Brisbane to Gold Coast transport corridor upgrades
The Brisbane to Gold Coast corridor is subject to high levels of demand, leading to congestion at peak and inter-peak times across both road and rail networks. The 2019 Australian Infrastructure Audit projected that, without intervention, the cost of congestion on key corridors in the Gold Coast region would increase by over $700 million between 2016 and 2031.
On certain sections of the M1 Pacific Motorway, daily traffic volume exceeds 150,000 vehicles, around 40% of which is heavy and light commercial vehicles. During peak periods, users experience poor reliability and increasing journey times, particularly where congestion creates bottleneck sections. Road incidents are a major contributor to poor reliability, with over 12,000 incidents reported on this corridor annually.
In the absence of proper planning and investment, future growth in population, employment, tourism and freight will lead to an increase in the cost of congestion in the corridor, with an adverse impact on the region’s productivity.
The proposal sets out a 10-year network wide program for upgrades to transport infrastructure in the corridor. It identifies 33 proposed infrastructure upgrades to the road, rail, cycling and bus transport networks to deliver more efficient, reliable and safe transport.
Identified initiatives include:
- widening the M3 Pacific Motorway between Wooloongabba and Mt Gravatt to reduce congestion and improve reliability to Brisbane (CBD) from the south (Gold Coast)
- upgrades to the Gold Coast Light Rail and the V1 Veloway to support public and active transport.
The Infrastructure Priority List separately identifies the following proposals that align with this program proposal:
- M1 Pacific Motorway capacity: Eight Mile Plains to Tugun
- Gold Coast Rail Line and station improvements: Kuraby to Beenleigh.
Business cases for the M1 Pacific Motorway – Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill and the M1 Pacific Motorway – Varsity Lakes to Tugun were previously listed on the Infrastructure Priority List and are now in delivery.
The business case for Coomera Connector Stage 1 was evaluated by Infrastructure Australia in February 2022.
Proponent to develop potential investment options (Stage 2 of Infrastructure Australia’s Assessment Framework), and complete business case development (Stage 3 of the Framework).
Individual upgrade projects are at various stages of development.
Refer to Infrastructure Glossary for terms and definitions.