M1 Princes Freeway/Highway East

M1 - Princes Freeway/Highway East

Narre Warren - Morwell

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Princes Highway eastbound from Trafalgar.
Dec 2004

Designated Names Name List - Column 1 & 2 Road Classification Column 3	Princes Freeway East	Monash Freeway / Princes Highway - Gordon Road (Yarragon)	Freeway #1510
	Princes Highway East	Gordon Street (Yarragon) - Kenny Road (Trafalgar)	Arterial #6510
	Princes Freeway East	Kenny Street (Trafalgar) - Morwell-Traralgon Road	Freeway #1510
	Princes Highway East	Morwell-Traralgon Road - Tyers Road	Arterial #6510
Distance in Kilometres	125.5
Western Terminus	Monash Freeway / Princes Highway, Narre Warren
Eastern Terminus	Tyers Road, Traralgon
Route Numbering	National Route 1 (1955) M1 (1997)
Continuation Route Numbering	M1 Monash Freeway west of Princes Highway (Alternative National Route 1) A1 Princes Highway East east of Tyers Road (C477)

The M1 - Princes Highway and Freeway - is a major interstate highway linking Melbourne with the Latrobe Valley and East Gippsland, namely the provincial towns of Traralgon, Sale, Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance. Intially, the route was built as a single carriagway two lane road, but as the traffic increased in the 1970's due to rural activity and coal mining for power production. As a result, the Princes Highway and Freeway were progressively upgraded to freeway standard - including bypasses of key towns along the route.

The formation of the Princes Highway began in the 1800's as settlers pushed through Gippsland for fertile farming land. At the turn of the century, the discovery of coal in the Latrobe Valley fuelled development, turning the route is a major thorughfare.

In 1960, the first realignment of the Princes Highway took place at Hernes Oak due to the expansion of the Yallourn coal mine. This prompted bypasses of towns in the Latrobe Valley, as soon the road began to exceed capacity. The devitaion between Moe and Morwell was opened in 1964, and a new crossing of the Morwell River was opened on 1972.

Notable Events:

1959/60 - Hernes Oak realignment constructed

1963/64 - Moe/Morwell deviation

1968/69 -Traralgon-Maffra rail line bridge

1971/72 - Morwell River bridges

1981- Drouin Bypass opened

1985 - Warragul Bypass opened

1983 - Berwick Bypass opened

1989 - Dual Carriageway from Beaconsfield to the Bunyip River

1989 - Small deviations at Garfield North and Bunyip with construction of dual carriageway

1990 - Start of Morwell Bypass construction.

1992 - Morwell Bypass completed.

1994 - Longwarry North Bypass

1993 to 2001 - Numerous improvements between Nilma and Trafalgar, including graded interchanges at Nilma and Darnum.

Explore M1 Princes Highway/Freeway East:

History of Princes Highway/Freeway East
Photos
National Route 1 Historic Photos

Former Alignments:

Pakenham
Berwick to Beaconsfield
Bunyip North
Tynong North
Longwarry North
Drouin and Warragul
Moe and Morwell