The Queensland Government will allocate $897 million in funding to upgrade one of the Gold Coast’s major motorways as part of its 2017/18 Budget.
The government announced it will invest a further $487.5 million for the M1 upgrade over four years to create extra lanes between Varsity Lakes and Tugun and between Eight Mile Plains and Daisy Hill.
“The M1 is the busiest road in our state. It takes hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders to work, to school, to our incredible beaches, shops and nightlife every single day,” Premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
“My Government has a proud record on the M1. We’ve already delivered the Exit 54 upgrade and heavy works are now underway at the Gateway Merge and Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes upgrades.
“But we know we have to keep investing, to make sure that as South-East Queensland people can get home faster and spend more time doing the things they enjoy instead of being stuck in traffic.”
Work on the M1 is expected to be underway by 2020.
Deputy Premier and Treasurer, Jackie Trad, said the additional funding means work can get underway sooner.
“We want to see work getting underway as soon as possible, so we’ve brought funding forward so these upgrades can kick off immediately after the current works from Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes are complete,” Ms Trad said.
‘‘A rolling program of works will allow the M1 to be progressively upgraded to reduce journey times, improve reliability and deliver ongoing job security for people in the local construction industry.”
Member for Gaven, Meaghan Scanlon, says Gold Coast residents will benefit significantly from the ongoing upgrades to the M1.
‘‘Not only will these upgrades cut travel time and improve safety but they will create hundreds of jobs across the Coast for years to come,’’ Ms Scanlon said.
“I know that many people in my community are employed in the construction industry and by delivering these upgrades consecutively there will be significant new opportunities.”
The Queensland Budget will be delivered on 12 June 2018.
