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 involved 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 carries an estimated 6,500 vehicles per day, including more than 2,000 commercial vehicles. The freeway cuts travel time and significantly improves the safety of this section of the Goulburn Valley Highway.

It incorporates 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

LGA	LocationGoogle Maps	km	mi	Destinations	Notes
Greater Shepparton	Arcadia	173	107	Ross Road / Karramomus Road	continues as Goulburn Valley Highway
		171	106	Doyles Road
		169	105	Arcadia Road – Arcadia, Tamleugh West
Strathbogie	Arcadia South	168	104	Arcadia Two Chain Road – Euroa
		167.5	104.1	Zocks Road
		166	103	Noonans Road – Arcadia
		164	102	Baliffs Road
	Moorilim	162	101	Murchison-Violet Town Road (C345) – Murchison, Violet Town
		158	98	Douglas Road / Burkes Road
	Wahring	153	95	Dargalong Road – Murchison East, Monea
		150	93	Wahring-Murchison East Road – Murchison, Rushworth, Tatura
		147	91	Wahring-Euroa Road – Euroa	Caltex Service Centre
	Kirwans Bridge	143	89	Kirwans Bridge-Longwood Road – Nagambie, Longwood
	Tabilk	130	81	Mitchellstown Road (C346/C392) – Nagambie, Heathcote, Avenel
	Mangalore	124	77	Aerodrome Road – Mangalore Airport, Avanel
		121	75	Gerrards Road – Mangalore
		116	72	Selectors Road / Nalinga Road
Mitchell	Seymour	114	71	Hume Freeway – Wodonga Sydney	continues as Goulburn Valley Highway
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

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