Revealed: The $82 million Exit upgrade flaw on the M1 which will leave congestion and safety risks

There are calls to urgently change plans for the upgrade of an M1 exit road on the Gold Coast to avoid gridlock and crashes. READ THE FULL REPORT >>>

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THE state government is being told to urgently change plans for the upgrade of an M1 exit road to avoid future gridlock and potential crashes with trucks entering industrial estates.

Federal Forde MP Bert van Manen, state Coomera MP Michael Crandon and northern Division 1 councillor Mark Hammel want Exit 41 to be reconfigured before its $82 million upgrade is finished.

Transport Minister Mark Bailey says they are “asleep at the wheel”.

Peak hour traffic on M1 exit.

The northern pollies believe the project will be flawed unless a small slip lane can be added to the western side. They say it will mean motorists will avoid travelling through at least two sets of lights in the Yatala industrial estate, competing with trucks entering the Gold Coast’s biggest tradie area.

‘The Australian government has committed $96.3 million to upgrading Exit 41 and Exit 49 on the M1 Pacific Motorway,” Mr van Manen said. “This is a terrific project which will improve accessibility, connectivity and productivity, safety and travel times.

“However, under the current plan, the department of Transport and Main Roads has not given due regard to the needs of the local community. I call on them to alter the design to make it easier for residents of Norfolk Village to get to and from their homes each day.”

Pacific Motorway upgrade - plans for Exit 41, Yatala South on the M1.

Mr Crandon said slip lanes were effective in separating traffic intended for residential areas and to reduce the amount of vehicles going into industrial areas.

The veteran MP disputed the suggestion from Transport and Main Roads that “most local traffic entering the Norfolk Village residential area uses the northbound Exit 45 off ramp”.

“Simply put, the traffic congestion at the Exit 41 off ramp is dangerous,” Mr Crandon said.

Proposed changes with a slip lane to fix Exit 41 at Yatala South on the Pacific Motorway.

“By including a dedicated slip lane at Exit 41, this would not only alleviate that issue. It would also take traffic away from the heavily congested Exit 45 overpass at the junction of Tillyroen Road and Peachey Road at Ormeau.”

Mr Bailey has described Mr van Manen’s “dozey approach to the M1” as “more Rip Van Winkle than Jean Claude Van Damme”.

He said early works to prepare for the Exit 41 upgrade have been happening since late last year and motorists would start to see works ramp up in the coming weeks.

“In terms of the upgrade’s design, the project team has listened to local community members who were awake when consultation was done and consequently made some changes,” he said.

“The changes include adding a southbound left-turn slip lane to the final design that will allow traffic to access Eastern Service Road and Burnside Road.

“The team also looked at the feasibility of a northbound slip lane but found most vehicles accessing Norfolk Village exited at Exit 45 and travelled north on the service roads, rather than exiting at Exit 41.”

Cr Hammel estimates more than 10,000 residents who lived in Norfolk Village, Yatala and the Brookside State would benefit from the slip lane.

“The purpose of the Exit 41 upgrade is to improve traffic flow at this interchange, not make it worse. It makes too much sense to separate local traffic from the very significant numbers of cars and trucks accessing the Yatala Enterprise Area,” he said.

Michael Crandon, Bert van Manen and Mark Hammel — discussing M1 exit plans.

“Changing the plans to include this dedicated slip lane would ensure residents and business owners of Norfolk Village and Brookside Estate can bypass a very busy interchange — accessing their homes and places of business quicker and easier, without having to double-back through two sets of traffic lights.

“I’m not sure why this slip lane wasn’t included in TMR’s original plans. However, there is still an opportunity to fix this issue. My office is based in Norfolk Village so I will be signing this petition, and I encourage locals to join me to ensure the best outcome for our community.”

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