Coomera Connector build to be delayed again putting pressure on Pacific Motorway
The building of the Coomera Connector is again being delayed with construction of the road months behind on starting on schedule, putting further pressure on the gridlocked M1.
Gold Coast
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The building of the Coomera Connector is again being delayed with construction of the road months behind on starting on schedule, putting further pressure on the gridlocked M1.
The latest update on the Transport and Main Roads website says: “Early works package underway. Road construction starts from early 2023.”
Opposition MPs say a small section of the second M1 will not open until mid to late this year.
But Transport Minister Mark Bailey has shot back saying heavy construction “will ramp up in coming weeks”.
The 16km stage one of the second M1 is now being split into three construction packages – between Shipper Drive at Coomera to the Nerang-Broadbeach Road at Nerang.
The Opposition has seized upon the latest update on the TMR website. The department in a November update last year promised road construction would start from late 2022.
Bonney MP Sam O’Connor who has been tracking work progress on the Connector had questioned the delays given the highway had been reduced from six lanes to four.
“They still claim that one section will be open for traffic late next year. But none of it has started construction,” Mr O’Connor said.
“They are still claiming that on the website. It will be at eight years since both parties committed to build it. This project is coming up to its third election and not been built.
“So it’s been pushed back again. Their election commitment said 2021 (for traffic to use the highway) — so it’s more than a two-year delay.”
Mr O’Connor said the department was indicating “that at best” a small part of the highway between neighbouring suburbs Parkwood and Helensvale could be opened by mid to late this year.
“I’m told it will be mid to late 2023 before the design to be finished. They haven’t even finished the design. For locals, we still don’t know what it looks like,” he said.
“They should have been onto this a lot earlier. It should not take eight years just to design a 16km road in a corridor the government 90 per cent owns.
“Meanwhile traffic is worse than over on the M1. Pretty much any time of the day you will get blocked.”
Mr Bailey told the Bulletin: “Early works on the Coomera Connector are already underway and heavy construction is set to ramp up in coming weeks.
“The second M1 was blocked outright by the LNP when they were in last in power under Campbell Newman and his Minister David Crisafulli.
“So to hear whinging and whining that Labor is building the $2.1 billion Coomera Connector and the 1000 jobs it creates takes the cake for hypocrisy and duplicity.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government from 2015 came to the rescue of Gold Coast residents and gazetted the massive 45-kilometre highway corridor in only a few years and secured billions of dollars in joint funding for the Coomera Connector to make it happen.”
Mr Bailey said the LNP at the 2020 election proposed a “puny six-kilometre mini second M1” which was less than half the size of Labor’s fully funded full sixteen kilometre stage one.
This has sparked safety concerns and a call for more funding from the Government.
MPs are meeting with councillors to crunch the new data and believe the traffic congestion is being caused by the Coast’s “affordability crisis”.
The Bulletin in its State Budget reporting in June last year highlighted the Coomera Connector’s biggest funding splurge will be $852m from 2024 to 2026.
A $500m spend occurs after that. The new highway was due to open in late-2024.
Opposition transport spokesman Steve Minnikin said the government after eight years in office could not be trusted to build major infrastructure projects on time or on budget.
“The list of excuses from Transport Minister Mark Bailey are nauseating and Queenslanders won’t cop it,” Mr Minnikin said.
“The Coomera Connector has been plagued by delays, blowouts and broken promises from this incompetent Minister. Queenslanders deserve better.”
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