Worst congested roads mapped: South East Queensland’s grim gridlock future

RACQ has released a damning report on South East Queensland’s congested roads, revealing the state now has only one choice before it becomes the new Sydney. SEARCH THE INTERACTIVE MAP

South East Queensland’s transport system is on the brink of collapse, with industry heads begging the government to commit to long term planning before population numbers explode to Sydney levels.

Latest traffic data from the Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) identified more than 260 problematic hot spots in the south east Corner, with major motorways labelled the worst congestion areas in the state.

Topping the list was the Pacific Motorway, followed by the Bruce Highway and Centenary and Gateway Motorways, with RACQ also identifying several sprawl issues in outer suburbs due to insufficient public transport networks.

With the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in sight, RACQ’s head of public policy Dr Michael Kane says the government has already run out of time for cheap, small project solutions and will now have to pay big bucks to dig itself out of a transport hole to ensure Brisbane City’s survival.

“We’re roughly going to be the same size as Sydney when we hold the Olympics and so we’re effectively on a trajectory following Sydney, but they had a lot more public transport infrastructure by 2000 than we will have by 2032,” he said.

“The problem is though we‘re growing so fast, we’ve now got no choice but to embrace a quantum shift.

“We’ve got this historical, sheer lack of planning and that legacy is creating extra costs.

“The Bracken Ridge curve is a classic example of lack of long term planning coming back to bite us … and the Legacy Way tunnel brings all the traffic right into a congested point, next to one of our most important economic and social institutions, the Herston Corner.”

With the South East population expected to boom to 5 million by 2032, the first necessary step is to increase public transport access and finish existing projects to fix motorway bottlenecks.

The Pacific Motorway has the worst traffic congestion in the state. Picture: Nigel Hallett

According to Transurban data, daily traffic on Brisbane’s toll roads increased by 14 per cent during the March quarter, indicating more commuters were choosing to pay to avoid congestion.

Dr Kane said creating a ‘Western Bypass’ link in Brisbane’s north west would also complete the orbital network surrounding the city and hopefully alleviate congestion on the Inner City Bypass, Pacific Motorway, South Pine Rd, Enoggera Rd, and Gympie Rd.

“What we’re suggesting is you focus on the road network and the motorway network on the orbital movements and that’s not just these major motorways, it’s also some of the others, like Lichfield road for example,” he said.

“This is not rocket science. It’s the radial roads which are all congested, and we really need to be focused on public transport because public transport gives you the density of moving people.

“Over the next 10 years, the only viable solution is buses and the only affordable way to deal with this is to extend the metro and to bring in other similar services like a metro glider and focus on those routes that you can do.”

RACQ’s head of public policy Dr Michael Kane. Picture: Tara Croser

But he said any solution prior to 2032 would be short lived and governments needed to step up and commit to a cohesive long term transport plan that coincides with land development.

That plan would include an eventual underground rail network, with the South East now left with minimal to no infrastructure options due to building too close to road easements.

“I don’t think we’ve had that historic leadership of, hey, we’re going to become a big city,” Dr Kane said.

“The government’s doing as much as they can do with the money they have … the problem is our politicians are very keen to announce projects but they‘re not very keen to actually have a proper plan.

“It is going to be tens of billions of dollars and I think the fixation on how much it’s all going to cost us is not worth getting into a debate about because it is going to be expensive, but it’s going to be necessary.

“We’re the frog in the boiling water. The question is, do we aim for dysfunction? Or do we aim for a highly productive and popular city?”

Queensland’s 10 worst roads for congestion

1. Pacific Motorway

2. Bruce Highway

3. Centenary Motorway

4. Caloundra Road

5. Gateway Motorway

6. Christensen Road / Stapylton Jacobs Well Road / Exit 38

7. Moggill Road

8. Ipswich Motorway

9. Gympie Road

10. Sunshine Motorway