Multimillion-dollar contracts about to awarded for next stages of M1 upgrade works

Two multi-million contracts will soon be awarded as the $1 billion upgrade of the southern section of the M1 steps up a gear.

TWO multi-million contracts will soon be awarded for a major job creating project on the Gold Coast.

The State Government is preparing to award contracts for ‘Packages B and C’ of the $1 billion M1 upgrade between Varsity Lakes and Tugun.

‘Package A’, worth about $96 million and covering 2kms, is already underway with works starting this week to secure vegetation and rock faces.

The whole 10km project will create 835 jobs and is due to finish in late 2023.

This week Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said it was exciting to see the essential infrastructure project progressing and revealed Package B would be “huge”.

“Package B is five times bigger than Package A,” Minister Bailey said.

“It’s like an M1 upgrade on steroids.

“Those contracts will be awarded in the next couple of months.”

‘Package B’ of the upgrade will start at exit 87 at Burleigh and continue south to Nineteenth Ave.

An artist's impression of the $1 billion Gold Coast M1 upgrade between Varsity Lakes and Tugun. Picture: Supplied

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The project’s features include upgrading the Tallebudgera Interchange, building six new bridges and widening the stretch to a minimum of three lanes in both directions.

Mr Bailey said the major road investment wasn’t just about ensuring effective connectivity between growing communities, but provided economic support.

“And at a time when we really need jobs and income, having 837 jobs secured on the Gold Coast for the next three years is awesome,” Mr Bailey said.

The Pacific Mwy M1 is one of the country’s busiest highways.

Traffic analysis from early 2019 identified more than 210,000 vehicles use the M1 between Coomera and Nerang on the busiest days.