How slow is the Pacific Motorway crawl during peak hour as government targeted about highway fix

TRAVEL times on the Pacific Motorway have slowed dramatically over the past year according to new traffic data, which reveals Gold Coast drivers are losing more time than ever before.

THE State Government refuses to admit its plan to fix traffic congestion on the Pacific Motorway is failing despite speeds dropping to a 30km/h crawl during peak hour.

The RACQ latest Travel Time report shows speed on both inbound traffic from the Gold Coast during morning peak and outbound to the Glitter Strip at night has slowed by 28 per cent in the past 12 months.

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Traffic congestion at 8am on the M1. This is a daily occurrence Picture Glenn Hampson

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Motorists are driving at an average speed of 28km/h on the Pacific Motoway outbound between 4pm and 7pm from Herschel St to south of the Captain Cook Bridge in Brisbane.

During the morning peak the speeds on the section between Paradise Road to south of Underwood Road overpass have dropped to 34km/h, 13km/h slower than 12 months ago.

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When the M1 gets gridlocked, the traffic gets worse on surrounding roads. Picture by Scott Fletcher

The report and the Government’s move to introduce variable speed limits on a motorway with a top speed of 110km/h have put the spotlight in State Parliament on Labor and its traffic congestion policies.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey yesterday apologised to Queenslanders for delays as road construction projects took off.

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Heavy traffic on the M1. Photo: Jerad Williams

“After not one new dollar was spent on M1 upgrades under the LNP, the Palaszczuk Labor Government is spending more than $2.3 billion on the M1. That is $2.3 billion more than the LNP,” he said.

Opposition leader Deb Frecklington repeated remarks by a senior government transport official who maintained traffic congestion was a good thing because it made commuters avoid their cars and choose “sustainable trip types with lower carbon emissions’’.

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The LNP leader asked the Premier: “How is the Palaszczuk Government so out of touch that it blames motorists for causing congestion?”

Ms Palaszczuk responded: “They did not spend any money on the M1 when they were in government. They had all the MPs on the Gold Coast, but where was the money? Where was the planning? There was absolutely nothing done.”

Gold Coast-based LNP frontbencher Ros Bates later told Parliament part of the problem with traffic congestion was the “rail fail” and the public’s lack of confidence in travelling on trains.