Ballarat Road, Melbourne

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Ballarat Road, Melbourne

Top
Ballarat Road
Australian State Route 8.svg
Formerly Australian National Route 8.svg Australian National Route M8.svg
Length 15 km (9 mi)
Direction West-East
From Australian National Route M8.svg Western Freeway, Ravenhall, Melbourne
via Caroline Springs, Deer Park, Albion, Sunshine, Braybrook
To Australian State Route 83.svg Geelong Road,
Footscray, Melbourne
Major junctions Australian National Route M80.svg Western Ring Road

for full list see major intersections

Ballarat Road Australian State Route 8.svg (formerly known as the Western Highway) is a major urban arterial road in the western suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Contents

History

The road has historically been signed as Australian National Route 8.svg, but since the opening of the Western Ring Road the Deer Park section has been relegated to Australian National Route M8.svg, and the newly-completed Deer Park Bypass to Australian State Route 8.svg between Caroline Springs and Footscray (the inner city section has been decommissioned). The freeway was originally designated in the 1969 Melbourne Transportation Plan as part of the F12 Freeway corridor.

Geography

Ballarat Road starts at the Footscray junction of Geelong Road in Footscray and continues west through Maidstone, Braybrook, Sunshine, Albion, Cairnlea, Deer Park, Burnside, and the new Caroline Springs estate. The major junctions along the route include the Western Ring Road and the newly-completed Deer Park Bypass.

Transport

Tram route 82 runs along the Footscray section of Ballarat Road, between Gordon & Droop Streets. The Melton railway line from Southern Cross runs parallel to Ballarat Road from Sunshine about 1 km to the south, with stations at Albion, and Deer Park. Several bus routes run along Ballarat Road at various points (routes 215, 216, 220, 223, 256, 400, 406, 408, 410 and 456) with 456 continuing on the Western Freeway to Melton.

With three lanes running in each direction, between Deer Park and the Western Ring Road, this was one of the worst bottlenecks in western Melbourne with traffic reaching 70,000 vehicles per day, with 10 per cent of this consisting of heavy vehicles. This caused delays, in part due to seven traffic signals between the Western Ring Road and the start of the Western Freeway. With the completion of the Deer Park Bypass traffic volumes are predicted to decrease to local traffic standard since its opening on 5 April 2009.

Beyond that, to central Melbourne, losing its dual carriageway status at Braybrook and becoming another clogged two lane arterial road, including one small stretch, which shares the road with trams.

Major intersections and suburbs

Ballarat Road Australian State Route 8.svg
Westbound Distance from
Australian National Route M8.svg Western Freeway
(km)
Eastbound
End Ballarat Road Australian State Route 8.svg
continues as Western Freeway Australian National Route M8.svg
to Ballarat / Adelaide
0.0 Start Ballarat Road Australian State Route 8.svg
from Western Freeway Australian National Route M8.svg
Melbourne via Australian National Route M8.svg Freeway, Caroline Springs
Christies Road
Caroline Springs Boulevard Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
0.5 Caroline Springs, Melbourne via Australian National Route M8.svg Freeway
Caroline Springs Boulevard
Christies Road Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Tarneit, Burnside
Westwood Drive Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
2 Burnside, Tarneit
Westwood Drive Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Deer Park 4 Deer Park
Laverton, Taylors Lakes
Station Road Australian State Route 40.svg Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Taylors Lakes, Laverton
Station Road Australian State Route 40.svg Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Ballarat, Geelong, Adelaide; Seymour, Sydney
Western Ring Road Australian National Route M80.svg Melbourne / Avalon Airport Grade Separated Intersection Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
6 Greensborough, Seymour, Sydney; Melbourne, Geelong
Western Ring Road Australian National Route M80.svg Melbourne / Avalon Airport Grade Separated Intersection Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
BENDIGO RAIL LINE 8.3 BENDIGO RAIL LINE
St Albans
St Albans Road Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
8.7 St Albans
St Albans Road Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Altona, Taylors Lakes
Anderson Road Australian State Route 41.svg
McIntyre Road Australian State Route 41.svg
Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Taylors Lakes, Altona
McIntyre Road Australian State Route 41.svg
Anderson Road Australian State Route 41.svg
Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Sunshine 8.9 Sunshine
Braybrook, Sunshine North
Duke Street Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
10.5 Sunshine North, Braybrook
Duke Street Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Tottenham
Ashley Street Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
12 Tottenham, Yarraville
Ashley Street Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Maribyrnong
Mitchell Street Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Braybrook, Maribyrnong
Churchill Avenue Australian State Route 38.svg Australian State Route 39.svg Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
12.4 Maribyrnong, Braybrook
Churchill Avenue Australian State Route 38.svg Australian State Route 39.svg Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
West Footscray, Maribyrnong
Summerhill Road
Rosamond Road
Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
13.9 Maribyrnong, West Footscray
Rosamond Road
Summerhill Road
Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Williamstown, Essendon
Gordon Street Australian State Route 37.svg Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
14.4 Essendon, Williamstown
Gordon Street Australian State Route 37.svg Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Footscray
Droop Street Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
14.8 Footscray
Droop Street Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Ascot Vale
Farnsworth Avenue Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
14.9 Ascot Vale
Farnsworth Avenue Australian traffic lights ahead sign.png
Start Ballarat Road Australian State Route 8.svg
from Geelong Road Australian State Route 83.svg
15.5 End Ballarat Road Australian State Route 8.svg
continues as Geelong Road Australian State Route 83.svg
to Flemington / Parkville / Melbourne CBD

See also

References

Coordinates: 37°46′38″S 144°49′49″E / 37.77722°S 144.83028°E / -37.77722; 144.83028


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Mentioned in

Western Highway (Victoria)
Western Freeway (Victoria)