Driving from Brisbane to the Gold Coast will be much quicker after work on a notorious section of the Pacific Motorway.

The Gateway merge is being upgraded to improve traffic flow.

Holly Parkinson reports.

TRANSCRIPT

It’s one of Queensland’s busiest bottlenecks.

But when the upgrade is complete in two years the Pacific Motorway will have three extra southbound lanes.

As well, there’ll be a new four-lane bridge on a re-aligned Underwood Road and more bus access.

Annastacia Palaszczuk, Qld Premier: “This is going to mean better travel times for families and commuters living in this area.”

More than 140,000 vehicles use the road daily, including 12,000 trucks, and that number is expected to grow.

Mick de Brenni, Member for Springwood: “What this means is we’ll be able to get people home sooner, we’ll see more productivity in our local businesses and it’s one of the most significant freight routes being expanded to the widest section of the M1 in South East Queensland.”

This upgrade is the first of three along the M1 between Brisbane and the border.

Vox 1: “I work from home or as close to home as I can so I don’t have to deal with the traffic through the peak hours especially.”

Vox 2: “I think it’ll be fabulous, absolutely fabulous, couldn’t not be.”

The Premier says the upgrade will create 131 jobs.

The project is expected to cost close to $180 million, with the federal government committing to 60 per cent and the state government providing the rest.

Drivers are urged to take care around the area as construction continues.

Holly Parkinson, QUT News.