An example of Metropolitan Route Numbering - showing triplex of routes 5,22 and 26.
Planned by the Traffic commission in consultant with Municipal councils, a system to assign route numbers onto major roads throughout Melbourne was introduced in December of 1965. Metropolitan Routes (MR) are essentially State Routes, as they share the same guidelines such as colour scheme and route numbering hierarchy. They were referred to as Metropolitan Routes as they were numbered below 90 and limited to the metropolitan area.
A general rule was applied to the system - all even numbered routes traveled east to west, and odd numbered routes north to south; with the lowest value routes beginning from south to north, and then east to west. During the early years, the only exception was MR40, which traveled east to west along Bell Street and Manningham Rd; then north to south along Tram Rd, Station St and Huntingdale Road acting as a circumferential route around Melbourne's northern and eastern suburbs.
In the 1970's the frenzied construction of freeways in Melbourne prompted a special sub-group of numbering - freeway routes. These routes would be specifically assigned to freeways, as the name suggests, to help drivers to easily identify these major routes.
The success of the system relied on the effectiveness of its signage. Overall, since the beginning of the system, the level of signage has been sufficient enough to enable drivers to follow a particular route successfully. The blue-shield of the Metropolitan Routes is a recognisable feature on all signs leading up and along roads which are part of the system. The original signage practice was with the heavy use of trailblazers (standalone route number shields), which later also incorporated the use of shields on directional signs.
A general rule was applied to the system - all even numbered routes traveled east to west, and odd numbered routes north to south; with the lowest value routes beginning from south to north, and then east to west. During the early years, the only exception was MR40, which traveled east to west along Bell Street and Manningham Rd; then north to south along Tram Rd, Station St and Huntingdale Road acting as a circumferential route around Melbourne's northern and eastern suburbs.
In the 1970's the frenzied construction of freeways in Melbourne prompted a special sub-group of numbering - freeway routes. These routes would be specifically assigned to freeways, as the name suggests, to help drivers to easily identify these major routes.
The success of the system relied on the effectiveness of its signage. Overall, since the beginning of the system, the level of signage has been sufficient enough to enable drivers to follow a particular route successfully. The blue-shield of the Metropolitan Routes is a recognisable feature on all signs leading up and along roads which are part of the system. The original signage practice was with the heavy use of trailblazers (standalone route number shields), which later also incorporated the use of shields on directional signs.
As the metropolitan region of Melbourne expanded, the need to update the routes to reflect the new growth was first investigated by the the Road Construction Authority (RCA) in 1987 [1]. In 1989 [2], the RCA began the task of consolidating the overall layout of the system, which included introducing numerous new routes to cover the gaps since the 1965 introduction. In addition, routes were added to areas which had been incorporated into the greater metropolitan region - such as the Mornington Peninsula.
There were many changes to the original 1965 routes themselves; the biggest changes include the rerouting of MR40 and MR11, truncation of inner city routes, and the removal of freeway routes. More of this is outlined in 1989 Metropolitan Route Review section.
The new routes introduced were numbered in accordance with the general rule of allocating east-west routes even numbers, allocating north-south routes odd numbers and locating the smallest numbers in the south-east of the metropolitan area, increasing in an anti-clockwise direction.
However, when the initial route numbers were allocated, the roads which would later become part of the system were not known. Hence, in many cases, the number desired to fit the pattern was unavailable and thus the RCA was forced to number some routes in violation of the general rules. A good example of this is the MR12. It belongs between MR10 and MR14, however the absence of an east-west arterial route between these two routes has resulted in the number being allocated to the Greens Road etc. arterial route between Mordialloc and Hallam, south of MR10.
There were many changes to the original 1965 routes themselves; the biggest changes include the rerouting of MR40 and MR11, truncation of inner city routes, and the removal of freeway routes. More of this is outlined in 1989 Metropolitan Route Review section.
The new routes introduced were numbered in accordance with the general rule of allocating east-west routes even numbers, allocating north-south routes odd numbers and locating the smallest numbers in the south-east of the metropolitan area, increasing in an anti-clockwise direction.
However, when the initial route numbers were allocated, the roads which would later become part of the system were not known. Hence, in many cases, the number desired to fit the pattern was unavailable and thus the RCA was forced to number some routes in violation of the general rules. A good example of this is the MR12. It belongs between MR10 and MR14, however the absence of an east-west arterial route between these two routes has resulted in the number being allocated to the Greens Road etc. arterial route between Mordialloc and Hallam, south of MR10.
Since the major shake-up in 1989, there has been another major change to the system. Beginning in 1996, the new Statewide Route Numbering System (SRNS) was introduced into regional areas of Victoria. Metropolitan routes which lied on outer urban fringe were incorporated into the new system, with many routes which ventured outwards being truncated - their metropolitan half retaining its number, while the other half was replaced by a new alphanumeric number. Examples of this include MR34 in Lilydale, MR61 in Berwick and MR46 in Wattle Glen. Many of these routes were introduced in 1989, making them redundant in less than ten years.
In more recent years, there have been three additions to the system - Metropolitan Route 49 was introduced along Westall Rd as part of its upgrade in 1996; Metropolitan Route 55 in 2005 which replaced National Highway M31 and National Highway 31 along Sydney Rd and the former Hume Highway stretch; and Metropolitan Route 62 on the Ringwood Bypass and soon Mount Dandenong Road.
In more recent years, there have been three additions to the system - Metropolitan Route 49 was introduced along Westall Rd as part of its upgrade in 1996; Metropolitan Route 55 in 2005 which replaced National Highway M31 and National Highway 31 along Sydney Rd and the former Hume Highway stretch; and Metropolitan Route 62 on the Ringwood Bypass and soon Mount Dandenong Road.
The following links provide a snapshot of all the current Metropolitan Routes:
Routes 3 - 14
 |
Melbourne - Mornington via St Kilda Rd & Nepean Hwy |
 |
Frankston - Cranbourne via Frankston - Cranbourne Rd |
 |
Croydon - Lysterfield via Dorset & Lysterfield Rd |
 |
Carrum - Clyde North via Thompson Rd |
 |
Warrandyte South - Scoresby via Croydon & Bayswater |
 |
Wattle Glen - Frankston via Ringwood & Dandenong |
 |
Black Rock - Dandenong
via Cheltenham Rd |
 |
Aspendale - Rosebud via Mornington Peninsula Route |
 |
Braeside - Narre Warren via Greens & Hutton Rd |
 |
Doncaster East - Clayton via Blackburn Rd |
 |
Brighton - Harkaway via South & Heatherton Rd |
 |
Surrey Hills - Mentone via Warrigal Rd |
 |
Brighton East - Noble Park North
via Centre& Police Rd |
 |
Ivanhoe - Moorabbin
via Camberwell |
 |
Brighton East - Rowville via North & Wellington Rd |
 |
Kew - Black Rock
via Hawthorn |
 |
South Melbourne - Box Hill South
via Richmond & Camberwell |
 |
Reservoir - Toorak
via Kew |
 |
North Section: Ringwood East - Montrose via Mount Dandenong Rd (see MR62 below) |
|
South Section: Ripponlea - Upper Ferntree Gully via Ferntree Gully & Neerim Rd |
 |
Doncaster East - Aspendale Gardens via Mount Waverley & Clayton |
 |
Melbourne - Wantirna South via High St |
 |
Toorak - Hampton via Elsternwick |
 |
Middle Park - Upper Ferntree Gully via Toorak & Burwood Hwy |
 |
South Morang - Thornbury via Plenty Rd |
 |
Wantirna South - Sassafras via Mountain Hwy |
 |
Epping - Elwood via Reservoir & Hoddle St |
 |
Port Melbourne - Camberwell via Hawthorn |
 |
Laverton North - Montrose via Footscray & Vermont |
 |
Port Melbourne - Mordialloc via Beach Rd |
 |
 |
Somerton - Laverton
via Pascoe Vale & Williamstown |
 |
Hawthorn - The Basin
via Doncaster, Mitcham & Boronia |
|
 |
Essendon - Williamstown via Maribrynong |
 |
Sunshine - Fairfield via Brunswick |
 |
Greenvale - Altona via Tullamarine & Tottenham |
 |
Laverton - Edithvale
via Keilor, Heidelberg and Springvale |
 |
Taylors Lakes - Laverton
via Sunshine & Altona |
 |
|
 |
Port Melbourne - Melbourne Airport via Citylink & Tullamarine Fwy |
 |
Ivanhoe - Kangaroo Ground via Eltham |
 |
Reservoir - Fitzroy via St Georges Rd |
 |
Wattle Glen - Fitzroy
via Greensborough Hwy & Fairfield |
 |
Eltham - Oakleigh
via Doncaster & Box Hill |
 |
Tullamarine - Eltham via Campbellfield & Greensborough |
 |
Clayton - Keysborough via Westall Rd |
 |
Yarraville - Southbank via Dynon Rd |
 |
Balwyn North - Donvale via Doncaster East |
 |
Craigieburn - South Melbourne
via Sydney Rd |
 |
Laverton North - Newport
via Dohertys & Blackshaws Rd |
 |
Mernda - Eltham North
via Diamond Creek |
 |
Melbourne Airport - Plenty via Somerton & Epping |
 |
Narre Warren East - Berwick via Berwick & Harkaway Rd |
 |
Brooklyn - Clifton Hill via Princes Highway & Eastern Highway |
As explained in the above section, many routes have been decommissioned, heavily modified or truncated as a result of the 1989 changes and/or the introduction of the Statewide Route Numbering System (to a larger extent). These routes are listed below. Not included are routes which lie in Mornington Peninsula - click here for these routes.
Partially Decommissioned Routes:
Partially Decommissioned Routes:
 |
Mornington - Portsea
via Nepean Hwy & Point Nepean Rd |
 |
Cranbourne
via Berwick - Cranbourne Rd |
 |
Rowville - Clematis
via Wellington Rd |
 |
Montrose - Upper Ferntree Gully
via Mount Dandenong Rd |
 |
Upper Ferntree Gully - Emerald
via Belgrave |
 |
South Morang - Whittlesea
via Plenty Rd |
 |
Montrose - Lilydale
via Lilydale - Montrose Rd |
 |
Lilydale - Alexandra
via Maroondah Hwy |
 |
Greenvale - Craigieburn
via Mickleham Rd |
 |
Melbourne Airport - Sunbury via Sunbury & Gap Rd |
 |
Wattle Glen - Hurstbridge via Heidelberg - Kinglake Rd |
 |
Berwick - Clyde via Berwick - Cranbourne Rd |
|
Clifton Hill - Nunawading via Eastern Freeway |
Fully Decommissioned Routes:
 |
Melbourne - Heidelberg via Yarra Bvd |
 |
Melton - Keilor via Melton Hwy |
 |
Lilydale - Cranbourne via Belgrave & Narre Warren |
 |
Melbourne - Toorak via South Eastern Fwy (now Citylink) |
 |
Western Ring Road Metropolitan Ring Road |
 |
-
The First Routes (1966)
-
Metropolitan Route Signage
- State Routes (Regional Victoria)
[2] Vicroads (Roads Corporation); Annual Report 1989/90; June 1990; p.26
[3] Vicroads (Roads Corporation); Traffic Engineering Manual Volume 2 - Signs and Markings; Dec 2001; Chapter 10.2. In addition, correspondence from Vicroads staff in August 2007 indicates that this route will be introduced to coincide with the opening of Eastlink.