Gateway Motorway

The Gateway Motorway (M2 to Eight Mile Plains and M1 to Pine River) is a major tolled motorway in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia which includes the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges (former Gateway Bridge). The motorway is operated by toll road operator Transurban.

Gateway Motorway

General information
TypeHighway
Length48 km (30 mi)
Route number(s)
  • M1
  • (Bald Hills - Eight Mile Plains)
  • M2
  • (Eight Mile Plains - Drewvale)
Major junctions
North end
 
South end
Location(s)
Major settlementsNudgee, Eagle Farm, Belmont, Eight Mile Plains
Highway system

It bypasses Brisbane in order to provide easier access between the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. It runs from the M2 Logan Motorway in Drewvale (near Browns Plains) to the Gympie Arterial Road in Bald Hills. At the interchange with the Pacific Motorway at Eight Mile Plains (Pacific Motorway exit 16), its original terminus pre-1997, the route number changes from M2 (Logan Motorway - Pacific Motorway) to M1 (Pacific Motorway - Bruce Highway (Gympie Arterial Road)). The Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges are part of the Gateway Motorway and the Motorway provides access to the Port of Brisbane, Brisbane Airport and Brisbane Entertainment Centre.

Background

The motorway was constructed to connect the then-recently opened Gateway Bridge to the Bruce Highway in the north and the Pacific Motorway in the south. Construction on the road commenced in March 1985 and it was opened to traffic in four stages between August and December 1986.

Originally, the route was called the Gateway Arterial Road because the road was not at motorway status, the road passing through three large roundabouts north of the Brisbane River. Therefore, to cope with the heavy traffic, the government began upgrading the road in 1987. Duplication to four lanes and grade-separation was completed in several stages between 1989 and 1996.

In 1995, construction began on a southern extension to the Logan Motorway, creating the Southern Brisbane Bypass. The road was opened to traffic by Vaughan Johnson, then-Minister for Transport and Main Roads, on 13 May 1997.[1] Following this work, the road was renamed Gateway Motorway.

In 2007, construction began on the Gateway Upgrade Project, which duplicated the Gateway Bridge, added a deviation between Eagle Farm and Nudgee and upgraded the motorway south of the river. The duplicate Gateway Bridge was opened on 24 May 2010 and both bridges were renamed the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges. The original bridge was refurbished to match the new structure and was finished on 28 November 2010. The northern deviation was routed east from its old alignment (the old alignment is now named Southern Cross Way) and added a second access road, Moreton Drive, to Brisbane Airport. The deviation opened on 19 July 2009 whilst Moreton Drive opened on 3 December 2009. South of the bridges, the motorway was expanded to 9 lanes up to the Wynnum Road interchange, and 8 lanes to the Old Cleveland Road interchange. From that point the motorway is six lanes up to the Pacific Motorway Merge. The upgrades between Lytton Road and Mount Gravatt-Capalaba Road were completed on 28 January 2010, while the final stage between Mount Gravatt-Capalaba Road and Pacific Motorway (also the final stage of the entire Gateway Motorway Upgrade) was opened to traffic on 30 July 2011.

Upon its original opening, the road did not have a route number. However it gained the Metroad 1 shield in March 1994, before being replaced with M1 in 2005. Manual toll booths were removed and replaced with electronic toll gates (which require vehicles to have a transponder attached to the windscreen) in 2010.

Tolls

The motorway has two toll points, the Murrarie and Kuraby toll points.[2] The Murrarie toll point is located south of the Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges and the Kuraby toll point is located between the Logan Road / Pacific Motorway and Logan Motorway, including the northbound exit and southbound entry ramps at Compton Road.

Toll prices as of 1 January 2021[3]
Toll roadClass 1 (Motorcycles)Class 2 (Car)Class 3 (Light Commercial Vehicle)Class 4 (Heavy Commercial Vehicle)Toll increase
Gateway Motorway Murrarie toll point $2.36 $4.70 $7.06 $14.79 Annually on 1 July, by CPI
Kuraby toll point $1.39 $2.77 $4.17 $8.73 Annually on 1 July, by CPI

    Construction History

    • 1986 - Gateway Bridge and associated approach roads (Lytton Road to Airport Drive) officially opened by QLD Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen on 11 January 1986.
    • 1986 - Stage 1 Gateway Arterial Road (Airport Drive to Toombul Road). Two-lane arterial road and extension of Toombul Road officially opened by Federal Minister for Transport Peter Morris on 8 August 1986.
    • 1986 - Stage 2 Gateway Arterial Road (Depot Road to Bruce Highway). Two-lane arterial road and connections to Deagon Deviation officially opened by Minister for Main Roads and Racing Russ Hinze on 17 October 1986.
    • 1986 - Stage 3 Gateway Arterial Road (South-East Freeway to Lytton Road). Two-lane arterial road officially opened by Minister for Main Roads and Racing Russ Hinze on 17 November 1986.
    • 1986 - Stage 4 Gateway Arterial Road (Toombul Road to Depot Road). Two-lane arterial road and extension of Bicentennial Road officially opened by Minister for Main Roads and Racing Russ Hinze on 11 December 1986.
    • 1989 - Airport Drive to Cannery Drain duplication. Duplication to four lanes officially commissioned by Deputy Premier and Minister for Main Roads Bill Gunn on 26 July 1989.
    • 1991 - Cannery Drain to Bicentennial Road duplication and Bulimba Viaduct duplication. Duplication of two sections to four lanes and Nudgee Road interchange concurrently commissioned by Federal Minister for Transport Bob Brown on 19 September 1991.[4]
    • 1992 - Old Cleveland Road interchange. Overpass bridges officially opened by Federal Minister for Transport Bob Brown on 4 February 1992.
    • 1992 - Bicentennial Road to Depot Road duplication. Duplication to four lanes commissioned by Federal Minister for Transport Bob Brown on 3 December 1992.
    • 1993 - Bicentennial Road interchange. Overpass bridges officially opened by Federal Minister for Transport Bob Brown on 12 February 1993.
    • 1993 - Toombul Road interchange. Four-lane overpass bridge officially opened by MP Wayne Swan on 25 October 1993.[5]
    • 1993 - Miles Platting Road to Mount Gravatt-Capalaba Road duplication. Duplication to four lanes completed in November 1993.[6]
    • 1995 - Miles Platting Road interchange. Completed January 1995.[7]
    • 1996 - Depot Road to Bruce Highway duplication. Duplication to four lanes and southbound Deagon Deviation overpass completed April 1996.[8]
    • 1997 - Southern Brisbane Bypass (South-East Freeway-Logan Motorway). Southerly extension of Gateway Motorway officially opened by Minister for Main Roads Vaughan Johnson on 13 May 1997.[9]
    • 2010 - Eight Mile Plains to Nudgee - Widening to three lanes in each direction.. Also duplicating the Gateway Bridge. Including variable speed limits.
    • March 2019 - Nudgee to Bracken Ridge. Widening to three lanes in each direction. Including smart motorway technologies.
    • August 2019 - Logan Enhancement Project. Widening to three lanes in each direction from Compton Road to Logan Motorway, and new south-facing ramps at Compton Road[10][11]

    Interchanges

    The kilometres shown below are subject to change as upgrades to the road are implemented. The entire motorway is in the City of Brisbane local government area.

    LocationkmmiExit[lower-alpha 1]DestinationsNotes
    Bald Hills0–
    0.2
    0.0–
    0.12
    127 Bruce Highway (M1)  Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, CairnsNorthern motorway terminus at partial Y interchange: merges with Gympie Arterial Road to continue as Bruce Highway
    Bracken Ridge2.6–
    3.9
    1.6–
    2.4
    123Bracken Ridge Road – to M3, Bracken Ridge, Brighton, Sandgate
    3.9–
    5.2
    2.4–
    3.2
    122 Deagon Deviation (State Route 26)  Brighton, RedcliffeNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
    Deagon4.9–
    5.8
    3.0–
    3.6
    120 Depot Road (State Route 27)  Deagon, SandgateNo southbound exit
    Boondall6.74.2 Sandgate Road (State Route 26) – no exitNorthbound entry only
    8.5–
    9.3
    5.3–
    5.8
    117Bicentennial Road  Boondall, Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Boondall WetlandsRoundabout interchange
    Nudgee13.3–
    14.6
    8.3–
    9.1
    112Nudgee Road  Nudgee, Nudgee BeachNorthbound access to Gateway Travel Centre
    Brisbane Airport15.59.6110Southern Cross Way – to M7, Eagle FarmPartial Y interchange: no northbound exit to or southbound entrance from Southern Cross Way
    16.9–
    18.0
    10.5–
    11.2
    108 Moreton Drive Brisbane Airport
    Eagle Farm20.8–
    20.9
    12.9–
    13.0
    106 Kingsford Smith Drive  Eagle Farm, HamiltonNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
    21.213.2105Southern Cross Way – to M7, Eagle FarmPartial Y interchange: no southbound exit to or northbound entrance from Southern Cross Way
    Brisbane River22.0–
    22.4
    13.7–
    13.9
    Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges (Murrarie toll point)
    Murarrie23.0–
    23.1
    14.3–
    14.4
    103 Lytton Road (State Route 24)  Murarrie, LyttonSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
    23.1–
    24.2
    14.4–
    15.0
    102 Port of Brisbane Motorway (M4) Port of Brisbane, Murarrie, Lytton
    Tingalpa25.2–
    26.6
    15.7–
    16.5
    100 Wynnum Road (State Route 23)  Tingalpa, Cannon Hill, Wynnum, Manly
    Belmont28.3–
    30.0
    17.6–
    18.6
    97 Old Cleveland Road (State Route 22), Sleeman Sports ComplexThree-level diamond interchange
    MackenzieRochedale boundary33.4–
    34.8
    20.8–
    21.6
    92 Mount Gravatt – Capalaba Road (Metroad 2 west / State Route 21 east)  Mackenzie, Wishart, Capalaba, Mount Gravatt
    Rochedale37.5–
    38.5
    23.3–
    23.9
    88 Miles Platting Road (State Route 56)  Eight Mile Plains, Eight Mile Plains busway station, Sunnybank
    Rochedale Eight Mile Plains boundary38.0–
    38.4
    23.6–
    23.9
    87 Pacific Motorway (M1 south-east / M3 north-west)  Logan, Logan CentralNorthbound entrance from Pacific Motorway north-westbound and southbound exit to Pacific Motorway south-eastbound only; route transition: Northern end of M2, southern end of M1 allocation
    Eight Mile Plains38.7–
    39.4
    24.0–
    24.5
    1 Logan Road (State Route 95)  Underwood, Brisbane
    Kuraby42.526.4Kuraby toll point
    Kuraby–RuncornStrettonKarawatha quadripoint42.3–
    42.7
    26.3–
    26.5
    4 Compton Road (State Route 30)  Kuraby, RuncornNorthbound entrance via Persse Road
    Drewvale47.9–
    48.6
    29.8–
    30.2
    9 Logan Motorway (M2 westbound / M6 eastbound)  Ipswich, Toowoomba, Logan, Gold CoastSouthern terminus at trumpet interchange; Logan Motorway eastbound signed as Exit 9

    Southern Cross Way

    Southern Cross Way is a 7 kilometres (4.3 mi), 4 lane motorway which branches from the Gateway Motorway at Eagle Farm before merging back with it at Nudgee. Prior to 2010, Southern Cross Way formed part of the Gateway Motorway before the Gateway Upgrade Project constructed a shorter route (and additional Brisbane Airport access road, Moreton Drive), between those two suburbs. The old, longer motorway section was preserved, connected to the deviation and renamed Southern Cross Way, after the aircraft flown by aviator Charles Kingford Smith, to allow motorists to distinguish between the routes. Southern Cross Way (also colloquially called the 'Old Gateway Motorway') thus follows the previous alignment of the Gateway Motorway between Eagle Farm and Nudgee and has three exits.[12]

    Airport Flyover over the Southern Cross Way

    Interchanges

    The entire motorway is in the City of Brisbane local government area.

    Locationkm[13]miDestinationsNotes
    Brisbane Airport00.0 Gateway Motorway (M1) north – to Caboolture, Sunshine Coast, Cairns via Bruce HighwayNorthern terminus at partial Y interchange: no southbound exit to or northbound entrance from Gateway Motorway
    1.91.2Toombul Road  VirginiaRoundabout interchange
    Brisbane Airport – Hendra boundary3.52.2 East–West Arterial Road (M7) west / Airport Drive east  Nundah, Clayfield, Brisbane Airport
    Eagle Farm5.8–
    6.7
    3.6–
    4.2
    Kingsford Smith Drive  Eagle Farm, HamiltonNorthbound exit via Fison Avenue West; southbound exit and entrance via Links Avenue North
    7.64.7 Gateway Motorway (M1) south – to Gold Coast, Tweed Heads, Gold Coast Airport via Pacific MotorwaySouthern terminus at partial Y interchange: no northbound exit to or southbound entrance from Gateway Motorway

    See also

    Notes

    1. Exit numbering resets at M1/M2 junction

    References

    1. Queensland Motorways Annual Report 1996-1997
    2. "South-east Queensland toll road network" (PDF). go via. September 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
    3. "Toll pricing". Linkt. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
    4. File:Gateway Arterial Road Plaque 1.jpg
    5. File:Gateway Arterial Road Plaque 2.jpg
    6. Queensland Transport Annual Report, 1993-94
    7. Queensland Transport Annual Report, 1994-95
    8. Department of Main Roads Annual Report, 1995-96
    9. Queensland Motorways Annual Report, 1996-97
    10. "Logan Enhancement Project is complete". Transurban. 23 August 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
    11. "South Facing Compton Road Ramps And Widening Of The Gateway Extension Motorway" (PDF). go via. July 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
    12. AAP. (http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/gateway-renamed-the-southern-cross-way-20100917-15f0l.html "Gateway renamed the Southern Cross Way") Sydney Morning Herald (17 September 2010). Retrieved 30 August 2012.
    13. Google (31 March 2015). "Southern Cross Way" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
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