Airport Connection Road
  Airport Drive
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Freeway Entrance sign southbound from Sharps Road.
August 2008
 
     
     
 

Designated Names

Name List - Column 1 & 2
 Road Classification

Column 3

 Airport Connection Road Sharps Road, Tullamarine - Western Ring Road, Tullamarine Freeway #1280
  - Airport Drive Sharps Road, Tullamarine - Western Ring Road, Tullamarine Local name

Distance

in Kilometres

 1.5

Northern Terminus

Sharps Road, Tullamarine

Southern Terminus

Western Ring Road, Tullamarine

Opening

May 1997

Date of Declaration
 05/06/1997[1]
 
     
     
  Airport Drive (Airport Connection Road) is Victoria's shortest declared freeway at 1.5 km long. Its current purpose is to act as an access road between the industrial parks of Tullamarine/Melbourne Airport and the Western Ring Road, with provisions made for a future extension north to Melrose Drive.

Airport Drive was constructed as part of the Western Ring Road project, with funding provided by the federal government. Construction was completed by May 1997 and the road was opened at the same time as the Tullamarine Freeway to Calder Freeway section of the Western Ring Road[2].

The freeway at its opening was declared as 'Airport Drive' and classified as a 'Freeway Local Access Road'. By the time the Road Management Act 2004 came into effect in 2004, Airport Drive’s declared name was renamed to 'Airport Connection Road', with ‘Airport Drive’ retained as its local name to which is used on signs. In addition, the road was reclassified as a full 'freeway'.

VicRoads, as of 2008, has given no indication of plans to construct the northern section of Airport Drive between Sharps Road and Melrose Drive. 		 
     
  Events  
 
1997 May Airport Drive opened.
1997 June Airport Drive declared as 'Freeway Local Access Road'.
By 2004 Declared 'freeway' under the Road Management Act 2004.
 
     
     
  Interactive Maps  
   
     
     
  Photos  
 
Looking south into Airport Drive at Sharps Road.
August 2008
Freeway Entrance sign southbound from Sharps Road.
August 2008
Looking north at the proposed northern extension of Airport Connection Road at Sharps Road.
August 2008
National Highway sign northbound before Sharps Road.
March 2006
Northbound crossing Tullamarine Park Road.
March 2006
Northbound before Tullamarine Park Road.
March 2006
Southbound from Tullamarine Park Road.
March 2006
Advance Direction Sign southbound on Westfield Drive before Airport Drive.
April 2007
 
     
  [1] Victorian Government Gazette; 1997; pp. 1297
 [2] Victorian Auditor-General's Office (Australia); Road construction in Victoria: Major projects managed by VicRoads (Online). Available from: http://archive.audit.vic.gov.au/old/sr61/ags6102.htm; December 1999; Accessed 15/10/2008		  
 
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