Expressway - The Australian Highway Site: Road Photos & Information: QLD: M1 / A1 (Bowen to Cairns)

Road Photos & Information: Queensland

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

Bowen to Cairns

Statistics:

Length:: 1802 km (Bowen to Cairns: 502 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:: Ayr, Townsville, Ingham, Cardwell, Tully, Innisfail, Babinda, Gordonvale and Cairns

Route Numbering:

Current: A1
Former: A1 1 1
Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹: 10K (Bowen to Ayr); 10L (Ayr to Townsville); 10M (Townsville to Ingham); 10N (Ingham to Innisfail); 10P (Innisfail to Portsmith); 810 (Portsmith to Cairns CBD)

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.

Bruce Highway:

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 1934: Bruce Highway named after Minister for Works. ³; November 1934: Bruce Highway declared. ⁴; December 1961: Gordonvale Deviation / Mulgrave River bridge opened. ⁵; July 1967: Work commenced on a new route across Bellenden Plains / Murray River (near Cardwell). ⁵; 28 September 1968: Herbert River bridge at Ingham opened. ⁵; December 1968: Completion of new route across Bellenden Plains / Murray River (near Cardwell). ⁵; 5 November 1984: Rollingstone Creek Bridge opened by Russ Hinze. ⁵; 1991: First stage of Babinda Deviation was completed and removed the last one-lane bridge on the highway. ⁵; March 2008: Work began on the Woodlands to Veales upgrade near Townsville, and included the upgrade of the junction of Bruce Hwy and Veales Rd to a seagull intersection, a new Stoney Creek bridge and the construction of an overpass at Mount Low. ⁶; December 2008: Completion of a 15.5 kilometre federally-funded upgrade of the Bruce Highway south of Tully, which included 3 new bridges over Tully River, Tully River Overflow and Murray River. ⁷; January 2009: Completion of seagull junction treatment at the Bruce Hwy / Veales Rd intersection near Townsville. ⁶; November 2009: Bridges in the Tully area named: Joe Kinjun / Kinjufile Bridge, for the new bridge over the Tully River on the Bruce Highway, Euramo Bridge, for the new bridge over the Tully River overflow on the Bruce Highway and Henry Family Bridge, for the new bridge over the Murray River on the Bruce Highway. ⁷; November 2013: Cardwell Range Realignment project fully opened to traffic. ⁸ Completion of expansion of the Yeppen Roundabout to two lanes between the Yeppen Bridge entry and Capricorn Highway exit. ⁹ The upgrade of Wrights Creek bridge, south of Cairns, was finished, eliminating a narrow bridge that had become a traffic bottleneck. ¹⁰; January 2014: Work began on a high-level flood access between the Burnett Highway and Yeppen Roundabout, south of Rockhampton. ¹¹; July 2014: The new northbound section of the Stuart Creek bridge and approaches was completed and opened to traffic at Cluden, near Townsville. ¹²; October 2014: Completion of the roundabout removal at the intersection of University Road, Macarthur Drive and Melton Black Drive in Annandale, Townsville. The upgrade included installation of traffic lights, turning lanes, additional traffic lanes, and new footpaths and cycle lanes. ¹³

Click or tap here for the former alignment between Bowen and Cairns

Bowen to Cairns

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Merinda, June 2018. Note the remnant or erroneous NH1 shield.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Wunjunga, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Inkerman, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at McDesme, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Burdekin River:

Bruce Hwy (A1) as it crosses the Burdekin River at Home Hill, March 2011. Note the railway line to the left of shot.

Image © Richard Wardle

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Ayr approaching Burke St, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Brandon, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Brandon approaching Spiller St, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Alligator Creek approaching Alligator Creek Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Alligator Creek, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Stuart approaching Hunter St & Southwood Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Stuart approaching Flinders Hwy (A6) and Southern Port Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Flinders Highway & Southern Port Road:

Corner of Bruce Hwy (A1), Flinders Hwy (A6) and Southern Port Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Stuart, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Cluden approaching Abbott St (SR16), June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Abbott Street:

Bruce Hwy (A1) at Abbott St interchange, Cluden, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Cluden approaching Lakeside Dr, Townsville Racecourse and Stuart Dr (SR17), June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Idalia approaching Stuart Dr (SR17), June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Stuart Drive:

Bruce Hwy (A1) at the junction with Stuart Dr (SR17 & unnumbered) at Idalia, June 2018. The A6 route number should be prefixed with 'To'

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Annandale, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign facing Dellachy Rd at Silky Oak, June 2010. Note the erroneous NR1 shield.

Image © Terry Siva

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Butler St, Tully, November 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Butler Street:

Corner of Bruce Hwy (A1) and Butler St, Tully, November 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Tully, November 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Tully approaching Mission Beach Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Mission Beach Rd at Tully, November 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Mourilyan, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Innisfail-Japoon Rd at Mighell, November 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Trailblazer:

Old remnant NH1 trailblazer in the Innisfail CBD, November 2010.

Image © Terry Siva

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign facing Palmerston Hwy (SR25) at Innisfail, November 2010.

Image © Terry Siva

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Gordonvale approaching Riverstone Rd (SR52), June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Gordonvale approaching Draper Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Reassurance Directional Sign:

Distance sign at Gordonvale, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

End Pacific Coast Way:

Sign indicating end of Pacific Coast Way touring route, Wrights Creek, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Bentley Park approaching Swallow Rd and Robert Rd, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Mount Sheridan approaching Foster Rd and Coombs St, June 2018.

Image © Dean Sherry

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Bruce Hwy (A1) approaching Mulgrave Rd (former A1) at Woree, December 2013.

Image © Terry Siva

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Woree approaching Charlotte Close, March 2015.

Image © Tim Cole

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Charlotte Cl and Mulgrave Rd at Woree, November 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Mulgrave Rd (former A1) at Woree, November 2016.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Mulgrave Road Interchange:

Bruce Hwy (A1) at the Mulgrave Rd interchange at Woree, March 2015.

Image © Tim Cole

Cairns to Bowen

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Mulgrave Rd (former A1) approaching Bruce Hwy (A1) at Woree, March 2015. Note the missing A1 route number on the off ramp fork. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Terry Siva from November 2013.

Image © Tim Cole

Advance Directional Sign:

Image © Tim Cole

Bruce Highway Interchange:

Mulgrave Rd at the Bruce Hwy (A1) interchange at Woree, March 2015. Note the missing A1 route number on the sign.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Bruce Hwy (Ray Jones Dr) (A1) at Woree, approaching the unnumbered section of Ray Jones Dr, November 2016.

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign at Woree, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Murgatroyd Rd at White Rock, November 2016.

Murgatroyd Road:

Bruce Hwy (A1) at the interchange with Murgatroyd Rd at White Rock, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Warner Rd at Gordonvale, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Draper Rd at Gordonvale, November 2016.

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign at Gordonvale, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Munro St, Babinda, November 2016.

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign at Babinda, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Palmerston Hwy (SR25), Goondi, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Edith St, Innisfail, November 2016.

Innisfail:

Bruce Hwy (A1) passing through the town of Innisfail, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on McGowan Dr approaching Bruce Hwy (A1) in Innisfail, June 2010.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching Innisfail-Japoon Rd at Mighell, November 2016.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Mission Beach Rd at Tully approaching Bruce Hwy (A1), January 2014.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Bruce Hwy (A1) at Tully approaching Butler St, November 2013.

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Bruce Hwy (A1) approaching Black River Rd at Black River, January 2014. Note the erroneous NR1 remnant.

Lane Allocation Sign:

Lane allocation sign on Angus Smith Dr at Douglas approaching the interchange with The Ring Road (Bruce Hwy) (A1), June 2012.

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign with erroneous NH1 shield on Bruce Hwy (A1) at Shirbourne, April 2012.

Click or tap here for the continuation of A1 between Bowen and Cairns

¹ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, The State Road Network of Queensland, 30 June 2010.
² QLD Government, Bulldust, Beef and Beyond.
³ Nambour Chronicle, 26 October 1934.
⁴ Nambour Chronicle, 23 November 1934.
⁵ Tyler Bullock.
⁶ QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Veales Road Intersection Safety Improvements.
⁷ QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, New bridge names honour Tully region, 17 November 2009.
⁸ Australian Government, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Media Releases, Cardwell Range Realignment Opens to Traffic, 1 November 2013.
⁹ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Yeppen North Project.
¹⁰ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Wrights Creek bridge upgrade.
¹¹ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Yeppen South Project.
¹² QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Bruce Highway Upgrade (Vantassel to Cluden) Project update, October 2014.
¹³ QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Melton Black Drive intersection upgrade project.