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Tullamarine Freeway & CityLink (Metropolitan Route 43) - Melbourne Airport to Essendon North

Statistics:

• Length: 23 km (Melbourne Airport to Essendon North: 9 km)
• Northern Terminus: Airport Drive, Melbourne Drive 1 and Sunbury Road (C743) at Melbourne Airport
• Southern Terminus: West Gate Freeway (M1) at Port Melbourne
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Melbourne Airport, Westmeadows, Tullamarine, Gladstone Park, Gowanbrae, Airport West and Essendon Fields

Route Numbering:

• Current:
• Former: 1
• Road Authority Internal Classification: Freeway #1810 (Tullamarine Fwy) 1
• Forthcoming Alphanumeric: M2 1

General Information:

Metropolitan Route 43 is located in the western and inner western suburbs of Melbourne and connects the Melbourne CBD with Melbourne Airport in the city's northwest. It's a full freeway route and partially tolled, using passes and e-tags, from Pascoe Vale to Port Melbourne.

The early incarnation of the Tullamarine Fwy prior to 1970 was Lancefield Road, skirting the western edge of Essendon Airport. 1

MR43 originally extended up Sunbury Rd to Sunbury, through the town to Gap Rd, terminating at the Calder Fwy. 2

History:

• 1964: Work begins in sections on the route around Essendon Aiport (known as Lancefield Rd)1
• 1968: Construction of the Tullamarine Fwy from Essendon Airport to Melbourne Airport 1
• 1970: Construction of Tullamarine Fwy from Flemington Rd to Essendon Airport (Calder Hwy Interchange) 1
• 1972: Connection of the Tullamarine Fwy to the then newly built Calder Fwy was opened 1
• 1976: English Street interchange at Airport West / Essendon Fields constructed 1
• 1979: Tullamarine Fwy between Essendon Airport and Calder Fwy upgraded to freeway standards 1
• 1989: Introduction of Metropolitan Route 43 1
• 8 October 2006: Stage 1 of the Tullamarine Fwy / Calder Fwy interchange upgrade opens to traffic 3

Melbourne Airport to Essendon North			Essendon North to Melbourne Airport
Preview:	Description:		Preview:	Description:
	Advance DIrectional Sign: AD sign on Arrival Dr, Melbourne Airport approaching Melbourne Dr and Centre Rd, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at Tullamarine, approaching Western Ring Rd (M80), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Reassurance Directional Sign: Distance sign on Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at Melbourne Airport, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Western Ring Road: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at the Western Ring Rd (M80) interchange at Tullamarine, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Melbourne Airport approaching Mickleham Rd (MR39 / MR48), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Mickleham Rd (MR39 / MR48), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Travel Time Sign: Sign indicating travel times to major exits on the freeway network, Melbourne Airport, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Mickleham Rd (MR39 / MR48), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Tourism Sign: Tourism sign welcoming visitors to Melbourne, Tullamarine, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Mickleham Road: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at the Mickelham Rd (MR39 / MR48) interchange at Tullamarine, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Mickleham Rd (MR39 / MR48), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Mercer Dr and Terminal Dr, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Freeway Green Advance Directional Sign: Old freeway green AD sign at the Mickleham Rd (MR39 / MR48) interchange at Tullamarine, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Mercer Dr and Terminal Dr, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine with missing route number approaching Western Ring Rd (M80), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Mercer Drive: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at the Mercer Dr interchange, Melbourne Airport, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Supplemental AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Western Ring Rd (M80), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Terminal Drive: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at Terminal Dr / Sunbury Rd (C743) interchange, Melbourne Airport, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Western Ring Rd (M80), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley			Terminal Drive: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at Terminal Dr / Sunbury Rd (C743) interchange, Melbourne Airport, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: A very patchy AD sign at Tullamarine approaching Western Ring Rd (M80), January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Western Ring Road: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at the Western Ring Rd (M80) interchange at Tullamarine, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Western Ring Road: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at the Western Ring Rd (M80) interchange at Tullamarine, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Western Ring Road: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at the Western Ring Rd (M80) interchange at Tullamarine, January 2016. Note the uncovered M2 sign. Image © Rob Tilley
	Western Ring Road: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at the Western Ring Rd (M80) interchange at Tullamarine, January 2016. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine for Wirraway Rd interchange, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine for Wirraway Rd interchange, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign at Tullamarine for Wirraway Rd interchange, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
	Wirraway Road: Tullamarine Fwy (MR43) at Airport West at the Wirraway Rd interchange, August 2015. Image © Paul Rands
Click here for the continuation of Metropolitan Route 43 between Essendon North and Pascoe Vale South

1 Viseth Uch
2 VicRoads, CityLink Project Overview
3 Media Release, Premiers Office, First Lanes Open To Help Free The Tulla-Calder Tangle