The $3 billion “Second M1” between Brisbane and the Gold Coast is taking shape with one million work hours clocked up on Stage 1.
The Coomera Connector, sometimes referred to as the Second M1, is a north-south transport corridor between Loganholme and Nerang, east of the Pacific Motorway (M1).
Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Bart Mellish said major construction milestones had been delivered across all three packages of the project.
Minister Mellish said crews on the Stage 1 North package had spent more than one million working hours on the project, with some significant achievements reached.
He said the almost 1km bridge that spanned the Coomera River, Hope Island Rd and Saltwater Creek was taking shape with 350 bridge girders installed and 13 bridge deck concrete pours completed so far.
“Further installations will commence from mid-September on the 50 girders required for the overpass and pedestrian bridges over Helensvale Rd.
“Crews have also been busy laying more than 1500 metres of asphalt, including the first section of the main motorway alignment near McPhail Rd and in areas for future widening around the Helensvale Rd interchange and Shipper Dve.”
Minister Mellish said while bridge construction and asphalt laying continued in these areas, work would also begin to ramp up in the next six months for the Coomera Link Road section, where a new signalised intersection would be installed at the Foxwell Rd and Shipper Dve roundabout.
“Set-up of the site compound on the South package is underway and heavy vehicle access has been constructed at Boulton Dve to allow critical preloading works to start in the coming months.”
He said the $3.026 billion project, jointly funded by the Federal and Queensland governments, would support an average of 1000 direct construction jobs over the life of the project.
Minister Mellish said stage 1 of the Coomera Connector was expected to progressively open to traffic in sections from late 2025.
“The project will reduce congestion through the delivery of a new motorway connection including bridge and overpass structures, shared active transport paths along the corridor and local road connections.
“By relieving pressure on the heavily congested M1, the project will improve liveability in the fast-growing South-East Queensland region.”
Find out more information about the Coomera Connector.
