Decommissioned Metropolitan Route 83
  Eastern Freeway
  home | metropolitan routes | MR83 | M3 Eastern Fwy | features
     
 
 
 
Overhead advance direction sign on Eastern Fwy before Chandler Hwy.
March 2008.
 
     
 

Designated Names

Name List - Column 1 & 2
 Current Route Number

Column 3

 Eastern Freeway Alexandra Parade, Collingwood - Springvale Road, Nunawading M3

Distance

in Kilometres

 18.0

Eastern Terminus

Springvale Road (State (Bell/Springvale) Highway), Nunawading

Western Terminus

Alexandra Parade / Gold Street, Collingwood

Lifespan

1989 - 2008

 
     
  This portion of Metropolitan Route 83 ran along the Eastern Freeway prior to it's change to M3 in 2008. Continuing from Alexandra Parade, the Eastern Freeway section of the route formed half of the total length of Metropolitan Route 83.

As part of the shake-up of the Metropolitan Route Numbering System in 1989, F83 was decommissioned and replaced by Metropolitan Route 83. The Metropolitan Route 83 shield appears to have been allocated to retain the connection between the Eastern Freeway and the number 83.

In 1997, the Eastern Freeway was extended from Doncaster Road to Springvale Road with MR83 extended accordingly. For a brief moment, MR83 was on the verge of being decommissioned along the freeway, to be replaced by M3. New signs installed along the Eastern Freeway included M3 shields, and were displayed until they were promptly coverplated by MR83 shields. This was due to the reluctance of the state government at the time to have the freeway as an alphanumeric route.

The focal points used were 'City' for westbound traffic. 'Doncaster' and 'Nunawading' was used for eastbound traffic between Hoddle St and Doncaster Rd, followed by 'Nunawading' and 'Donvale' from Doncaster Road to Springvale Rd.

It was not until February 2008 when this section of MR83 began its decommissioning, done to coincide with the opening of Eastlink in mid 2008. By June 2008, all MR83 references were removed and M3 had taken the place as the Eastern Freeway's new route number.
  
     
     
  Photos  
 
Intersection Direction Sign (ID) at Alexandra Parade / Brunswick Street.
 September 2006
Advance Direction Sign (AD) on Alexandra Parade right before the start of the Eastern Freeway .
 August 2005
AD and ID northbound on Hoddle Street.
June 2006
AD on Chandler Highway.
 July 2005
ID southbound on Chandler Highway.
July 2005
IDs at Chandler Highway exit.
March 2008
IDs at Burke Road exit.
March 2008
AD before Bulleen Road exit.
March 2008
AD southbound on Bulleen Road before Eastern Freeway.
March 2008
AD on Thompsons Road before Eastern Freeway.
March 2008
ID at Thompsons Road onramp to Eastern Freeway.
March 2005
ID on Bulleen Road.
March 2006
IDs at Bulleen Road exit.
March 2006
AD on Doncaster Road before Eastern Freeway.
March 2008
AD on Doncaster Road before Eastern Freeway.
March 2008
IDs on High Street at Doncaster Road.
January 2008
IDs at Doncaster Road exit.
March 2006
ID at Elgar Road onramp.
 February 2008
AD southbound on Elgar Road.
 February 2008
AD southbound on Wetherby Road.
 February 2008
ID southbound on Wetherby Road.
 February 2008
ID northbound on Middleborough Road.
 February 2008
AD southbound on Blackburn Road.
 February 2008
ID southbound on Blackburn Road.
 February 2008
ID southbound on Springvale Road. This sign has been removed due to the closure of the southbound-to-westbound loop ramp to accommodate Eastlink.
February 2006
AD southbound on Springvale Road. This sign has been removed due to the closure of the southbound-to-westbound loop ramp to accommodate Eastlink.
February 2008
AD northbound on Springvale Road. Now removed, replaced by an overhead AD.
March 2008
 
     
 
Back to Top
 
  Further Reading:
Metropolitan Route 83
F83
M3 Eastern Freeway 		 
     
 
©  Main Roads Victoria Webmaster. Last Updated: 23/07/08