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| Tullamarine Freeway | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tullamarine Freeway |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Victoria |
| Type | Freeway |
| Length | 13 km |
| Established | 1970s |
| Direction a | South |
| Direction b | North |
| Terminus a | CityLink |
| Terminus b | Melbourne Airport |
Tullamarine Freeway The Tullamarine Freeway is a major arterial freeway in Victoria connecting central Melbourne with Melbourne Airport, serving as a primary link for commuters, freight, and aviation passengers. It intersects with key transport corridors and infrastructure such as CityLink, Western Ring Road, and M80 Ring Road, and is integrally connected to urban nodes including Essendon Fields, Sunshine North, and Fawkner. The corridor plays a pivotal role in metropolitan transport planning alongside projects by agencies like VicRoads, Major Road Projects Victoria, and Western Distributor Authority.
The route begins at the southern interchange with CityLink near Dynon, proceeding northwest past industrial precincts including Docklands and Footscray before crossing the Maribyrnong River corridor near Essendon. It continues through suburban suburbs such as Keilor East, Gowanbrae, and Gladstone Park adjacent to freight hubs like South Dynon Terminal and logistics centres at Airport West. Significant crossings include the M80 Ring Road interchange, the Melbourne Airport Rail corridor, and the junction with the Western Freeway near Sunshine. The freeway terminates at the access roads for Melbourne Airport and adjacent facilities including the Federal Government-owned airport precinct and airline operators such as Qantas, Virgin Australia, and Jetstar.
Early planning in the 1950s involved metropolitan studies by Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works and proposals linked to the Melbourne Transportation Plan of 1969. The corridor was progressively developed through the 1970s and 1980s with involvement from state authorities including Victorian Country Roads Board and Department of Transport (Victoria), influenced by postwar growth in aviation exemplified by carriers like Ansett Australia and infrastructure advances at Tullamarine Airport Terminal expansions. Funding and political decisions involved administrations like the Victorian Government (state) under premiers such as Henry Bolte and John Cain Jr. and later infrastructure pushes under leaders associated with Jeff Kennett. Community responses drew on advocacy from groups like Municipal Association of Victoria and local councils including City of Hume and City of Moonee Valley.
Design standards referenced documents from Standards Australia and engineering consultancies such as AECOM and GHD. Construction packages were tendered to contractors including Leighton Contractors and John Holland (company), employing techniques from prestressed concrete bridgework found in projects like the Bolte Bridge and road surfacing technologies used on the Monash Freeway. Key structural elements include multi-span bridges over the Organ Pipes National Park approach corridors, reinforced earthworks near Merri Creek, and sound attenuation measures reflecting precedents at EastLink. The design integrated drainage tied to the Maribyrnong River floodplain studies and environmental assessments by agencies such as EPA Victoria.
Major interchanges include connections with CityLink at the southern terminus, a complex junction with the M80 Ring Road/Western Ring Road near Fawkner, access ramps to Airport Drive and Melbourne Airport terminals, and slip roads serving Tullamarine Freeway Service Roads adjacent to commercial zones like Essendon Fields Airport Business Park. The interchange geometries drew on Interstate design guidance comparable to projects like Hoddle Street upgrades and incorporated traffic management systems similar to those used on the West Gate Freeway and Monash Freeway.
The corridor serves mixed traffic including passengers, freight operators like Toll Group and Linfox, and airport shuttles run by firms such as SkyBus. Peak flows are concentrated towards Melbourne CBD and airport terminals during morning and evening peaks, with freight peaks influenced by logistics operations at Port of Melbourne and rail intermodal terminals at Sunnyside Yard. While CityLink operates tolled sections elsewhere managed by Transurban, the freeway itself has historically been untolled for general motorists; arrangements around access to airport car parks involve commercial tolling and charging by operators like Melbourne Airport Corporation and private parking providers such as Wilson Parking and Secure Parking.
Notable incidents include multi-vehicle collisions prompting emergency responses coordinated by Victoria Police, Victoria State Emergency Service, and Ambulance Victoria, and disruptions during events such as Black Saturday bushfires and severe weather linked to Bureau of Meteorology records. Upgrades over time have included lane widening, intelligent transport systems supplied by firms like Siemens and Indra Sistemas, and resurfacing projects commissioned by Major Road Projects Victoria. Improvements took cues from corridor enhancements on CityLink and safety audits from Australian Road Research Board.
Planning documents from Victorian Planning Authority and transport strategies by Infrastructure Victoria discuss integration with proposed projects including Melbourne Airport Rail and potential extensions linked to Western Highway and freight bypass concepts modeled after Inland Rail. Stakeholder consultations involve City of Hume, Victorian Greens, and aviation industry groups like Australian Federation of Travel Agents and Airservices Australia. Environmental assessments, funding models involving public–private partnerships similar to East West Link (proposed) debates, and community submissions to bodies like the Planning Minister (Victoria) will shape future modifications and capacity upgrades.
Category:Highways in Victoria (state)