 In 1958 Federal government agreed to apply the Monaro Highway name to Cooma @-@ Canberra road within the ACT . This gave the roadway a single name between Canberra and the Victorian border . Originally , the highway ended where it met Jerrabomberra Avenue . Plans were publicised during the mid @-@ 1980s for an upgrade of the existing Monaro Highway to dual @-@ carriageway standard between Isabella Drive and Jerrabomberra Avenue , and an extension of the roadway to the north . These works were known as the Eastern Parkway . These plans were then given the go ahead in a report tabled on 5 May 1987 , the estimated costs were $ 50 million including upgrades to other nearby roadways . Around the same time period a large service centre was proposed for near the Isabella Drive intersection , though it was quite controversial , and the developer pulled out . Between 1988 and November 1989 the duplication was completed , and the roadway extended as far as Canberra Avenue . After this the road was extended to its current terminus at Morshead Drive , although the northbound carriageway was originally routed over Dairy Flat Road until a southbound carriageway was constructed later on . Further duplication was performed to other sections of the extension until all sections were completed in mid @-@ 2012 . The northern end of the Monaro Highway will connect to the southern end of the Majura Parkway following its expected completion in 2016 . Territory and Municipal Services has classified the Monaro Highway as an arterial road within the ACT Road Hierarchy . 
