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Statistics:

• Length: 38 km
• Northern Terminus: Bruce Highway / Gateway Motorway (M1) at Bald Hills
• Southern Terminus: Pacific Motorway (M1) / Gateway Motorway (M2) at Eight Mile Plains
• Miscellaneous: Former names include Riverside Expressway, Southeast Arterial Road and Southeast Freeway
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route: Eight Mile Plains, Macgregor, Upper Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt, Nathan, Holland Park West, Tarragindi, Greenslopes, Woolloongabba, South Brisbane, Brisbane (CBD), Milton, Paddington, Bowen Hills, Windsor, Lutwyche, Wooloowin, Kedron, Wavell Heights, Chermside, Aspley, Carseldine and Bald Hills

Route Numbering:

• Current: M3 A3

• Former:
• Road Authority Internal Classification: U12A (Pacific Motorway (South East Arterial Route)) & U14 (Gympie Arterial Road) 1

General Information:

The route takes in the Brisbane's inner south and also skirts the CBD via what was once called the Riverside Expressway, then continues into the northern suburbs via Coronation Drive, Hale Street and the Inner City Bypass before connecting with Bowen Bridge Road, Lutwyche Road, Gympie Road and finally the Gympie Arterial Road for the connection to the Bruce Highway at the Gateway Motorway (M1) junction.

Along the route you'll find the Captain Cook Bridge. It 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.

The Pacific Motorway section of the route had 2 names, the bridges and interchanges in the Brisbane CBD was 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

History:

• 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 5: The Captain Cook Bridge and the first stage of the Southeast Freeway were opened to traffic. 6
• Mid 1970s: Construction of Gympie Arterial Road in the Bald Hills area. 7
• 1975: Work on the Southeast Freeway (now Pacific Motorway) to extend it to Holland Park. 8
• 22 July 1976: Riverside Expressway opened to traffic. 9
• 1976: First sections of the South East Freeway completed. 10
• 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. 11
• 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. 11
• 30 April 2001: The second section of busway between Woolloongabba and Eight Mile Plains opened. 11
• November 2001: Stage 1 of Inner City Bypass (Hale Street to Campbell Street) opened. 11
• February 2002: Stage 2 of Inner City Bypass (Campbell Street to Abbotsford Road) opened. 11
• July 2002: Stage 3 of Inner City Bypass (Abbotsford Road to Kingsford Smith Drive) opened. This section is not part of the M3 / A3 corridor.
• June 2004: Installation of noise barriers along Gympie Road between Webster Road and Kildonan Street, Chermside. 12
• June 2005: Extension of the four lanes on Gympie Road to the roundabout to the intersection of Gympie Road, Anzac Avenue and Dayboro Road, Petrie. 12
• September 2005: Addition of traffic signals to the Intersection of Gympie Road and Sadlier Street, Kedron, also the removal of right-turn access from Webster Road North into Gympie Road and diverted right-turning traffic to the Gympie Road and Darwin Street intersection. 12
• November 2005: At the intersection of Gympie Road and Webster Road, Chermside, Main Roads removed right-turn access from Webster Road North into Gympie Road, diverted right-turning traffic to the Gympie Road and Darwin Street intersection and modified the traffic signals. 12
• May 2006: Along Gympie Road between Kedron Park Road and Leckie Road, Kedron, upgrades were made to the intersections to improve safety and traffic operation. 12
• December 2006: At the intersection of Gympie Road, Samsonvale Road and Bells Pocket Road, Strathpine, the existing traffic signals were updated with new brighter light emitting diode lanterns. Changers were also made to the traffic signals so that traffic can only turn right when protected by a green arrow and extensions were made to the right-turn lanes on the northern side of the intersection by 40 m, and on the southern side by 50 m. 12
• May 2007: At the intersection of Gympie Road, Samsonvale Road and Bells Pocket Road, Strathpine, work was done to replace the existing traffic signals, changes were made to the traffic signals timing and extenions done to the right-turn lanes. 12
• June 2007: At the intersection of Gympie Road and Webster Road, Aspley, Main Roads modified signals to provide exclusive right-turn phases for vehicles turning right from Webster Road, provided second left turn lane for vehicles turning left from Webster Road south to Gympie Road west, removed pedestrian crossing on Webster Road South and Gympie Road West approaches and provided staged pedestrian crossing on the Gympie Road East approach. 12
• June 2008: At the ntersection of Gympie Road and Kremzow Road, Brendale, a right-turn lane on Gympie Road was constructed. 12
• 2009: Metroad 3 decommissioned, route renumbered M3 for motorway standard / limited access sections and A3 for suburban arterial road sections. 13

Click here for photos of the route signposted as Metroad 3.
Click here for photos of signage showing the old F3 route number and also old F3 signs coverplated with Metroad 3.

Click inside one of the green boxes on the map below to view each section of the route.

1 State Road Network of Queensland Map, 30 June 2008
2 Queensland Roads, March 2009
3 The 200 km City Web Site
4 Queensland Roads, Edition No. 4, Sept 07
5 Redcliffe City Library
6 Queensland State Archives, 1972 Cabinet Minutes
7 State Library of Queensland
8 Queensland State Archives, 1975 Cabinet Minutes Historian's Report
9 Queensland State Archives, 1976 Cabinet Minutes
10 Brisbane City Council Annual Report 06-07
11 Busway Website History Web Page
12 Main Roads Gympie Road Upgrade Web Page
13 Michael Greenslade

Last updated: 03-Aug-2019 0:59

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