Road Photos & Information: New South Wales: Hume Highway & Great Western Highway (State Route 31) (Decommissioned)

Road Photos & Information: New South Wales

Hume Highway & Great Western Highway (State Route 31) (Decommissioned) - Liverpool to Bankstown

Statistics:

Length: 32 km (Liverpool to Bankstown: 15 km)
Eastern Terminus: George Street, Regent Street & Harris Street, Ultimo
Western Terminus: Cumberland Highway & Hume Highway, Liverpool
Miscellaneous: Also signposted as Liverpool Road
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Liverpool, Warwick Farm, Cabramatta, Canley Vale, Carramar, Lansvale, Lansdowne, Villawood, Bass Hill, Yagoona and Bankstown

Route Numbering:

Former:
Road Authority Internal Classification: HW2 (Hume Hwy)
Decommissioned: 2013

General Information:

State Route 31 is a main route in and out of Sydney's CBD to the city's southwestern suburbs. Formed by some of the earliest roads built in the colony, the route is generally multi-laned and passes through commercial, residential and industrial areas.

Features along the route include Remembrance Driveway, which commemorates fallen soldiers at war. Also along the route at the Woodville Rd junction, is the Meccano Set. It's an unusual overhead installation of traffic signals. Its nickname comes from the Meccano toy, which some people say the intersection resembles. Eastbound traffic also uses one of the oldest bridges still in use in metropolitain Sydney at Lansdowne.

Multiplexes along the route include:

History:

1928: Sections of Great South Road renamed to Hume Highway
1939: 95% (557 km) of the Hume Highway paved with a bitumous surface. 2
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. 3
1951: Upgrade of old timber Cabramatta Creek Bridge, also known as Ireland's Bridge, at Cabramatta, to then modern standards. Also planning for the F5 Freeway (South Western Fwy) commenced 2
1956: Duplication of the Landsdowne Bridge at Carramar to carry southbound traffic. 2
1957: An additional carriageway for the highway was completed at Lansvale. 3
December 1962: A major project on traffic management was the completion of a set of overhead traffic signs and signals at Villawood where Woodville Road, Henry Lawson Drive and the Hume Highway met. Due to large traffic volumes at this intersection, it was selected as a suitable location to install the system. The site has become known over the years, as the "Meccano set". 3

Click here for historic photos between Liverpool and Bankstown.

Liverpool to Bankstown		Bankstown to Liverpool
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Hume Hwy (unnumbered (former Metroad 7 and former NR31) at Liverpoool approaching Cumberland Hwy (former Metroad 7 and former SR77), April 2011. Image © Paul Rands		Custom Sign: Custom sign on Hume Hwy (SR31) at Bass Hill indicating no right turn for Derribong St, May 2005. Image © Sam Laybutt (Ozroads)
	Cumberland Highway: Hume Hwy (unnumbered (former Metroad 7 and former NR31) approaching Hume Hwy (SR31) and Cumberland Hwy (former Metroad 7 and former SR77), April 2011. SR31 starts at this location. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Warwick Farm approaching Homepride Av, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Warwick Farm approaching Bigge St, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Bigge Street: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Bigge St, Warwick Farm, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Warwick Farm approaching Governor Macquarie Drive, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Governor Macquarie Drive: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Governor Macquarie Dr, Warwick Farm, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Warwick Farm, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Cabramatta Creek: Hume Hwy (SR31) as it crosses Cabramatta Ck at Warwick Farm, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Cabramatta approaching Cabramatta Rd, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Cabramatta Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Cabramatta Rd (former SR50) at Cabramatta, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Cabramatta, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Lansvale: Hume Hwy (SR31) as it enters the suburb of Lansvale, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Lansdowne Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Lansdowne Rd at Lansvale, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Prospect Creek: Hume Hwy (SR31) crossing Prospect Ck at Lansvale via Lansdowne Br, which was constructed in 1836, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Carramar near Quest Av for The Horsley Dr intersection, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Carramar near The Horsley Dr for the Woodville Rd (former SR55) and Henry Lawson Dr (TD8 and former SR55) intersection, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Carramar for the Woodville Rd (former SR55) and Henry Lawson Dr (TD8 and former SR55) intersection, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Meccano Set: Hume Hwy (SR31) at the junction with Woodville Rd (former SR55) and Henry Lawson Dr (TD8 and former SR55) at Carramar, April 2011. The intersection is known across Sydney as the "Meccano Set" as the overhead sign and signal gantries remind some people of the children's toy. Image © Paul Rands
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign at Villawood, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Derrinbong Street: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Derribong St, Villawood, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Bass Hill approaching Orchard St and Bass Hill Plaza entrance, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Orchard Street & Bass Hill Plaza: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31), Orchard St and Bass Hill Plaza entrance at Bass Hill, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Bass Hill approaching Johnston Rd, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Johnstone Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Johnstone Rd at Bass Hill, April 2011. Note the remnant Sydney 2000 Olympics sign. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Yagoona approaching Edgar St, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Edgar Street: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Edgar St, Yagoona, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Yagoona approaching Auburn Rd and William St, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Auburn Road & William Street: Hume Hwy (SR31) at the junction with Auburn Rd and William St in Yagoona, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Yagoona: Hume Hwy (SR31) as it passes through the suburb of Yagoona, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Yagoona approaching Rookwood Rd and Chapel Rd, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Rookwood Road & Chapel Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31), Rookwood Rd and Chapel Rd, Yagoona, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Rookwood Road & Chapel Road: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31), Rookwood Rd and Chapel Rd, Yagoona, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Bankstown approaching Stacey St (Metroad 6), April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Stacey Street: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Stacey St (Metroad 6) at Bankstown, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
	Stacey Street: Corner of Hume Hwy (SR31) and Stacey St (Metroad 6) at Bankstown, April 2011. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of State Route 31 between Bankstown and Ultimo

1 Roads and Traffic Authority, Schedule of Classified Roads (and unclassified Regional Roads, February 2009
2 Department of Main Roads. The Roadmakers, A History of Main Roads in New South Wales, ISBN 0 7240 0439 4
3 Roads and Traffic Authority

Last updated: 17-Dec-2019 0:55

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