Road Photos & Information: Queensland
Pacific Motorway, Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway (M1 / A1)
Nambour to Gympie
Construction Photos
Statistics:
- Length:
- 1802 km (Nambour to Gympie: 66 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:
- Nambour, Bli Bli, Parklands, Kulangoor, Yandina, Bridges, North Arm, Eumundi, Eerwah Vale, Cooroy, Black Mountain, Federal, Tuchekoi, Cooran, Coles Creek, Traveston, Kybong and Glanmire
Route Numbering:
- Current: M1
- Former: A1 M1 A1 1 1
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- 10A (Brisbane to Gympie)
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.
Formerly known as the Great North Coast Road, the Bruce Highway is named after former Minister of Public Works, Henry Bruce 2 and connects Brisbane with all coastal regions north of the city.
The route is freeway standard from the Gateway Motorway interchange to Curra, north of Cooroy. From there, the route alternates between single and dual carriageway, and passes through rural, residential, industrial and commercial areas.
History:
- Bruce Highway:
- October 1929: Work starts on Petrie Creek Bridge, Nambour. 3
- November 1929: Maroochy River Bridge, Yandina opened. 4
- October 1934: Bruce Highway named after Minister for Works. 5
- November 1934: Bruce Highway declared. 6
- December 1934: After many years of agitation by the Great North Coast Road Committee, local authorities and the RACQ, the first declaration of the Bruce Highway, between what is now Rothwell and Eumundi was officially opened. 7
- June 1939: Bruce Highway between Nambour and Woombye opens. 8
- 1942: By this time, the route was bitumen sealed between Brisbane and Eumundi. 7
- 17 October 1959: South Gympie Deviation (Mary River Road to Excelsior Road) completed and opened, including Normanby Bridge. 9
- 1960: Yurol Deviation between Yurol State Forest and Skyring Creek commenced. 9
- 1962: Eudlo Creek to Maroochydore Road Reconstruction including Eudlo Creek Bridge and channelised Maroochydore Road junction completed. 9 By this time, the highway was bitumen sealed between Brisbane and Cairns. 7
- June 1962: Construction completed on Landsborough Bypass, which became the first section of limited-access road on the Bruce Highway. 9
- December 1962: Completion of Yurol Deviation. 9
- May 1982: Upgrade work to improve Woombye turn-off from Bruce Highway. 10
- July 2009: Works for Cooroy to Curra Upgrade started on Section B. 11
- December 2012: Completion of major works for on Cooroy to Curra Upgrade Section B and highway commissioning. 11
- July 2013: Work on Cooroy to Curra Upgrade Section A commenced. 11
- 15 October 2024: The 26 kilometre, 4 lane Gympie Bypass, located between Woodnum and Curra opened to traffic. The Gympie Bypass skips 53 intersections, including 9 sets of traffic lights. The overall project cost The $1.2 billion, and is the fourth and final stage of 62 kilometres of upgrades to the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Curra, which began in 2009. 12
This page concentrates on construction photos between Nambour to Gympie
Nambour to Gympie
Project Sign:
Project sign at Federal, approaching Cooroy to Curra Section B project, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
Federal Works:
Crane and near completed dual carriageway at Federal, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
Cooran Works:
Near completed dual carriageway at Cooran, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
NEW Clearing Works:
Clearing works for dual carriageways at Coles Creek, December 2009.
Image © Rob Tilley
Mary Valley Link Road Bridge Construction:
Construction works at Traveston for the Mary Valley Link Rd bridge, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
Gympie to Nambour
Project Sign:
Project sign at Traveston, approaching Cooroy to Curra Section B project, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
Mary Valley Link Road:
Construction of overpass for Mary Valley Link Rd and Traveston Rd at Traveston, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
NEW Piling and Clearing Works:
Piling and clearing works at Coles Creek, December 2009.
Image © Rob Tilley
NEW Piling and Clearing Works:
Piling and clearing works at Coles Creek, December 2009.
Image © Rob Tilley
Cooran Works:
Near completed dual carriageway at Cooran, taken from Coles Creek Rd, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
NEW Piling and Clearing Works:
Piling and clearing works at Federal, December 2009.
Image © Rob Tilley
Skyring Creek:
Bridge construction works over Skyring Ck at Federal, April 2012.
Image © Paul Rands
2 QLD Government, Bulldust, Beef and Beyond.
3 Nambour Chronicle, 4 October 1929.
4 Nambour Chronicle, 8 November 1929.
5 Nambour Chronicle, 26 October 1934.
6 Nambour Chronicle, 23 November 1934.
7 QLD Government, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, North Coast Roadside Rest Areas.
8 Nambour Chronicle, 16 June 1939.
9 Tyler Bullock.
10 Nambour Chronicle, 20 May 1982.
11 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Bruce Highway (Cooroy to Curra).
12 ABC News, Gympie Bypass opens, marking final stage of Bruce Highway upgrades, Grace Whiteside, David Dowsett and Lucy Loram, 16 October 2024.