Traffic congestion guide: the worst and best Coast roads

The city’s fastest growing and most congested roads are not on the Glitter strip but linking the hinterland and northern suburbs creating a massive future public transport challenge.

THE growing number of drivers using arterial roads linking to the Gold Coast hinterland and northern suburbs is fast outpacing key thoroughfares on the Glitter Strip.

A new Gold Coast City Council report shows in the past 10 years there has been an increase of 150,000 daily trips in the north, which compares to 70,000 on the coastal and western areas, creating a massive future public transport challenge.

Traffic wait times have reduced substantially in tower precincts like Surfers Paradise due to council spending more than $10m on bridge upgrades to alleviate congestion.

Key findings from the State of the Transport Network 2022 report are:

* Southport Burleigh Road is the city’s busiest arterial road carrying over 52,000 vehicles per day.

Reedy Creek traffic congestion. Picture: Lawrence Pinder.

* Consistent with population growth and the increased freight task in the north, Stanmore Road recorded high growth in daily traffic volumes with an increase from 2021 of 10 per cent.

* Old Coach Road experienced a 22 per cent increase in average daily traffic volumes but this is viewed as temporary due to traffic diverting off the M1 to avoid road works with the Varsity Lakes to Tugun Pacific Motorway.

* Inner-city corridors Salerno Street and Wardoo Street along with Labrador-Carrara Road recorded big increases in traffic.

* Gold Coast Highway in Southport averages 45,000 vehicles per day and experiences annual growth of two per cent but will increase due to more capacity created from the third northbound lane between Sundale Bridge and North Street.

* The Isle of Capri and Sundale Bridge projects sparked a 63 per cent travel time improvement during the PM peak as a direct result of the upgrades.

Work on the Isle of Capri bridge upgrade. Picture by Richard Gosling.

Officers in the report warned the figures show the growth in the northern Coast and demand for transport was “increasing at a rapid rate”.

“While the Coomera Connector is essential in servicing this growth, improved public transport is also the key,” officers said.

The Northern Gold Coast Bus Service improvement initiative would help ease congestion.

The first section of the Varsity Lakes to Tugun M1 upgrade.

Mayor Tom Tate welcomed the findings which show the Isle of Capri bridge project had reduced traffic at intersections by 13 to 16 per cent.

Data shows Clifford Street had recorded a 41 per cent decrease in delays in afternoon peaks. The bridge upgrade in the tourism hot spot has saved $4.67m in congestion benefits.

The Mayor confirmed the City would embark other potential major transport projects to reduce traffic congestion.

“Yes. It is ironic that when we added a fifth lane to Sundale Bridge, there were critics about the $10 million investment,” he told the Bulletin.

“Today, it is open and managing tens of thousands of additional vehicle movements a day. Similarly, Bundall Road was widened with an additional lane either side, in time for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Peak hour on the M1 with traffic congestion due to road upgrades Picture: Richard Gosling.

“Today, it is a popular and reliable main trunk route. We are planning a string of new projects not only in central Gold Coast but throughout the city.

“These include Foxwell Road in Coomera, further work on Old Coach Road and Cotlew Street in Ashmore. We will never stop expanding our road and cycle networks and the last three budgets have had record overall transport budgets.”