Length:

21 km

Termini:

Northern: Coronation Dr (SR33), Brisbane

Southern: Pacific Hwy (NR1), Springwood

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Springwood, Underwood, Rochedale South, Rochedale, Eight Mile Plains, Macgregor, Upper Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt, Nathan, Holland Park West, Tarragindi, Greenslopes, Woolloongabba, South Brisbane and Brisbane

Current: M3

Former: 3 F-3 1

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

U12A (South East Arterial Route)

General Information:

Today' Pacific Motorway once had 2 names, the bridges and interchanges in the Brisbane CBD were called the Riverside Expressway and the freeway south of the CBD was known as the South East Freeway. The South East Freeway and Riverside Expressway were two of the early projects to be completed from the Wilbur Smith "Brisbane Transportation Study", which was published in 1965 and made recommendations covering sixteen years to 1981. ²

The Captain Cook Bridge, which connects the South East Freeway and Riverside Expressway, is the third crossing of the Brisbane River. It crosses at the South Brisbane Reach of the river, and links Gardens Point to Woolloongabba. It carries four lanes of traffic in either direction.

1965: American consultant Wilbur Smith, recommended an extensive freeway system for Brisbane (as part of the Brisbane Transportation Study), with the first section of the South East Freeway opening in 1970s. ³

1966: The Coordinator-General's Department commenced the design of the Riverside Expressway and the Captain Cook Bridge. ⁴

20 August 1969: The construction contract for the Riverside Expressway was let to Messrs. McDougall-Ireland Pty Ltd. ⁴

November 1972: The Captain Cook Bridge and the first stage of the Southeast Freeway were opened to traffic. ^{5 6}

1975: Work on the Southeast Freeway to extend it to Holland Park. ⁷

22 July 1976: Riverside Expressway opened to traffic. ⁸

1976: First sections of the South East Freeway completed. ⁹

1977: The South East Freeway reached Marshall Road. ²

1980: The South East Freeway reached Klumpp Rd & Mains Road. ²

1982: The South East Freeway reached Logan Road. ²

1985: The South East Freeway reached the Pacific Highway at Springwood. ²

March 1996: The Queensland Government announced its intention to widen the South East Freeway to eight lanes between the Brisbane central business district and the Gold Coast. In the Brisbane City and Logan City areas, the Transport Planning (south-east Queensland) Branch of Queensland Transport proposed that the additional lanes should be provided as busway lanes and transit lanes. ¹⁰

13 September 2000: The first section of busway between the CBD and Woolloongabba was opened to services, which coincided with the first match in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Football Tournament at Woolloongabba. ¹⁰

30 April 2001: The second section of busway between Woolloongabba and Eight Mile Plains opened. ¹⁰

2009: Metroad 3 decommissioned, route renumbered M3 for motorway standard / limited access sections and A3 for suburban arterial road sections. ¹¹

Freeway Green and Black Intersection Directional Sign:

[SIGN 1] ID sign on Logan Rd (SR95 and former NR1) at the interchange with Pacific Mwy (former South East Fwy) at Eight Mile Plains. The Metroad 3 coverplate is hiding an F3 shield, and the blank plate beside it is covering an ALT-NR1 shield. January 2005.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

[SIGN 2] Freeway green AD sign with F3 shield at the corner of Newnham Rd (SR41) and Fulton St, Eight Mile Plains, approaching Logan Rd (SR95). March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

[SIGN 3] Freeway green AD sign with F3 shield on Messines Ridge Road, approaching the on-ramp to Pacific Mwy (former South East Fwy) at Holland Park West, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

[SIGN 4] Freeway green AD sign with F3 shield on Messines Ridge Road, approaching Gaza Road at Holland Park West, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

[SIGN 5] Freeway green ID sign facing Gaza Road at the intersection with the off ramp from Pacific Mwy and Bapaume Rd in Holland Park West, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

[SIGN 6] ID sign with F3 shield under a Metroad 3 coverplate, facing Sterculia Av, Tarragindi, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

[SIGN 7] Freeway Green AD sign on Marshall Rd (SR11) at Tarragindi, approaching the intersection with Toohey Rd. The sign has a Metroad 3 coverplate over an old F3 shield, which you can see poking out below the bottom edge of the coverplate. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Freeway Green ID sign:

[SIGN 8] Freeway green intersection directional sign at the junction with Pacific Mwy (former South East Fwy), Bapaume Rd, Marshall Rd (SR10/11) and Birdwood Rd (SR10) at Tarragindi. The sign has a Metroad 3 shield over an old F3 shield. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

[SIGN 9] AD sign designed by Brisbane City Council as a replacement for an older sign, on Ekibin Rd East at Annerly approaching Lewisham St. Note the F3 shield, this is in error, as the F3 route number was decommissioned long before this sign was made. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

[SIGN 10] AD sign designed by Brisbane City Council as a replacement for an older sign, northbound on Lewisham Street at Greenslopes approaching Ridge Street and Earl Street. Note the F3 shield, this is in error, as the F3 route number was decommissioned long before this sign was made. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

[SIGN 11] AD sign designed by Brisbane City Council as a replacement for an older sign, westbound on Ridge St at Greenslopes approaching Lewisham St and Earl St. Note the F3 shield, this is in error, as the F3 route number was decommissioned long before this sign was made. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands