Length:

565 km (Sunbury to Airport West: 27 km)

Termini:

Northern: NSW Border, Yelta.

Southern: Tullamarine Fwy (M2), Airport West

Miscellaneous:

Continues as Calder Hwy (unnumbered) in NSW, and meets Silver City Hwy (B79) in Curlwaa. B79 in NSW terminates at Sturt Hwy (A20), Buronga. Presumably, the B79 routing allows through traffic to avoid using the single-lane Abbotsford Bridge over the Murray River.

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Sunbury, Diggers Rest, Keilor North, Calder Park, Taylors Lakes, Keilor, Keilor Park and Airport West

Current: M79

Former: 79 F90

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

1530 (Ravenswood to Airport West)

General Information:

The M79 / A79 corridor is a major route in Victoria's road system, and consists of urban arterial, undivided rural highway, divided highway and freeway conditions. The Calder Highway and Freeway form a strategic link in Victoria's road network and carries a high volume of commuter, freight, business and tourist traffic between Melbourne, Bendigo and Mildura. ²

1925: North Western Highway (which later became Calder Highway) declared. ²

1928: North Western Highway renamed Calder Highway. ²

1972: F90 route number introduced onto Calder Freeway between Tullamarine Freeway and Keilor Road. ³

1974: F90 route number extended to Erebus Street. ³

1982: F90 route number extended to Green Gully Road. ³

1984: F90 route number extended to Sunshine Avenue. ³

1987: F90 route number decommissioned. ³

1997: Conversion from NR79 to M79 / A79 as part of VicRoads alphanumeric route numbering scheme.

April 2008: Work commences on widen the Calder Fwy to 3 lanes in each direction between Keilor Park Drive and Melton Highway. ²

October 2006: Opening of new inbound traffic lanes forming part of the upgraded Tullamarine-Calder Interchange. The opening of new inbound lanes meant Calder Freeway traffic no longer had to weave across Tullamarine Freeway traffic to access Bulla Road, instead they could use a dedicated exit lane. ²

Sunbury to Airport West

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Sunbury for the Mundy Road interchange. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Sunbury for the Mundy Road interchange. September 2025. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from October 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Mundy Road Interchange:

Southbound through the interchange for Mundy Road at Sunbury. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

AD Sign:

Advance directional sign for the Gap Rd (C707) interchange at Sunbury, September 2025. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from October 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

AD Sign:

Advance directional sign for the Gap Rd (C707) interchange at Sunbury, September 2025. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from October 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign at Sunbury approaching Gap Rd (C707) interchange, September 2025.

Image © Paul Rands

Gap Road Interchange:

Looking southeast through the Gap Road (C707) interchange at Sunbury. September 2025. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from October 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

RD Sign:

Southbound reassurance directional signage after the Gap Rd interchange at Sunbury, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on the off-ramp to Gap Rd (C707), September 2025.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign assembly facing the off-ramp to Gap Rd (C707), September 2025.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign for the Vineyard Rd (C706) interchange at Sunbury, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign for the Vineyard Rd (C706) interchange at Sunbury, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Vineyard Road Interchange:

Southbound carriageway of the Calder Fwy as it passes the Vineyard Rd interchange in Sunbury, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Diggers Rest for the Bulla-Diggers Rest Road interchange, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Distance Sign:

RD sign at Diggers Rest, between the Vineyard Rd & Bulla-Diggers Rest Rd interchanges, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Diggers Rest for the Bulla-Diggers Rest Road interchange, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Bulla-Diggers Rest Road Interchange:

Looking southeast at Diggers Rest at the Bulla-Diggers Rest Road interchange, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Calder Park near the service centre for Calder Raceway Entrance #2 to Calder Park Motorsport Complex. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at Calder Park for Calder Raceway Entrance #2 to Calder Park Motorsport Complex. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Warning Signs:

Signs warning of high accident zone ahead, Calder Park, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Approaching Organ Pipes Road:

Advance directional sign for the Organ Pipes Road intersection at Calder Park, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Organ Pipes Road Intersection:

Calder Fwy as it passes Organ Pipes Rd at Calder Pk. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Supplemental AD Sign:

Supplemental advance directional sign at Keilor North for Sunshine Av (MR41), October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

AD Sign:

Advance directional sign at Keilor North for Sunshine Av (MR41), October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Sunshine Avenue Intersection:

Calder Fwy as it passes Sunshine Av in Keilor North, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

Eastbound diagrammatic AD sign at Keilor Park for the Keilor Park Drive (MR39) and Western Ring Road (M80) interchange, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Supplemental AD Sign:

Eastbound freeway green supplemental advance directional sign the Keilor Park Dr (MR39) interchange. Keilor Park, October 2006. A VMS sign has since been added alongside this sign.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

Eastbound AD sign at Keilor Park for the Keilor Park Dr (MR39) interchange, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Keilor Park Road Interchange:

ID signs on gantry over the eastbound carriageway of the Calder Fwy at the interchange with Keilor Pk Dr at Keilor Park. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Keilor Park Road Interchange:

Calder Freeway (eastbound) passing under Keilor Park Drive (MR39) at Keilor Park, with supplemental AD sign for the Western Ring Road (M80) interchange, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

AD Sign:

Advance directional sign for Western Ring Road (M80) at Keilor Park. The OD8 route number is for oversized vehicles and indicates the direction of Overdimensional Drive number 8. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Western Ring Road Interchange:

Eastbound at the interchange with Western Ring Road (M80) at Keilor Park. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Tollway Sign:

Sign for the tolling system used on Melbourne's freeways, near the Moorna Drive interchange at Airport West. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Moorna Drive Interchange:

Freeway green advance directional sign attached to the Moorna Drive interchange bridge at Airport West, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Distance Sign:

Eastbound RD sign at the Moorna Drive interchange at Airport West, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

Eastbound AD sign for the Macnamara Avenue interchange at Airport West. October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Macnamara Avenue Interchange:

Eastbound ID signage and exit for the Macnamara Avenue interchange at Airport West, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

AD Sign:

Cantilevered advance directional sign for Bulla Road, located in the Macnamara Avenue interchange at Airport West, October 2006.

Image © Rob Tilley

Citylink RD Sign:

Eastbound distance sign for the Footscray Road exit near the Grange Road overpass in Airport West, October 2006. Tolled roads in Melbourne feature blue and gold signage.

Image © Rob Tilley

Airport West to Sunbury

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Keilor North approaching Sunshine Av (MR41), January 2012.

Image © Tim Cole

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the corner of Calder Fwy (M79) and Sunshine Av (MR41) in Keilor North, January 2012.

Image © Tim Cole

Reassurance Directional Sign:

RD sign at Keilor North, January 2012.

Image © Tim Cole

Kings Road Interchange:

Calder Fwy (M79) at the Kings Rd interchange at Keilor North, January 2012.

Image © Tim Cole

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Kings Rd approaching the interchange with Calder Fwy (M79) at Keilor North, January 2012.

Image © Tim Cole