M1 Pacific Motorway capacity: Eight Mile Plains to Tugun
The M1 Pacific Motorway is a vital component of the National Land Transport Network and serves as the primary road corridor connecting Brisbane, the Gold Coast and New South Wales. The South East Queensland section of the motorway is the primary north–south arterial road that connects the key population and employment centres of Brisbane, Logan and the Gold Coast. The M1 also services and connects major transport hubs and industrial precincts, including the Gold Coast and Brisbane International Airports, and the Port of Brisbane.
The M1 Motorway is one of the busiest roads in Australia, carrying in excess of 150,000 vehicles per day, including over 12,000 heavy vehicles. The section of the motorway between Eight Mile Plains and Tugun cannot accommodate current traffic volumes and, as a result, experiences frequent and prolonged periods of congestion and nationally significant impacts on productivity.
This is exacerbated as vehicles travel in and out of Brisbane from the rapidly growing Gold Coast, northern New South Wales, and the growth areas of Coomera, Pimpama and Ormeau. It is also worsened by the lack of an alternative route when there are incidents on the motorway. By 2036, congestion impacts are expected to worsen and result in over 89,700 vehicle hours of delay each day.
Over the medium- to long-term, population growth is expected to remain strong in the Gold Coast area, while employment growth is expected to be strongest in Brisbane.
Given this projection, the Eight Mile Plains to Tugun section of the M1 corridor will remain critical in connecting residential areas in the south to job prospects in Brisbane.
This program proposal focuses on resolving capacity, efficiency and safety issues on the following four sections of the motorway from Eight Mile Plains to Tugun, between:
- Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill
- Daisy Hill and Loganholme
- Loganholme and Nerang
- Varsity Lakes and Tugun.
Business cases for the sections between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill, Daisy Hill and Loganholme, and Varsity Lakes and Tugun have been assessed by Infrastructure Australia.
Infrastructure Australia has also assessed the business case for Stage 1 of the Coomera Connector, between Coomera and Nerang. The proponent is continuing planning for further stages between Loganholme and Coomera. The Coomera Connector is a parallel route to the M1 and is being delivered as an alternative to major upgrades on the M1 between Loganholme and Nerang.
Proponent to complete business case development (Stage 3 of Infrastructure Australia’s Assessment Framework) for the section of the Coomera Connector between Loganholme and Coomera.
Construction has started on the sections of the motorway from Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill and Varsity Lakes to Tugun, with upgraded sections expected to be completed and opened progressively from 2024. Construction on Stage 1 of the Coomera Connector also commenced in 2023. Initial sections of the road are expected to be completed in 2025.
To capture the lessons learned from design and delivery, we recommend the proponent undertake Post Completion Reviews of completed sections of the motorway and publish the findings.
Refer to Infrastructure Glossary for terms and definitions.