Road Photos & Information: Queensland

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

Statistics:

Length:
1802 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:
Tugun, Robina, Nerang, Helensvale, Beenleigh, Springwood, Rochedale, Murarrie, Nudgee, Bald Hills, Burpengary, Caboolture, Beerwah, Nambour, Eumundi, Cooroy, Gympie, Maryborough, Childers, Gin Gin, Miriam Vale, Benaraby, Mt Larcom, Rockhampton, Sarina, Mackay, Proserpine, Bowen, Ayr, Townsville, Ingham, Cardwell, Tully, Innisfail, Babinda, Gordonvale and Cairns

Route Numbering:

Current: M1 A1
Former: M1 A1 1 1 1 F-3 20
Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
10A (Brisbane to Gympie)
10B (Gympie to Maryborough)
10C (Maryborough to Gin Gin)
10D (Gin Gin to Benaraby)
10E (Benaraby to Rockhampton
10F (Rockhampton to St Lawrence)
10G (St Lawrence to Mackay)
10H (Mackay to Proserpine)
10J (Proserpine to Bowen)
10K (Bowen to Ayr)
10L (Ayr to Townsville)
10M (Townsville to Ingham)
10N (Ingham to Innisfail)
10P (Innisfail to Portsmith)
12A (Pacific Motorway)
N332 (Gateway Motorway)
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.

Pacific Motorway:

The M1 portion of the Pacific Motorway bypasses the suburban areas of the Gold Coast and outer Brisbane areas, and passes through residential, commercial and industrial areas, and features a number of service roads to cater to some of the industrial and commercial zones.

The section from Brisbane to Springwood is formerly known as the South Eastern Freeway.

The Pacific Motorway passes several Gold Coast tourist attractions such as Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet 'n' Wild Water World, and Dreamworld.

The route features twin tunnels bypass the Tugun area as it crosses into NSW.

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.
Bruce Highway:

Formerly known as the Great North Coast Road, the Bruce Highway is named after former Minister of Public Works, Henry Bruce 3 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:

Pacific Motorway:
1927: Start of the formation and bitumen pavement of the Pacific Highway in Logan area. 4
1930s: Pacific Highway named. 3
1 July 1931: Logan Bridge built to military specifications to bear the weight of a small tank. 3 4
1963: Work began on the Beenleigh Bypass on the Pacific Highway, and included a new bridge at Yatala to replace the existing timber bridge over the Albert River. 3
1965: Brisbane Transportation Study recommended the construction of the South East Freeway. 4
December 1965: Southbound carriageway opened as two lanes on Beenleigh Bypass. 5
December 1966: Northbound carriageway completed on Beenleigh Bypass. 5
1968: New bridge over the river at Loganholme was built in conjunction with the duplication of the Pacific Highway. 4
November 1972: The first section, opened in Brisbane, was originally known as the Southeast Freeway. 6
March 1977: Work on the Nerang Bypass commenced. 5
6 April 1979: Nerang Bypass was opened by Russ Hinze. 5
25 September 1979: Watland Street / Park Road interchange opened. 5
October 1981: West Burleigh to Palm Beach section opened. 5
1985: Completion of South East Freeway, from Brisbane to Springwood. 7
17 May 1985: Palm Beach to Tugun Extension. 8
1990: Nerang to Mudgeeraba duplication commenced. 5
1992: Mudgeeraba to Reedy Creek duplication commenced. 5
December 1996: Motorway upgrade to 6 lanes between Winnetts Road to Beenleigh-Redland Bay Road. 9
August 1997: Reedy Creek to Tugun Duplication. 9
October 2000: Motorway standard upgrade of Pacific Highway between the junction of Logan Motorway and Nerang opened to traffic. 10
February 2007: Completion of tunnel excavation for Tugun Bypass. 11
2008: Completion of Tugun Bypass. 3
February 2008: Work upgrading the Nerang South Interchange (Exit 73) started. 12
February 2009: Upgrade work started at Mudgeeraba (Exit 79). 12
November 2009: Construction of interchange upgrades commenced between Springwood and Daisy Hill. 13
May 2010: The first stage of the new Loganlea Road overpass bridge commenced. 14
May 2012: Completion of widening from 4 to 6 lanes between Nerang and Varsity Lakes.
November 2012: Upgrades between Springwood and Daisy Hill completed. 13
April 2013: Construction started on a 1.8 km lane on the Pacific Motorway in the southbound direction between Fitzgerald Avenue and Shortland Street. 15
July 2013: T2 lanes between Klumpp Road and the Gateway Motorway removed and converted to normal traffic lanes. 16
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. 17
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. 18 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. 19
13 May 1997: The Southern Brisbane Bypass was opened to traffic by Vaughan Johnson, then-Minister for Transport and Main Roads. 19
9 March 2007: Work starts on second Gateway Bridge over Brisbane River. 20
September 2008: An extra lane on the Gateway Motorway over Wynnum Road opened to traffic. 21
July 2009: Upgraded Gateway Motorway north of Gateway Bridge opened to traffic. 22
2010: A 7 km stretch of the Gateway Motorway that runs between Eagle Farm and Nudgee Road at Banyo, renamed Southern Cross Way after realignment of Gateway Motorway. 23
June 2010: Demolition of the old Gateway Motorway Overpass (now Southern Cross Way) over Airport Drive in preparation of new overpass. 24
Bruce Highway:
October 1929: Work starts on Petrie Creek Bridge, Nambour. 25
November 1929: Maroochy River Bridge, Yandina opened. 26
October 1934: Bruce Highway named after Minister for Works. 27
November 1934: Bruce Highway declared. 28
December 1934: Bruce Highway was officially opened at Glass House Mountains. 29 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. 30
June 1939: Bruce Highway between Nambour and Woombye opens. 31
May 1940: Original Wallaville Bridge completed. 5
1942: By this time, the route was bitumen sealed between Brisbane and Eumundi. 30
1957: Landsborough to Mooloolah Connection Road Reconstruction completed (4 km). Also now former Isis River Bridge completed. 5
1958: Caloundra Road to Sippy Creek Reconstruction completed (3.7 km). Mooloolah Connection Road to Caloundra Road Reconstruction completed, including channelised Calounda Road junction (3.2 km). 5
17 October 1959: South Gympie Deviation (Mary River Road to Excelsior Road) completed and opened, including Normanby Bridge. 5
1960: Sippy Creek to Crosby Hill Road Reconstruction including channelised Crosby Hill Road junction completed (2.8 km). Yurol Deviation between Yurol State Forest and Skyring Creek commenced. 5
1961: Tanawha deviation (old route now Main Creek Road) completed (2.4 km). Work began on the Landsborough Bypass. 5
December 1961: Gordonvale Deviation / Mulgrave River bridge opened. 5
1962: Eudlo Creek to Maroochydore Road Reconstruction including Eudlo Creek Bridge and channelised Maroochydore Road junction completed. 5 By this time, the highway was bitumen sealed between Brisbane and Cairns. 30
June 1962: Construction completed on Landsborough Bypass, which became the first section of limited-access road on the Bruce Highway. 5
December 1962: Completion of Yurol Deviation. 5
November 1963: Construction begun on first four lane section with the Maroochy Shire Council region. 32
1964: North Gympie Deviation (Monkland Street to Oak Street) completed. 5
March 1965: Construction of Stage 1 of Caboolture Bypass (Burpengary to Bribie Island Road) commenced. 5
August 1966: Completion of Stage 1 of Caboolture Bypass. 5
1967: Gympie CBD Bypass (between River Road and Monkland Street) completed. 5
July 1967: Work commenced on a new route across Bellenden Plains / Murray River (near Cardwell). 5
December 1967: A deviation was completed north of Mount Larcom, which bypassed what is now Gentle Annie Road. Also Ambrose to Raglan Deviation completed. 5
April 1968: New bridges over St Helens Creek and Waterhole (35 km north of Mackay) commenced. 5
July 1968: Beerburrum to Glass House Mountains reconstruction completed. 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
1969: Glass House Mountains to Beerwah reconstruction completed. 5
January 1969: Stage 2 of Caboolture Bypass (Pumicestone Road to Beerburrum) completed. 5
20 December 1969: New bridges over St Helens Creek and Waterhole opened to traffic, replacing crossing built in 1934. 5
1972: Work begins on the Bald Hills to Burpengary Deviation. The new route took traffic from Gympie Road at Bald Hills to Uhlmann Road at Burpengary along a much more superior alignment which was also constructed to four lanes. 33
August 1970: Stage 3 Caboolture Bypass (Bribie Island Road to Pumicestone Road) completed. 5
April 1970: Work on the Pumicestone Road interchange commenced. 5
October 1970: Pumicestone Road interchange completed. 5
June 1974: Ramsay Creek bridge works commenced. 5
August 1974: Ramsay Creek upgrade roadworks commenced. 5
January 1975: Ramsay Creek bridge completed. 5
November 1975: Six Mile Creek bridge works commenced. 5
December 1975: Ramsay Creek upgrade work completed. 5
1974-1975: Calliope River Bridge was completed. 5
April 1976: Work on the Bajool Bypass commenced. 5
August 1976: 9.5 km Bauple Deviation opened. 5
October 1976: Completion of Six Mile Creek bridge. 5
May 1977: Bajool Bypass completed. 5
10 November 1977: The Bald Hills to Burpengary Deviation was officially opened. 33
23 December 1977: 6.2 km Bakers Creek Deviation including railway overpass opened by Russ Hinze. 5
March 1979 3.3 km Mackenzie Creek Deviation (just south of Bauple-Woolooga Road) opened. 5
April 1979: Completion of Mackenzie Creek Deviation. 5
December 1979: Sandy Creek bridge between Maryborough and Gin Gin opened. 5
April 1980: 1.8 km Mackenzie Creek to Oaky Creek Deviation opened. 5
October 1981: 2.3 km Oaky Creek and Gutchy Creek and overflow bridges and approaches completed. 5
May 1982: Upgrade work to improve Woombye turn-off from Bruce Highway. 34
September 1984: O'Connell River Bridge and associated 3.4 km-long deviation opened by Minister for Welfare Services G. Muntz. 5
5 November 1984: Rollingstone Creek Bridge opened by Russ Hinze. 5
9 December 1985: Bruce Highway deviated around the Glass House Mountains region. 35
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. 36
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. 37
January 2009: Completion of seagull junction treatment at the Bruce Hwy / Veales Rd intersection near Townsville. 36
May 2009: Traffic signals at the Bruce Highway, Monkland and Channon Street intersections in Gympie switched on. 38
July 2009: Works for Cooroy to Curra Upgrade started on Section B. 39
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. 37
September 2011: To improve flood immunity of the highway south of Childers, a new and improved road alignment and a higher bridge over the Isis River were completed. 40
August 2012: Construction starts on an interchange to replace an at-grade junction at the corner of Bruce Hwy and Dawson Hwy, known locally as the Calliope Crossroads. 41
December 2012: Completion of major works for on Cooroy to Curra Upgrade Section B and highway commissioning. 39
July 2013: Work on Cooroy to Curra Upgrade Section A commenced. 39 Major construction commenced to upgrade the Pumicestone Road interchange, north-east of Caboolture. The upgrade includes a new 6.5 m high 2-lane overpass over the highway with pedestrian and cyclist facilities, upgraded entry and exit ramps to provide safer access to and from the highway, upgraded ramp and local road intersections to improve sight distance and provide safer turning movements and the relocation of Old Toorbul Point Road and Rutters Road. 42 Work started on upgrade of the Bruce Highway between Cabbage Tree Creek and Carmans Road, about 10 km north of Gin Gin. The upgrade included realigning a 6.7 kilometre section of the highway to improve the horizontal and vertical alignment of the road and eliminate some tight curves. 43 Also included was overtaking lanes for each direction of traffic, and two heavy vehicle stopping places for northbound and southbound motorists. The Bruce Highway and Monduran Road intersection was also upgraded. 43
November 2013: Cardwell Range Realignment project fully opened to traffic. 44 Completion of expansion of the Yeppen Roundabout to two lanes between the Yeppen Bridge entry and Capricorn Highway exit. 45 The upgrade of Wrights Creek bridge, south of Cairns, was finished, eliminating a narrow bridge that had become a traffic bottleneck. 46
January 2014: Work began on a high-level flood access between the Burnett Highway and Yeppen Roundabout, south of Rockhampton. 47
April 2014: Work started on on-ramp upgrades at Uhlmann Road, Deception Bay Road, Boundary Road, Anzac Avenue and Dohles Rocks Road. Work included widening the southbound on-ramps to the Bruce Highway, installing ramp signals to control flow onto the highway; underground traffic sensors; closed circuit television cameras; dynamic message signs and necessary electrical and fibre optic cables. 48
June 2014: Completion of an interchange to replace an at-grade junction at the corner of Bruce Hwy and Dawson Hwy, known locally as the Calliope Crossroads. 41
July 2014: The new northbound section of the Stuart Creek bridge and approaches was completed and opened to traffic at Cluden, near Townsville. 49
14 July 2014: A new on-ramp from Frizzo Rd interchange with a much longer merge lane opened to traffic. 50
August 2014: Completion of a new northbound overtaking lane 1.2 km in length, including merge tapers, 5 km north of Howard. 51
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. 52
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. 53
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, Bulldust, Beef and Beyond.
4 Logan District History.
5 Tyler Bullock.
6 Building Brisbane's History: Structure, Sculptures, Stories and Secrets. ISBN 9781921606199.
7 Brisbane Times, South-East Queensland transport infrastructure rollout since 1975, 6 July 2010.
8 QLD Government, Department of Main Roads Annual Report 1984-1985.
9 QLD Government, Department of Main Roads Annual Report 1995-1996.
10 The Pacific Motorway Report: An investigation into the actions of the Department of Main Roads in relation to noise and safety issues concerning the Pacific Motorway. ISBN 978-0-9758442-9-8.
11 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Pacific Motorway Upgrade Stage 1 Nerang - Varsity Lakes, April 2007.
12 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Media Release, Pacific Motorway Upgrade, Community Update August 2009.
13 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Pacific Motorway (M1) upgrade: Springwood (south) to Daisy Hill.
14 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Construction Update, Pacific Motorway Upgrade Project, Springwood (south) to Daisy Hill, May 2010.
15 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Media Release, Pacific Motorway Upgrade Start of construction works Pacific Motorway: Fitzgerald Avenue to Shortland Street, April 2013.
16 QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Additional lanes open on Pacific Motorway, 2 July 2013.
17 QLD Government, Queensland Roads, Edition No 8, March 2010.
18 QLD Government, Queensland Roads, Edition No 4, September 2007.
19 QLD Government, Queensland Motorways Annual Report 1996-1997.
20 QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Gateway Upgrade Project well underway, 26 September 2007.
21 QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Extra Gateway Motorway lane opens – with more to come, 12 September 2008.
22 QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Gateway Upgrade delivers seven kilometres of new motorway, 17 July 2009.
23 Sydney Morning Herald, Gateway renamed the Southern Cross Way, 17 September 2010.
24 QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Demolition begins on old Gateway Motorway Overpass, 2 June 2010.
25 Nambour Chronicle, 4 October 1929.
26 Nambour Chronicle, 8 November 1929.
27 Nambour Chronicle, 26 October 1934.
28 Nambour Chronicle, 23 November 1934.
29 Nambour Chronicle, 21 December 1934.
30 QLD Government, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, North Coast Roadside Rest Areas.
31 Nambour Chronicle, 16 June 1939.
32 Nambour Chronicle, 8 November 1963.
33 Caboolture in the 70s.
34 Nambour Chronicle, 20 May 1982.
35 Sam Laybutt (Ozroads).
36 QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, Veales Road Intersection Safety Improvements.
37 QLD Government, Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory, Media Statements, New bridge names honour Tully region, 17 November 2009.
38 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Main Roads Local Links, In and around Wide Bay/Burnett, May 2009.
39 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Bruce Highway (Cooroy to Curra).
40 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Bruce Highway Upgrade Isis River Bridge, 15 February 2011.
41 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Calliope Crossroads Intersection Upgrade.
42 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Pumicestone Road interchange upgrade.
43 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Bruce Highway - Cabbage Tree Creek to Carmans Road, Project Overview, June 2013.
44 Australian Government, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development, Media Releases, Cardwell Range Realignment Opens to Traffic, 1 November 2013.
45 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Yeppen North Project.
46 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Wrights Creek bridge upgrade.
47 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Yeppen South Project.
48 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Bruce Highway Managed Motorway Project.
49 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Bruce Highway Upgrade (Vantassel to Cluden) Project update, October 2014.
50 Sunshine Coast Daily, Drivers no longer dicing with death with safer road, 16 July 2014.
51 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Bruce Highway overtaking lane north of Howard.
52 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Melton Black Drive intersection upgrade project.
53 ABC News, Gympie Bypass opens, marking final stage of Bruce Highway upgrades, Grace Whiteside, David Dowsett and Lucy Loram, 16 October 2024.
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