Expressway - The Australian Highway Site: Road Photos & Information: NSW: M31 (Berrima to Goulburn)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Hume Motorway and Hume Highway (M31)

Berrima to Goulburn

Statistics:

Length:: 513 km (Berrima to Goulburn: 60 km)
Termini:: Northern: Westlink (M7) and South Western Mwy (M5) at Prestons; Southern: NSW-VIC Border at Albury
Miscellaneous:: Continues as Hume Freeway (M31) at the Victorian border
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:: Sutton Forest, Marulan and Goulburn

Route Numbering:

Current: M31
Former: 31 31
Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹: HW2

General Information:

The Hume Highway is one of Australia's most vital highway links. Providing access between Sydney and Melbourne, Australia's 2 largest cities. The National Highway section of the Hume Highway consists of 100% dual carriageway road, either rural expressway or motorway standard.

In NSW, the highway in one form or another started life as the Great South Road, linking Sydney with the southern highlands and eventually beyond. The highway was named in 1928 after Hamilton Hume (1797-1873), a famous explorer in the early 19th century who, in 1824, in conjunction with William Hovell first found an overland route between Sydney and the infant colonial outpost of Port Phillip, the original name of Melbourne.

M31 is the main freight and commuter route between Sydney and Melbourne and has gone through a massive amount of transformation over the past 30 or so years, with many towns being bypassed along its route as well and gradual upgrades to motorway standards. Since the 1960s, the road has either been duplicated, where alignments allow for it, and also large deviations have also been part of the upgrade process.

The route around the Mittagong area averages around 16 000 vehicles every day, in other sections the number drops off a little or closer to Sydney increases. ²

The route forms the Remembrance Driveway which honours war veterans.

Here are some interesting statistics on the Hume Highway bypasses: ⁴

: The Goulburn Bypass is 13 km of concrete dual carriageway.

History:

: 1914: Sydney-Melbourne road (Great South Road) is declared a main road.; 1928: Sections of Great South Road renamed to Hume Highway.; 1930s: The Marulan section of Hume Hwy was concreted from Mt. Otway to Marulan South.; 1931: Lorry checking station built at Marulan.³; 1939: 95% (557 km) of the Hume Highway paved with a bituminous surface. ³; 1950s: In 1952, a group of citizens met and formed a committee under Lt-General Sir Frank Berryman to create a national memorial to servicemen by using trees and shrubs as living memorials. The NSW Premier, J J Cahill, officially launched the scheme on 9 December 1953. The Remembrance Driveway project as it was called started on 5 February 1954, when trees were planted at either end of the Driveway at the War Memorial, Canberra, and in Macquarie Place, Sydney, by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. By June 1959, 10 000 trees had been planted. Since then, planting of trees in avenues or groves has continued. When the M5 Motorway replaced the Hume Highway (and also Camden Valley Way) south of Liverpool, it became the focus for planting trees and shrubs in remembrance. ⁴; 1958 Truck weigh station built further out of Marulan along the highway, replacing the one built in 1931. ²; 1970: Dual carriageway and new bridges built, bypassing the old bridge from 1930s at Boxers Creek, north of Goulburn. ⁴; 1986: Marulan Bypass opens, with new truck weigh stations (those were built in 1985). ⁵; 1992: Goulburn Bypass open.; 2013: National Highway 31 replaced by M31.

Berrima to Goulburn

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Sutton Forest, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Golden Vale Rd in Sutton Forest, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Golden Vale Road:

Hume Mwy (M31) at the Golden Vale Rd junction in Sutton Forest, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Services Sign:

Services sign at Sutton Forest approaching Mackey VC Rest Area, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Illawarra Hwy (A48) at Sutton Forest, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Illawarra Hwy (A48) at Sutton Forest, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Services Sign:

Services sign at Sutton Forest approaching Mackey VC Rest Area, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Services Sign:

Services sign at Sutton Forest for Sallys Corner Road interchange, which connects with the Sutton Forest service centre, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Mackey VC Rest Area:

Hume Mwy (M31) at Sutton Forest at the entrance to Mackey VC Rest Area, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Illawarra Highway Interchange:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the Illawarra Hwy (A48) interchange, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Illawarra Highway Interchange:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the Illawarra Hwy (A48) interchange, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Sutton Forest, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Sallys Corner Rd at Sutton Forest, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Sallys Corner Road Interchange & Service Centre:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the Salls Corner Rd interchange and Sutton Forest Service Centre, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Marulan approaching George St, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign for the Heavy Vehicle Checking Station, Marulan, August 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the George St interchange in Marulan for the Heavy Vehicle Checking Station, August 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Southbound M31 AD sign on George St Marulan, August 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on the southbound ramp from George St onto Hume Hwy (M31) at Marulan, August 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign at Marulan, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Marulan approaching Marulan South Rd, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign at Marulan approaching Marulan South Rd, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Marulan South Road Interchange:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the Marulan South Road interchange in Marulan, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Marulan South Road Interchange:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the Marulan South Road interchange in Marulan, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Towrang, August 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Towrang approaching Sydney Rd, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Towrang approaching Sydney Rd, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Bypassed Town Sign:

AD sign at Goulburn approaching Sydney Rd, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Bypassed Town Sign:

AD sign at Goulburn approaching Hume St, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Bypassed Town Sign:

AD sign at Goulburn approaching Hume St, September 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Goulburn to Berrima

Bypassed Town Sign:

Bypassed town sign approaching Hume St interchange, Goulburn, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Boxers Ck approaching Sydney Rd (former Hume Hwy), November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Boxers Ck approaching Sydney Rd, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Towrang, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Services Sign:

Services distance sign at Towrang, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Marulan approaching the Marulan Sth Rd interchange, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Marulan South Road:

Hume Hwy (M31) as it passes under Marulan Sth Rd at Marulan, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Marulan approaching George St, November 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

M31 ID sign assembly on George St, facing the truck stop in Marulan, August 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

George Street & Hume Highway:

Corner of the George St access point and Hume Hwy (M31) at Marulan, August 2013.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

M31 AD sign on George St, Marulan, approaching Brayton Rd and the Hume Hwy (M31) interchange, August 2013.

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign on the corner of Hume Hwy (M31) interchange, George St and Brayton Rd at Marulan, August 2013.

Hume Highway Interchange:

Hume Hwy (M31) interchange at the northern end of Marulan town centre, August 2013. Note the black sign, which dates back to the interchange opening.

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Marulan, November 2013.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Sutton Forest approaching Sallys Corner Rd, November 2013.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Sutton Forest approaching Illawarra Hwy (A48), November 2013.

Advance Direcitonal Sign:

AD sign at Sutton Forest approaching Illawarra Hwy (A48), November 2013.

Bypassed Town Sign:

Bypassed town sign at Sutton Forest approaching Illawarra Hwy (A48), November 2013.

Illawarra Highway Interchange:

Hume Mwy (M31) at the Illawarra Hwy (A48) interchange in Sutton Forest, November 2013.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on the off ramp to Illawarra Hwy (A48) and Canyonleigh Rd at Sutton Forest, November 2013.

Distance Sign:

RD sign at Sutton Forest after Illawarra Hwy (A48) interchange, November 2013.

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Gordon VC Rest Area and Belanglo Rd, Sutton Forest, December 2016.

NEW Intersection Directional Sign:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the deceleration lane for Gordon VC Rest Area and Belanglo Rd, Sutton Forest, December 2016.

NEW Gordon VC Rest Area Exit & Belanglo Road:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the junction with Gordon VC Rest Area and Belanglo Rd, Sutton Forest, December 2016.

UPDATED Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Sutton Forest approaching Old Hume Hwy, December 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from November 2013.

NEW Rest Area Reassurance Directional Sign:

RD sign showing distances to next rest areas, Sutton Forest, December 2016.

UPDATED Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Sutton Forest approaching Old Hume Hwy, December 2016. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Paul Rands from November 2013.

Bypassed Town Sign:

Bypassed Town sign at Sutton Forest approaching Old Hume Hwy, November 2013.

NEW Old Hume Highway Interchange:

Hume Hwy (M31) at the interchange with Old Hume Hwy at Sutton Forest, December 2016. M31 changes name from Hume Hwy to Hume Mwy at this location.

Click or tap here for the continuation of M31 between Goulburn and Yass
Click or tap here for the continuation of M31 between Wilton and Berrima

¹ NSW Government, Transport for NSW, Schedule of Classified Roads And State and Regional Roads, July 2022.
² Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government.
³ NSW Government, Department of Main Roads. The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4.
⁴ NSW Government, Roads and Maritime Services.
⁵ Argyle County website.