Length:

36 km

Termini:

Northern: Bruce Hwy (NH1) and Gateway Arterial Rd (NR1), Bald Hills

Southern: Pacific Hwy (NR1) and Gateway Arterial Rd (NR1), Eight Mile Plains

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Eight Mile Plains, Macgregor, Upper Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt, Nathan, Holland Park West, Tarragindi, Greenslopes, Annerley, Woolloongabba, Kangaroo Point, Fortitude Valley, Spring Hill, Windsor, Lutwyche, Wooloowin, Kedron, Wavell Heights, Chermside, Aspley, Carseldine and Bald Hills

Current: M3 A3 A7 15

Former: 1

Multiplexes: 15 F-3

General Information:

Alternative National Route 1 was a collection of separate roads in different parts of Queensland that paralleled National Route or National Highway 1 or offered a different route to the same destinations.

The Metropolitan maintenance region section of ALT-NR1 followed the South East Freeway alignment between Eight Mile Plains and Annerley. The remainder of the route mostly follows the former National Route 1 alignment through Brisbane's CBD and northern suburbs and features freeway conditions and major arterial road configurations.

National Route 1 formed part of the main coastal route between Victoria and Queensland. The route featured a mix of rural highway, arterial and freeway design standards. The route formed part of what is collectively known as Highway 1. It was Australia's coastal highway joining all mainland's state capitals and coastal towns circumnavigating the entire Australian continent. It is also the longest numbered highway in the world, covering more than 14 500 km. National Route 1 is still in service in segments in Queensland and Western Australia. Many of the National Route 1 alignments outside the remaining active sections have been renumbered, mostly to alphanumeric designations.

The route features the Story Bridge over the Brisbane River, which connects Kangaroo Point and Fortitude Valley together. The Story Bridge was designed by Dr JCC Bradfield, who was responsible for the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The Story Bridge was modelled after the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal, Canada. The construction of the bridge was undertaken by Queensland companies Evans, Deakin and Co. and Hornibrook Constructions, with the majority of the materials manufactured within Australia and most of the works conducted within Queensland. The bridge was named after Public Service Commissioner, JD Story, with the highway named after the designer, Bradfield. ¹

24 May 1935: Construction begins with a sod turning ceremony for the Story Bridge over Brisbane River. The ceremony was led by William Forgan (Bill) Smith, the then premier of Queensland. ¹

6 July 1940: Story Bridge opened to traffic. ¹

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

18 May 1970: Official opening of the Story Bridge Expressway by the honourable RE Camm, MLA, the then Minister for Main Roads. ⁴

Mid 1970s: Construction of Gympie Arterial Road in the Bald Hills area. ⁵

1975: Work on the Southeast Freeway to extend it from Woolloongabba to Holland Park. ⁶

1976: First sections of the South East Freeway completed. ⁷

1977: The South East Freeway reached Marshall Road. ⁸

1980: The South East Freeway reached Klumpp Rd & Mains Road. ⁸

1982: The South East Freeway reached Logan Road. ⁸

1985: The South East Freeway reached the Pacific Highway at Springwood. ⁸

1994: National Route 15 designation revoked. It was to be replaced with ALT-NR15, however the route became SR15 as a result of an allocation of state routes by Brisbane City Council. ²

1995: F-3 designation and ALT-NR1 designation replaced by Metroad 3 with the introduction of the Metroad route numbering scheme.

Eight Mile Plains to Bald Hills

NEW Trailblazer:

Trailblazer outside 143 Turbot St, Brisbane directing motorists towards ALT-NR1, August 2004.

Image © Paul Rands

NEW Trailblazer:

Trailblazer assembly on St Pauls Tce, near Grenier St, Spring Hill, April 2005.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Bald Hills to Eight Mile Plains

NEW Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign on Banfield St, approaching Gympie Rd, pre-dating both Metroad 3 and current A3 route number, June 2018.

Image © Rob Tilley

NEW Black Advance Directional Sign:

Black AD sign heading southeast on Brunswick St, approaching Wickham St, Fortitude Valley, September 2006.

Image © Tim Cole

NEW Trailblazer:

Remnant ALT-NR1 trailblazer, southbound on Logan Rd, approaching Cornwall St (former eastbound ALT-NR1 carriageway) and Julliette St (former westbound ALT-NR1 carriageway), Greenslopes, November 2017. It is unclear if this sign should also have an arrow and 'To' panels attached to it or not. The 1987 edition UBD Brisbane street directory shows ALT-NR1 along Logan Rd, but no other maps do, including government issued maps.

Image © Dean Sherry