State Government reveals cost of second Gold Coast M1 would be at least $2.4 billion

ROADS are expensive and new figures reveal the eye-watering cost of building a second M1 on the Gold Coast. Delivering the much-needed road extension would cost billions.

A second M1 for the Gold Coast would cost $2.4 billion, according to the State Government.

A day after the Opposition launched a petition calling for the second arterial motorway, the Palaszczuk Government has hit back saying its cost would go far beyond the mooted $500 million.

In a statement, Acting Main Roads Minister Steven Miles said the cost suggested by Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls would only pay for a stretch of the road from Coomera to Helensvale.

The M1 can get quite congested Photo: David Clark

“Now he’s giving severe underestimates for a project that he wants Labor to build but won’t actually have the intestinal fortitude to back it and build it himself.

“Unlike the LNP, the Palaszczuk Government is acting on the M1 and the IRTC corridor after years of neglect from the LNP.

Tim Nichols at Qld Parliament. Pic Annette Dew

“Last year we formally gazetted the first stage of the IRTC between Nerang and Coomera and the northern section between Coomera and Stapylton was gazetted earlier this year.”

The second road would be built on a 36.5km corridor set aside for the Inter-Regional Transport Corridor (IRTC).

The IRTC, gazetted last year, is a proposed arterial road which would run from Stapylton-Jacobs Well Road in the city’s far-north to Nerang-Broadbeach Road.

The IRTC was canned by the former LNP Newman Government in 2014.

Steven Miles (AAP Image/Samantha Manchee)

Yesterday, Mr Nicholls said a second major arterial was long-overdue.

“With only a single dual lane bridge over the Pimpama, Nerang and Coomera rivers — accidents mean the M1 is a parking lot within minutes — demonstrating clearly that an alternative is needed,” he said.

“This new corridor is wide enough for at least four general traffic lanes and could include facilities for public transport and paths for walking and cycling,” he said.

“It would be a game changer for the northern Gold Coast and ease the burden on the current M1.”

It comes as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk refused to say if she believed a second M1 would be needed in the future to deal with congestion.

She also refused to answer whether her government was planning on building it after gazetting the route earlier this year.

“I have had some advice from my department of transport and main roads and that alternative route would not cost $500 million as the Leader of the Opposition said. It would cost $2.4 billion,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“My government is building the extension to the light rail.

“I’m quite sure that once that second stage of the light rail is complete we will start seeing a lot of people move off the roads and on to public transport.

“What we have seen here is the Opposition talk clearly about a petition, no plan to build that. I would like to see more of our cars off the road and propel using public transport and that is why my government has built the second stage of the light rail, working with council and also working with the Federal Government.