Expressway - The Australian Highway Site: Road Photos & Information: QLD: M1 / A1 (Eight Mile Plains to Brisbane River)

Road Photos & Information: Queensland

Pacific Motorway, Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway (M1 / A1)

Eight Mile Plains to Brisbane River

Statistics:

Length:: 1802 km (Eight Mile Plains to Brisbane River: 16 km)
Termini:: Northern: Draper St (unnumbered), Portsmith; Southern: NSW Border at Tugun
Miscellaneous:: Continues as Pacific Mwy (M1) in NSW
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:: Eight Mile Plains, Rochedale, Mackenzie, Belmont, Tingalpa and Murarrie

Route Numbering:

Current: M1
Former: 1 1 20
Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹: N332

General Information:

The M1 / A1 corridor is the main coastal route from the NSW border to the northern tip of the east coast of Australia, and links major cities and towns with Brisbane, and beyond the NSW border, Sydney.

Gateway Motorway:

The Gateway Motorway passes through Brisbane's eastern suburbs, and services mostly residential and industrial areas, both north and south of the Brisbane River. It provides access to ports and the airport.

The Gateway Motorway features dual bridges over the Brisbane River, once known as the Gateway Bridges, but now named Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges, named after an Australian senior public servant and administrator. The bridges operate under an electronic tolling system where motorists pay via a transponder or temporary online account.

The bridges have a number of interesting features including: ²

: A height clearance of 55 m over the high tide mark of the Brisbane River, to allow the largest of ships to pass safely under the bridge.; A clear span width of at least 230 m so ships of varying size and width could safely manoeuvre under the bridge.; A maximum 80 m height of the superstructure (including the height of the lamp posts and direction signs) so as not to interfere with flight paths of aircraft taking off or landing at Brisbane Airport.

At the time of its completion, the bridge boasted a number of Australian and world class achievements, including: ²

: The longest cantilevered concrete box girder main river span, at a length of 260 m.; An erection truss weighing 650 t.; Stressing cables in the approach spans were the highest loaded cables in a structure in Australia, with 2200 t of 12 mm low relaxation stressing strand.; Bridge bearings, with a maximum tested load of 4300 t, were the biggest pot bearings made in Australia.

History:

Gateway Motorway:: June 1980: The Gateway Bridge Company was established to oversee construction of the Gateway Bridge and, following construction, to maintain the bridge and collect tolls. ³; August 1980 Work began on the six-lane Gateway Bridge over Brisbane River. ²; December 1985: The Gateway Bridge and motorway approaches were completed.; 1986: The Gateway Arterial was constructed in two stages and was completed.; 11 January 1986: The original Gateway Bridge was officially opened. ⁴ Around 200,000 people attended the opening festivities and walked the new bridge.; 1995: Construction began on a southern extension to the Logan Motorway, creating the Southern Brisbane Bypass, which eventually was renamed to Gateway Motorway. ⁵; 13 May 1997: The Southern Brisbane Bypass was opened to traffic by Vaughan Johnson, then-Minister for Transport and Main Roads. ⁵; 9 March 2007: Work starts on second Gateway Bridge over Brisbane River. ⁶; September 2008: An extra lane on the Gateway Motorway over Wynnum Road opened to traffic. ⁷

Click or tap here for photos of the former alignment between Loganholme and Eight Mile Plains.
Click or tap here for construction photos between Loganholme and Eight Mile Plains.

Eight Miles Plains to Brisbane River

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID signs at the exit gore with Pacific Mwy (M3) and Gateway Mwy (M1) at Eight Mile Plains, March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Freeway Green Sign:

Freeway green Motorway Entrance sign at Eight Mile Plains, March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Bus Way Exit:

ID sign at the entrance to the South East Busway, Rochedale, March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Miles Platting Rd interchange, Rochedale, July 2018. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the Miles Platting Rd interchange, Rochedale, July 2018. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Wishart approaching Mt Gravatta-Capalaba Rd (Metroad 2 / SR21), July 2018.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Wishart approaching Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Rd (SR21 / Metroad 2), July 2018. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the interchange with Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Rd (SR21 / Metroad 2) at Wishart, July 2018. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Freeway Green Advance Directional Sign:

Freeway green AD sign at Carindale on the off ramp to Old Cleveland Rd (SR22), March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Belmont approaching Old Cleveland Rd (SR22), July 2018.

Image © Rob Tilley

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign at Tingalpa approaching Old Cleveland Rd (SR22), July 2018.

Image © Rob Tilley

Wynnum Road:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the Wynnum Rd (SR23) interchange at Tingalpa, July 2018.

Image © Rob Tilley

Port of Brisbane Mwy Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the interchange with Port of Brisbane Mwy (M4), July 2018.

Image © Rob Tilley

Port of Brisbane Mwy Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the interchange with Port of Brisbane Mwy (M4), November 2012.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Leo Hielscher Bridge over Brisbane River at Murarrie, approaching Southern Cross Way & Kingsford Smith Dr (SR25), July 2011.

Image © Rob Tilley

Brisbane River to Eight Miles Plains

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign over the lanes on Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge over the Brisbane River at Murarrie approaching Lytton Rd interchange, February 2015. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from November 2010.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign over the lanes on Sir Leo Hielscher Bridge over the Brisbane River at Murarrie approaching Lytton Rd interchange, June 2012.

Image © Justin Cozart

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign over the lanes at Murarrie approaching Port of Brisbane Hwy (M4), February 2015. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Justin Cozart from June 2012.

Image © Rob Tilley

Port of Brisbane Mwy Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the interchange with Port of Brisbane Mwy (M4), February 2015. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Justin Cozart from June 2012.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign for Wynnum Rd (SR23) interchange, June 2012.

Image © Justin Cozart

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Wynnum Rd (SR23), Tingalpa, June 2012.

Image © Justin Cozart

Wynnum Road Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the interchange with Wynnum Rd (SR23) at Tingalpa. March 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Tingalpa, February 2015. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Justin Cozart from June 2012.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Belmont approaching Old Cleveland Rd (SR22) interchange, June 2012.

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign at Belmont approaching Old Cleveland Rd (SR22) interchange, December 2009.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Old Cleveland Rd (SR22) interchange at Belmont. June 2012.

Old Cleveland Road Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the interchange with Old Cleveland Rd (SR22) at Belmont. June 2012.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Rd (SR21 / Metroad 2) at Mackenzie, November 2010.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Rd (SR21 / Metroad 2) at Mackenzie, November 2010.

Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Road Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the interchange with Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Rd (SR21 / Metroad 2), Mackenzie, December 2009.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on the off ramp to Mt Gravatt-Capalaba Rd (SR21 / Metroad 2) at Mackenzie, December 2009. Note the incorrect M2 route number.

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign at Mackenzie, June 2012.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Rochedale approaching Miles Platting Rd and Pacific Mwy (M1) interchanges, June 2012. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from December 2009. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from August 2009.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching the interchange with Miles Platting Rd and Pacific Mwy (M1) at Rochedale, June 2012.

Miles Platting Road Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at the interchange with Miles Platting Rd at Rochedale, June 2012. Note the freeway green signage. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Rob Tilley from August 2009.

Pacifc Motorway Interchange:

Gateway Mwy (M1) at Rochdedale at the interchange with Pacific Mwy (M1) and Gateway Mwy (M2), June 2015. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Justin Cozart from June 2012. Click or tap here for a photo (with exit numbering) of this location by Rob Tilley from August 2009. Click or tap here for a photo (without exit numbering) of this location by Rob Tilley from August 2009.

Click or tap here for the continuation of M1 between Brisbane River and Bald Hills
Click or tap here for the continuation of M1 between Loganholme and Eight Mile Plains

¹ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, The State Road Network of Queensland, 30 June 2010.
² QLD Government, Queensland Roads Edition No 1 March 2006.
³ QLD Government, Queensland Roads, Edition No 8, March 2010.
⁴ QLD Government, Queensland Roads, Edition No 4, September 2007.
⁵ QLD Government, Queensland Motorways Annual Report 1996-1997.
⁶ QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Gateway Upgrade Project well underway, 26 September 2007.
⁷ QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Extra Gateway Motorway lane opens – with more to come, 12 September 2008.