Coomera Connector: New images of second M1 revealed with construction ‘just around the corner’

Construction of the $2.4 billion Coomera Connector is ‘just around the corner’ – but not all Bulletin readers are happy about it. SEE THE PICTURES AND HAVE YOUR SAY

THIS is how the city’s new $2.4 billion major highway will connect with existing infrastructure and transform the Gold Coast’s northern suburbs.

New images released by the state government show the Coomera Connector hovering over Arundel’s Napper Road, straddling the Coomera River and crossing through Monterey Keys and Arundel Springs.

However Bulletin readers remain unconvinced.

“Will be a useless piece of ugly infrastructure, will still bottle neck at either end, put the money in to a decent public transport system, isn’t the idea to get cars off the road?,” Cam Wise wrote.

James Stuart Sparks added: “Either build the access or choke the current roads, people are hardly keeping the population down.”

Allan Mcdonnell is on board.

“There’s more trees and wildlife being displaced by the housing estates being allowed to be developed than this road ever will, but that’s why we need it,” he wrote.

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HOW COOMERA CONNECTOR WILL TRANSFORM NORTHERN SUBURBS

New artist impression of the Coomera Connector at Napper Road

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the project was moving at a “rapid pace” ahead of construction beginning mid-year.

“Construction is just around the corner, and these new artist impressions give Gold Coasters an idea of the route, how this project will tackle congestion and important aspects like the shared path and noise barriers,” he said.

The new sound barriers which will be installed at Arundel Springs

FIRST LOOK AT $2.4 BILLION ROAD’S TRANSFORMATION

“Building on consultation we’ve already done, Gold Coasters can have their say on these new artist impressions and I encourage everyone to have their say.

“In addition to driving our economic recovery, the second M1 will support growth on the northern Gold Coast and free up the M1 for heavy vehicles and people travelling between Brisbane, the coast and Logan.”

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A shared path which will run next to the road.

Community consultation has launched on Monday on the new images and will run until April 30.

Construction of the first stage is set to begin by July and will run for more than three years.

The Coomera Connector will be a six-lane, 45km arterial road to run from Nerang to Logan.

It is expected to take up to 60,000 vehicles off the M1 every day and was fully gazetted in 2019 by the state government.

How Monterey Keys will be transformed.

The federal government set aside $750 million for the first stage of the arterial road between Nerang and Coomera in the October budget.

It matched the $755 million put forward in September by the Palaszczuk government to fund the 16.6km first stage of the arterial road between Carrara and the Coomera Marine Precinct.

The new road crossing the Coomera River

The road, formerly known as the intra-regional transport corridor (IRTC), has long been part of the state government’s future plans to reduce congestion but was dumped by the former Newman government in 2013, against the wishes of the Gold Coast City Council.

The project was restored in 2015, with early scoping works and a $20 million business case having already been completed.

How the Coomera Connector will appear at The Shores