Motorists facing up to hour delays from Brisbane as Australia Day weekend begins

Brisbane residents heading to the Gold and Sunshine coasts for the Australia Day long weekend are off to a slow start.

Southeast Queensland commuters looking to escape to the coast for the Australia Day weekend got off to a slow start, with major traffic delays both north and south of Brisbane.

Traffic has cleared on the Pacific Motorway and Bruce Highway after one-hour delays earlier today.

There are still minor delays on the Bruce Highway northbound at Beerwah and on the Pacific Motorway southbound at Coomera.

In Brisbane, there are 10-minute delays northbound over the Story Bridge.

Northbound congestion on the Bruce Highway toward the Sunshine Coast

The congestion comes as no surprise, with conditions along the southeast coast labelled “absolutely idyllic” by Surf Life Saving Queensland on social media.

Both Maroochydore and Surfers Paradise are expected to enjoy maximum temperatures of 28C.

Meanwhile, a woman has sustained serious abdominal injuries after a three-car crash in Brisbane’s bayside.

Critical care paramedics were called to Benfer Rd in Victoria Point at 2.12pm where they assessed two adults and a child.

A woman with serious injuries and a man in a stable condition were taken to the Princess Alexandra Hospital.

A child is being taken to the Queensland Children’s Hospital in a stable condition.

Absolutely idyllic conditions at today's Murphy Home Classic at @maroochysurf #thisislifesaving #redandyellow pic.twitter.com/NKvVFzvBrv

— Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) (@lifesavingqld) January 23, 2021