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First section of M1 opens following upgrades

The Queensland government says the new M1 will ease congestion along the critical freight route

The federal government says traffic is flowing on six lanes of the Pacific Motorway (M1) between Varsity Lakes and Burleigh, with the first package of works of a $1 billion project now open.

Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King says opening the first stage of this significant project to motorists is just the start of increasing capacity and improving safety on the M1 between Varsity Lakes and Tugun.

“The opening of three lanes between Varsity Lakes and Burleigh and the fully functioning diverging diamond interchange is the start of a transformation of the M1 for Southern Gold Coast communities,” King says.

“The benefits of the full 10-kilometre upgrade will be far-reaching and a welcome relief to those regularly caught in congestion.

“The investment in this $1 billion project will help commuters spend less time in traffic and get people to their destinations sooner.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says this is a major milestone for the project.

“The M1 is Queensland’s busiest road, seeing more than 210,000 vehicles regularly driving it on its busiest days,” Palaszczuk says.


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“This $1 billion upgrade will widen 10 kilometres of the M1, upgrade interchanges, build better service roads and create active transport connections between Varsity Lakes and Tugun. 

“Not only is this good for local drivers, but it’s also good for jobs, with 850 jobs supported over the life of the project. This is just one of eight important M1 upgrades being built by the Queensland government.”

The works in this section included extending and relocating the Exit 85 northbound off-ramp by 250 metres, adding a fourth northbound lane between Reedy Creek (Exit 85) and Burleigh (Exit 87), and installing smart motorways technologies to help reduce ‘stop-start’ travel.

When widening the M1, the concrete surface was also replaced with stone mastic asphalt for a quieter and more easily maintained surface.

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey says he’s proud to celebrate the milestone, which would also see a new shared path open.

“This major milestone will deliver huge benefits to the 90,000 commuters who travel between Varsity Lakes and Burleigh each day,” Bailey says.

“Growth in the region is skyrocketing and we’re backing that by building better roads and transport systems for the coast, from M1 upgrades, light rail and new heavy rail stations.”

 

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