The Federal Government has unveiled plans for $192.6 million exit upgrades on the M1 Pacific Motorway in South-East Queensland.
The fast-tracked upgrades are designed to ease congestion at Exit 41 and Exit 49 of the motorway at Yatala South and Pimpama.
Part of the Federal Government’s Urban Congestion Fund, the upgrades will include new bridges with extra eastbound and westbound lanes.
The plans also show improved feeder roads, wider on and off ramps, signalised intersections and shared paths.
With forecast growth in the city’s northern corridor, the upgrades would increase capacity and build on more than $2.3 billion in upgrades already underway or soon-to-be underway on the M1, supporting more than 2,000 jobs.
The upgrades come in addition to the delivery of three new train stations at Helensvale North, Pimpama and Merrimac/Worongary.
The Federal and Queensland Governments have committed $192.6 million towards this project, based on a 50:50 funding share arrangement.
The Federal Government provided $46.3 million in additional funding to fast track the works.
The release of draft designs put the Exit 41 project on-track to begin later in 2020, and invited the community to have their say on the concepts.
Federal Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure, Alan Tudge, said the works would dramatically improve road safety and bust congestion in this region of South-East Queensland.
“These interchange upgrades will mean faster travel from east to west and better protect motorists by slashing the queues on the hard shoulder of the M1,” Mr Tudge said.
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister, Mark Bailey, said the Queensland Government had upgraded Exit 54 in partnership with the Federal Government.
“We’re also building a new Exit 57 and these new upgrades will make sure that truckies, tradies and families can spend less time getting on and off the M1 Pacific Motorway, and more time doing the important things,” Mr Bailey said.
