Yarra Scenic Drive | |
|---|---|
  Southwest end Northeast end | |
| Coordinates |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Road |
| Length | 60.1 km (37 mi)[1] |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Route number(s) |  Tourist Drive 2 (1989–present) |
| Former route number |  Metro Route 2 (1965–1989)(Docklands–Eaglemont) |
| Major junctions | |
| Southwest end | Battery Road Williamstown, Melbourne |
| |
| Northeast end |  Ringwood–Warrandyte RoadWarrandyte, Melbourne |
| Location(s) | |
| Major suburbs | Newport, Yarraville, Melbourne, Southbank, South Yarra, Burnley, Kew, Ivanhoe, Bulleen, Templestowe |
Yarra Scenic Drive is a tourist drive following the Yarra River, in Victoria, Australia. The route traverses approximately 60 km from Williamstown – where the Yarra empties into Port Phillip Bay – to Warrandyte – Melbourne's first goldfield site on the banks of the Yarra.
Route
Warrandyte to Bulleen
Through these outer north-eastern suburbs, the route winds near to the Yarra River, but rarely can the driver see the river itself. The roads do, however, pass by a number of Yarraside parks, including Pound Bend, Westerfolds Park, Finns Reserve, Birrarung Park and Banksia Park, which are all well-liked serene picnic locations with a view of the outer-suburban Yarra River, where it is still safe to swim and canoe.
Heidelberg to Alphington
There is little in the way of a Yarra view along this section of the drive. The best Yarra vantage point is found alongside the Boulevarde, but there are many stores and some industry through these middle-northern suburbs.
Yarra Boulevard, Kew
A winding but road on the edge of a hill which provides a marvellous view of both the Yarra and the inner suburbs. It also runs alongside several golf courses.
Burnley to Southbank
For most of this section, the road runs directly alongside the Yarra River after it widens past Dights Falls, with a clean view of the bridges and surroundings. Alexandra Avenue also provides access to the Royal Botanic Gardens and Birrarung Marr. Alexandra Avenue, however, is an important thoroughfare in inner-eastern Melbourne, and so traffic can often be unpleasant.
City
Route 2 briefly takes in the CBD, driving directly past Crown Casino and the Melbourne Aquarium.
West Gate Bridge
The famous West Gate Bridge spans the Yarra at its widest, and gives a panoramic view of the city, the docks, the industrial western suburbs, and Port Phillip Bay. Traffic is chaotic during peak hour.
Yarraville to Williamstown
This is a drive along the inner-western beachfront to the end of the mini-peninsula at Williamstown, finishing the route alongside a scenery of blue skies, yellow sand and marinas - a far cry from the leafy green beginnings of Warrandyte. This section coincides with the newer Bay West Trail, signed as Tourist Route 11.
History
The drive was originally signed as Metropolitan Route 2 in 1965, and was signed accordingly with the standard blue and white curved shield signs. When the route was extended from Ivanhoe East to Warrandyte, it was re-signed using the brown five-sided shield in 1989, usually shown in the centre of a small green and white sign bearing the words Yarra Scenic Drive.[2]
Major intersections
| LGA | Location[1] | km[1] | mi | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobsons Bay | Williamstown | 0.0 | 0.0 | Battery Road – Williamstown | Southwestern terminus of tourist route, Battery Road continues west |
| 1.4 | 0.87 | Ferguson Street, to  Kororoit Creek Road (Metro Route 35) – Altona North, Laverton North | Northern end of Nelson Place, southern end of The Strand | ||
| Newport | 3.2 | 2.0 | The Strand – Newport | Eastern end of North Road, road continues north as The Strand | |
| 3.5 | 2.2 | North Road (west) – Newport Douglas Parade (Metro Route 35 south) – Williamstown | Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 35 | ||
| Hobsons Bay–Maribyrnong border | Spotswood–Yarraville border | 6.1 | 3.8 | Francis Street (Metro Route 35 east) – Footscray, Pascoe Vale Hyde Street (north) – Footscray | Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 35 |
| Maribyrnong | Yarraville | 6.8 | 4.2 | Werribee railway line | |
| 7.3 | 4.5 |  Williamstown Road (Metro Route 37 north) – Footscray, EssendonFrancis Street (west) – Brooklyn | Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 37 | ||
| Maribyrnong–Hobsons Bay border | Yarraville–Spotswood border | 7.9 | 4.9 | Melbourne Road (Metro Route 37 south) – Newport, Williamstown West Gate Freeway (M1 west) – Laverton North | Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 35 Western terminus of concurrency with route M1 |
| Hobsons Bay | Spotswood | 8.4 | 5.2 | Werribee railway line | |
| Yarra River | 8.5– 11.0 | 5.3– 6.8 | West Gate Bridge | ||
| Melbourne | Port Melbourne | 11.5 | 7.1 | Todd Road/Cook Street – Fishermans Bend | Westbound exit part of local lanes containing exit to Citylink |
| 12.6 | 7.8 |   CityLink (M2) – Tullamarine, Melbourne Airport | Trumpet interchange with local-express lanes; westbound exit on local lanes | ||
| Docklands | 14.1 | 8.8 | West Gate Freeway (M1 east) – Kooyong, Narre Warren, Pakenham Montague Street (Metro Route 30 south) – South Melbourne | Eastern terminus of concurrency with route M1 Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Routes 30/55 Southern end of Wurundjeri Way | |
| Yarra River | 14.3 | 8.9 | Charles Grimes Bridge | ||
| Melbourne | Docklands | 14.4 | 8.9 | Harbour Esplanade – Docklands | Northbound exit only |
| 14.8 | 9.2 |  Wurundjeri Way (Metro Route 55 north) – Brunswick, Coburg | Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 55 Western end of Flinders Street | ||
| Docklands–Melbourne CBD border | 15.1 | 9.4 |  Spencer Street (Metro Route 50 north) – North Melbourne Flinders Street (Metro Route 30 east) – Richmond, Camberwell | Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 30 Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 50 | |
| Yarra River | 15.3 | 9.5 | Spencer Street Bridge | ||
| Melbourne | Southbank | 15.9 | 9.9 | Clarendon Street (south) – South Melbourne City Road (Metro Route 20 west) – Port Melbourne | Eastern terminus of Metro Route 50 Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 20 |
| 16.1 | 10.0 | Queensbridge Street – City | |||
| 16.5 | 10.3 | Power Street, to West Gate Freeway (M1) – Laverton North, Werribee | |||
| Melbourne | 17.9 | 11.1 | Olympic Boulevard (Metro Route 20) – Richmond, Camberwell | No right turn northbound into Olympic Boulevard Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 20 | |
| Stonnington | South Yarra | 20.0 | 12.4 |  Punt Road (Metro Route 29) – Clifton Hill, St Kilda, Elwood | |
| 20.6 | 12.8 | Sandringham, Frankston and Pakenham railway lines | |||
| South Yarra–Toorak border | 21.8 | 13.5 |  Williams Road (Metro Route 25 south) – Prahran, Elsternwick, Brighton | Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 25 | |
| 22.2 | 13.8 | Alexandra Avenue (west) – South Yarra | Northern end of Williams Road | ||
| Toorak | 23.0 | 14.3 |  Grange Road (Metro Route 21 south) – ToorakSt Georges Road (east) – Toorak | Eastern terminus of Metro Route 25 Eastern end of Alexandra Avenue Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 21 | |
| Yarra River | 23.1 | 14.4 | MacRobertson Bridge | ||
| Yarra | Burnley | 23.2 | 14.4 | Twickenham Cresent (west) – Burnley Loyola Grove (Metro Route 21 north) – Kew, Reservoir | Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 21 Western end of Yarra Boulevard |
| 23.3 | 14.5 |  CityLink (M1) – Narre Warren, Pakenham | Eastbound entrance and westbound exit only | ||
| 24.0 | 14.9 | Glen Waverley railway line | |||
| 25.8 | 16.0 | Yarra Boulevard Link, to Swan Street (Metro Routes 20/21) – Richmond, Kew, Camberwell | |||
| 26.2 | 16.3 | Lilydale and Belgrave railway lines | |||
| Richmond | 26.9 | 16.7 | Bridge Road (Metro Route 30 west) – City, Port Melbourne | Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 30 | |
| Yarra River | 27.0 | 16.8 | Hawthorn Bridge | ||
| Boroondara | Hawthorn | 27.1 | 16.8 | Burwood Road (Metro Route 30 east) – Camberwell | Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 30 Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 36 Eastern end of Bridge Road, southern end of Church Street |
| Hawthorn–Kew border | 28.0 | 17.4 |  Barkers Road (Metro Route 32) – Docklands, Forest Hill, Montrose | Southern end of Church Street, northern end of High Street | |
| Kew | 28.8 | 17.9 |   High Street (Metro Routes 34/36 northeast) – Box Hill, Ringwood, Boronia Princess Street (Metro Route 21 north) – Reservoir Denmark Street (Metro Route 21 south) – Burnley | Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 36 Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 34 Eastern end of Studley Park Road | |
| 30.5 | 19.0 | Studley Park Road (Metro Route 34) – Carlton | Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 34 Northern end of Walmer Street | ||
| 30.8 | 19.1 | Walmer Street (south) – Kew McEvoy Street (east) – Kew | Southern end of Yarra Boulevard | ||
| 37.4 | 23.2 | Chandler Highway (Metro Route 21 south) – Burnley | Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 21 Northern end of Yarra Boulevard | ||
| Yarra River | 37.5 | 23.3 | Chandler Bridge | ||
| Yarra–Darebin border | Alphington | 38.1 | 23.7 | Grange Road (Metro Route 21 north) – Reservoir Heidelberg Road (Metro Route 46 west) – Carlton | Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 21 Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 46 |
| Banyule | Ivanhoe | 40.7 | 25.3 | Heidelberg Road (Metro Route 46 east) – Greensborough, Diamond Creek | Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 46 Western end of The Boulevard |
| Ivanhoe East | 42.5 | 26.4 |  Burke Road (Metro Route 17 south) – Camberwell, Caulfield East | Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 17 Eastern end of The Boulevard | |
| Ivanhoe East–Eaglemont border | 43.5 | 27.0 |  Lower Heidelberg Road (Metro Route 44 southwest) – CarltonMaltravers Road (west) – Eaglemont | Northern terminus of Metro Route 17 Southern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 44 | |
| Eaglemont–Heidelberg border | 44.8 | 27.8 | Lower Heidelberg Road (Metro Route 44 north) – Eltham, Kangaroo Ground Banksia Street (Metro Route 40 west) – Preston, Coburg | Northern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 44 Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 40 | |
| Yarra River | 45.5 | 28.3 | Banksia Street Bridge | ||
| Manningham | Bulleen | 45.9 | 28.5 | Manningham Road (Metro Route 40 east) – Doncaster, Glen Waverley, Edithvale | Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 40 Western end of Bridge Street |
| 46.1 | 28.6 |  Bulleen Road (Metro Route 52 south) – Balwyn North | Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 52 Eastern end of Bridge Street, western end of Templestowe Road | ||
| Templestowe Lower | 48.9 | 30.4 |  Thompsons Road (Metro Route 42 south) – Balwyn North Foote Street (Metro Routes 42/52 east) – Warrandyte, Donvale | Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 52 Eastern end of Templestowe Road, southern end of Union Street | |
| Templestowe | 51.3 | 31.9 |  Fitzsimons Lane (B37 north) – Eltham Williamsons Road (B37/Metro Route 42 south) – Balwyn North, Doncaster, Huntingdale | Western terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 42 | |
| Templestowe–Doncaster East border | 54.5 | 33.9 | Blackburn Road – Blackburn, Burwood East, Notting Hill | ||
| Doncaster East | 55.2 | 34.3 |  Andersons Creek Road (Metro Route 13) – Doncaster East | ||
| Warrandyte | 60.1 | 37.3 | Kangaroo Ground-Warrandyte Road (Metro Route 9 north) – Kangaroo Ground, Wattle Glen Ringwood-Warrandyte Road (Metro Routes 9/42 east) – Ringwood | Northeastern terminus of tourist route Eastern terminus of concurrency with Metro Route 42 | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- 1 2 3 Google (24 November 2021). "Yarra Scenic Drive" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
- ↑ "Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Annual Report for the year ended 30 June 1989". Road Construction Authority of Victoria. Melbourne: Victorian Government Library Service. 24 September 1989. pp. 20–1.
