The Northern Highway is a secondary highway in northern Victoria. Along with the M/A79
Calder Highway
Calder Highway is a rural highway in Australia, linking Mildura and the Victoria/New South Wales border to Bendigo, in North Central Victoria. South of Bendigo, where the former highway has been upgraded to freeway-standard, Calder Freeway link ...
(Melbourne to Mildura) and the M/A39
Goulburn Valley Highway
Goulburn Valley Highway is a highway located in Victoria, Australia. The section north of the Hume Freeway is part of the Melbourne to Brisbane National Highway (together with Hume Freeway) and is the main link between these two cities as well ...
(Melbourne to Tocumwal), it provides primary arterial links in the region. In conjunction with the B280
McIvor Highway
McIvor Highway is a short Victorian highway (44 km) linking Bendigo and Heathcote. Together with Hume Freeway (until Wallan) and Northern Highway (until Heathcote), it provides an alternative route between Melbourne and Bendigo. The nam ...
, the B75 Northern Highway provides an important link between
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
and
Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, makin ...
.
It runs from the M31
Hume Freeway
Hume Highway, inclusive of the sections now known as Hume Freeway and Hume Motorway, is one of Australia's major inter-city national highways, running for between Melbourne in the southwest and Sydney in the northeast. Upgrading of the route ...
south of Wallan to the New South Wales border at Echuca, on the banks of the
Murray River
The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray) (Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta: ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is Australia's longest river at extent. Its tributaries include five of the next six longest r ...
, a distance of 166 kilometres. The highway traverses moderately hilly terrain from Wallan to Toolleen, then flat open country to the border at Echuca. Beyond Echuca across the NSW border, it continues as
Cobb Highway
Cobb Highway is a state highway in the Riverina, western Riverina and the Far West (New South Wales), far western regions of New South Wales, with a short section in Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia, designated part of route B75.
Initia ...
.
The Northern Highway and the beginning of the McIvor Highway form a junction at
Heathcote Heathcote may refer to:
Places
in Australia
*Heathcote, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
**Electoral district of Heathcote, a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
**Heathcote National Park
** Parish of Heathcote a parish of Cumberla ...
. The McIvor Highway leads to Bendigo and the Northern Highway continues to Echuca.
The B75 Northern Highway is a significant freight route providing access to markets, airport and port in Melbourne and the rural primary production areas of the Murray Valley and southern New South Wales. It serves a number of agricultural and tourism-related industries along its length.
History
The passing of the ''Highways and Vehicles Act of 1924''
State of Victoria, ''An Act to make further provision with respect to Highways and Country Roads Motor Cars and Traction Engines and for other purposes'' 30 December 1924
/ref> through the Parliament of Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of the King, represented by the Governor of Victoria, the Legislative Assembly and ...
provided for the declaration of State Highways, roads two-thirds financed by the State government through the Country Roads Board
The Country Roads Board was a government authority responsible for the construction and maintenance of main roads in the state of Victoria, Australia between 1913 and 1983.
History
The Country Roads Board (CRB) was formed to take over responsi ...
(later VicRoads
VicRoads is a government joint venture in the state of Victoria, Australia. In the state, it is responsible for driver licensing and vehicle registration. It is owned and operated through a joint venture between the Victorian government and a c ...
). The Northern Highway was declared a State Highway on 1 July, 1925, cobbled from a collection of roads from Bendigo
Bendigo ( ) is a city in Victoria, Australia, located in the Bendigo Valley near the geographical centre of the state and approximately north-west of Melbourne, the state capital.
As of 2019, Bendigo had an urban population of 100,991, makin ...
through Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
(today the Midland Highway) and Rochester
Rochester may refer to:
Places Australia
* Rochester, Victoria
Canada
* Rochester, Alberta
United Kingdom
*Rochester, Kent
** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area
** History of Rochester, Kent
** HM Prison ...
to Echuca
Echuca ( ) is a town on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe River in Victoria, Australia. The border town of Moama is adjacent on the northern side of the Murray River in New South Wales. Echuca is the administrative centre and largest s ...
(for a total of 55 miles); before this declaration, the road between Bendigo and Echuca was referred to as Bendigo-Echuca Road. In the 1947/48 financial year, it was rerouted south of Elmore: instead of running from Bendigo, another section between the Hume Highway at Kilmore via Heathcote Heathcote may refer to:
Places
in Australia
*Heathcote, New South Wales, a suburb of Sydney
**Electoral district of Heathcote, a seat in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
**Heathcote National Park
** Parish of Heathcote a parish of Cumberla ...
to Elmore was added, along the former Heathcote-Elmore Road and Kilmore-Heathcote-Bendigo Roads; the previous alignment of the Northern Highway from Elmore to Bendigo was subsumed into the Midland Highway. The Northern Highway was extended south for the last time from Kilmore to Beveridge (just south of Wallan
Wallan , traditionally known as Wallan Wallan (large circular place of water), is a town in Victoria, north of Melbourne's Central Business District. The town sits at the southern end of the large and diverse Shire of Mitchell which extends f ...
) along the former Hume Highway
Hume Highway, inclusive of the sections now known as Hume Freeway and Hume Motorway, is one of Australia's major inter-city national highways, running for between Melbourne in the southwest and Sydney in the northeast. Upgrading of the route ...
alignment, when the Kilmore bypass was opened in 1976.
The Northern Highway was later signed National Route 75 in 1955; with Victoria's conversion to the newer alphanumeric system in the late 1990s, this was updated to route B75.
The passing of the ''Road Management Act 2004'' granted the responsibility of overall management and development of Victoria's major arterial roads to VicRoads
VicRoads is a government joint venture in the state of Victoria, Australia. In the state, it is responsible for driver licensing and vehicle registration. It is owned and operated through a joint venture between the Victorian government and a c ...
: in 2007, VicRoads re-declared this road as Northern Highway (Arterial #6540), beginning in Echuca and ending in Beveridge.
Attractions
* Heathcote-Graytown National Park
The Heathcote-Graytown National Park is a national park located in the North Central region of Victoria, Australia. The national park, which includes sections of the Great Dividing Range, adjoins a number of state forests, including the McIv ...
See also
* Highways in Australia
Highways in Australia are generally high capacity roads managed by state and territory government agencies, though Australia's federal government contributes funding for important links between capital cities and major regional centres. Prio ...
* Highways in Victoria
The highways in Victoria are the highest density in any state in Australia. Unlike Australia's other mainland states where vast areas are very sparsely inhabited "outback", population centres spread out over most of the state, with only the ...
References
{{Road infrastructure in Victoria
Highways in Australia
Highways in Victoria (Australia)