In
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India
* Victoria (state), a state of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital
* Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
, Highway 1 is a long
route that follows the coastline of the state, from the
New South Wales
New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
border near
Genoa
Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...
to the
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...
n border near
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...
. Highway 1 continues around the rest of
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, joining all mainland
state capitals, and connecting major centres in
Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
. All roads within the Highway 1 system are allocated a road route numbered 1, M1, A1, or B1, depending on the state
route numbering system. In Victoria, the highway is designated as route M1 between Traralgon and Colac, and route A1 elsewhere.
History
Highway 1 was created as part of the
National Route Numbering system, adopted in 1955. The route was compiled from an existing network of
state
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
and
local
Local may refer to:
Geography and transportation
* Local (train), a train serving local traffic demand
* Local, Missouri, a community in the United States
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Local'' (comics), a limited series comic book by Bria ...
roads and tracks.
Route description
The Victorian section of Highway 1 travels south from the New South Wales border to
Morwell
Morwell is a town in the Latrobe Valley area of Gippsland, in South-Eastern Victoria, Australia approximately 152 km (94 mi) east of Melbourne.
Morwell has a population of 14,389 people at the .
It is both the capital and administra ...
as the
Princes Highway
Princes Highway is a major road in Australia, extending from Sydney via Melbourne to Adelaide through the states of New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), Victoria and South Australia. It has a length of (along Highway 1) or via the former ...
. The highway then becomes the M1 motorway, following the
Princes Freeway
Princes Freeway is a Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell in the east. It continues beyond these extremities as the Princes ...
to the
Melbourne
Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
suburb of
Berwick, and then the
Monash Freeway
The Monash Freeway is a major urban freeway in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, linking Melbourne's CBD to its south-eastern suburbs and beyond to the Gippsland region. It carries up to 180,000 vehicles per day and is one of Australi ...
to central Melbourne. Highway 1, as the
CityLink Tollway bypasses the actual city centre, connecting to the
West Gate Freeway
The West Gate Freeway is a major freeway in Melbourne, the busiest urban freeway and the busiest road in Australia, carrying upwards of 200,000 vehicles per day. It links Geelong (via the Princes Freeway) and Melbourne's western suburbs to ...
. Beyond the
Western Ring Road
The M80 Ring Road (also known simply as the Ring Road or by the names of its constituent parts; the Western Ring Road and the Metropolitan Ring Road) is a partially complete urban freeway ring road around Melbourne, Australia. This article wi ...
interchange, the route is once again named Princes Freeway, which leads to
Geelong
Geelong ( ) (Wathawurrung language, Wathawurrung: ''Djilang''/''Djalang'') is a port city in Victoria, Australia, located at the eastern end of Corio Bay (the smaller western portion of Port Phillip Bay) and the left bank of Barwon River (Victo ...
, with the dual carriageway M1 ending in Winchelsea. Highway 1 continues, designated as A1, along the rest of the Princes Highway, through to the South Australian border, west of
Dartmoor
Dartmoor is an upland area in southern Devon, South West England. The moorland and surrounding land has been protected by National Park status since 1951. Dartmoor National Park covers .
The granite that forms the uplands dates from the Carb ...
.
The following sections, which are
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...
s or
dual carriageways, are designated as route M1:
*
Princes Freeway
Princes Freeway is a Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell in the east. It continues beyond these extremities as the Princes ...
from Traralgon to Berwick.
**Eastern extension of dual carriageway M1 to
Sale built, however route number is yet to be changed to M1.
*
Monash Freeway
The Monash Freeway is a major urban freeway in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, linking Melbourne's CBD to its south-eastern suburbs and beyond to the Gippsland region. It carries up to 180,000 vehicles per day and is one of Australi ...
from Berwick to Central Melbourne.
*
CityLink
CityLink is a network of tollways in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, linking the Tullamarine Freeway, Tullamarine, West Gate Freeway, West Gate and Monash Freeways and incorporating Bolte Bridge, Burnley Tunnel and other ...
(southern link section): Central Melbourne (through
Domain
A domain is a geographic area controlled by a single person or organization. Domain may also refer to:
Law and human geography
* Demesne, in English common law and other Medieval European contexts, lands directly managed by their holder rather ...
and
Burnley Tunnel
The Burnley Tunnel is a tollway tunnel in Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia, which carries traffic eastbound from the West Gate Freeway to the Monash Freeway. It is part of the CityLink Tollway operated by Transurban. Running under the Yarra Riv ...
s).
*
West Gate Freeway
The West Gate Freeway is a major freeway in Melbourne, the busiest urban freeway and the busiest road in Australia, carrying upwards of 200,000 vehicles per day. It links Geelong (via the Princes Freeway) and Melbourne's western suburbs to ...
from Melbourne to West Gate Interchange.
** Massive re-construction in progress as part of the M1 Upgrade.
** The M1 freeway upgrade receives an ITS Australia award.
*
Princes Freeway
Princes Freeway is a Australian freeway, divided into two sections, both located in Victoria, Australia. The freeway links Melbourne to Geelong in the west, and to Morwell in the east. It continues beyond these extremities as the Princes ...
from West Gate Interchange to Corio.
*
Geelong Ring Road
The Geelong Ring Road (formerly known as the Geelong Bypass and the Geelong Outer Freeway, officially part of Princes Freeway West) is a freeway ring road in Australia beside Geelong's western suburbs from the Princes Freeway at Corio to the P ...
from Corio to Waurn Ponds.
* Dual carriageway M1 continues to
Colac.
**M1 under construction to Colac & Camperdown.
References
See also
*
Highway 1 (New South Wales)
In New South Wales, Highway 1 is a long route that crosses the state, from the Queensland/New South Wales border near Tweed Heads to the Victorian border near Timbillica. It provides the main coastal route between and via . Highway 1 co ...
*
Highway 1 (Northern Territory)
In the Northern Territory, Highway 1 is a long route with a long spur, that connects Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin to northern Western Australia and Queensland. The route traverses the territory, from the Western Australian border near K ...
*
Highway 1 (Queensland)
*
Highway 1 (South Australia)
In South Australia, Highway 1 is a long route that follows the coastline of the state, from the Victoria (Australia), Victorian border near Mount Gambier to the Western Australian border near Eucla. Highway 1 continues around the rest of Austr ...
*
Highway 1 (Tasmania)
In Tasmania, Highway 1 is a long route that connects Hobart to the state's north coast, and to Launceston, Tasmania, Launceston via a long spur. Highway 1 also exists on the mainland of Australia, linking the state capitals via a circular rou ...
*
Highway 1 (Western Australia)
In Western Australia, Highway 1 is a long route around the state, from the South Australian border near Eucla, Western Australia, Eucla to the Northern Territory border near Kununurra, Western Australia, Kununurra. Highway 1 continues around t ...
{{Road infrastructure in Victoria
Highways in Victoria (state)