New bridge crossings on the Pacific Motorway can fix Gold Coast suburban gridlock

Transport planners are secretly working away on a plan to solve all our traffic congestion. It involves a unique solution - building east-west bridge connections across the M1. SEE WHERE.

Transport planners are secretly working away on a plan to solve all our traffic congestion. It involves a unique solution - building east-west bridge connections across the M1.

Councillors in the north have previously talked up the need for a Pacific Motorway overpass at Beattie Road to ease gridlock at the Oxenford interchange.

For the first time, at a transport committee briefing earlier this week, planners explained how bridges across the M1 can solve all sorts of problems in the south.

City officers admitted traffic strategies which simply upgrade intersections within suburbs - either turn a roundabout into a signalised intersection or separate carriageways at grade - are not a good spend of your ratepayer money.

“We’ve tried of a lot of investments. We can’t get a road model to work,” an officer said.

“Roads will be part of the solution. It won’t be THE solution. We need to look at a balanced suite of modes solutions to address the Robina area.”

Planned overpass on the M1 on the northern Gold Coast.

On the screen was an aerial picture of the build-up of traffic at the Robina Parkway-Laver Drive intersection - it links up with on ramps to the Pacific Motorway.

On a Saturday around midday - driving a few blocks past the Robina Town Centre took me at least 30 minutes due to the gridlock back to the M1.

An option is traffic lights at the roundabout, or two-lane bypass roads near it.

Traffic congestion through Robina on the Gold Coast.

City planners know all that will achieve is “get you to the back of the queue quicker”.

Motorists will race through the suburb only to reach the line-up of cars at the M1.

What planners told councillors next, about working on their partnership with State bureaucrats, surprised them because it has never been spoken about before.

“One of the things we’re looking at in the possibility of an overpass in the area,” the City planner said.

“The localised traffic can go on the overpass, and the interchange can do its job and get people on and off the M1.”

Solving traffic congestion at Robina. A transport plan showing a bypass road to avoid motorists having to use a roundabout.

Between Robina and Mudgeeraba an estimated 12,000 students are attending schools.

Many hinterland parents drive their children east across the M1 to Robina High School. Similarly, many Robina and Varsity parents are taking their children to the private schools north and south of the Mudgeeraba retail centre.

Area councillors Glenn Tozer and Dan Doran work closely together, and are now thinking about possible locations for the bridge.

“There’s no doubt that we need to come up with some innovative solutions to congestion between west of the M1 in Mudgeeraba toward the east in Robina,” Cr Tozer told your columnist.

Solving Robina-Mudgeeraba traffic congestion and the M1, Councillor Dan Doran (left) and Councillor Glenn Tozer are looking at solutions.

“If the engineers say we should take a look at an overpass, perhaps between Gemvale and Scottsdale Drives, not connected to the M1, let’s do it. So far, it’s been good to discuss with Cr Doran some possible new solutions, previously not explored.”

Cr Doran is seeking an update. “The details of this proposal are news to me. I’m keen to learn more and work with Councillor Tozer to get innovative solutions,” he said.

This signals “game on” for the Gold Coast’s central CBD as it faces a population boom and building of the new athletes village to host sports stars and officials at the 2032 Olympics.

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