes / Douglas Road
Murchison East, Monea Dargalong Road	36	153	Monea, Murchison East Dargalong Road
Murchison, Rushworth, Tatura Wahring-Murchison East Road	39	150	no exit
Wahring, Euroa Wahring-Euroa Road	42	147	Euroa, Wahring Wahring-Euroa Road
Caltex SERVICE CENTRE
Nagambie, Longwood Kirwans Bridge-Longwood Road	46	143	Nagambie, Longwood, Heathcote Kirwans Bridge-Longwood Road
Nagambie, Heathcote, Avenel Mitchellstown Road	59	130	Avenel, Nagambie Mitchellstown Road
Aerodrome Road	65	124	Aerodrome Road
Mangalore Gerrards Road	68	121	Mangalore Gerrards Road
Selectors Road / Nalinga Road	73	116	Nalinga Road / Selectors Road
Start Goulburn Valley Freeway from Hume Freeway	75	114	Seymour, Yea Goulburn Valley Highway
			Wodonga, Sydney Hume Freeway
			End Goulburn Valley Freeway continues as Hume Freeway to Melbourne

See also

• Freeways in Australia
• Freeways in Victoria

References

Road infrastructure in Victoria Freeways Calder Freeway Goulburn Valley Freeway Hume Freeway Princes Freeway (Geelong Ring Road) Western Freeway Highways Bass Highway Bellarine Highway Borung Highway Calder Highway Calder Alternative Highway Glenelg Highway Goulburn Valley Highway Hamilton Highway Henty Highway Hopkins Highway Kiewa Valley Highway Loddon Valley Highway Mallee Highway Maroondah Highway McIvor Highway Melba Highway Midland Highway Monaro Highway Murray Valley Highway Nepean Highway Northern Highway Omeo Highway Princes Highway Pyrenees Highway South Gippsland Highway Strzelecki Highway Sturt Highway Sunraysia Highway Surf Coast Highway Warburton Highway Western Highway Western Port Highway Wimmera Highway Bypass routes Old Hume Highway Old Princes Highway Princes Highway (Geelong) Tourist routes Great Alpine Road Great Ocean Road Murray Valley Highway Phillip Island Road