Delays drive up cost of second M1, blowing out budget by almost five times

A SECOND Pacific Motorway east of the existing highway is needed to relieve the traffic congestion we all sit through daily. But the cost is now five times more than it was two years ago and it’s eye-watering.

THE State Government says the cost of building a second Pacific Motorway east of the existing highway has blown out to $2.4 billion, almost five times quotes calculated just two years ago.

A Council of Mayors infrastructure “wish list” document drafted for the 2015 State election listed the four-lane Intra Regional Transport Corridor (IRTC) as a priority at a cost of $500 million.

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The solution to fixing this is very expensive. Pic Jono Searle.

The Bulletin has asked Main Roads to provide all the latest costings, time frames and plans for the proposed M2 between Nerang and Stapleton in the city’s north.

Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the overall 2017 cost estimate for a new north-south arterial road connecting with Australia’s fastest-growing suburb at Pimpama was $2.4 billion.

The costing covered the private land to be acquired and calculations were based on a $60 million/kilometre rate for six lanes.

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“This is five times more than former Treasurer Tim Nicholls and the LNP claim it will cost,” Mr Bailey said.

Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey — Photo Steve Pohlner

“The $500 million Mr Nicholls says it will cost will only pay for part of their Stage 1, being Coomera to Helensvale, which the department has estimated to cost around $500 million, including land.”

The IRTC would include facilities for public transport and paths for walking and cycling, Mr Bailey said.
“The IRTC is planned to be built in stages with the first stage — the Coomera Connector — likely to be constructed between Helensvale and Coomera to provide an additional crossing of the Coomera River,” he said.

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State Parliament has been told the IRTC could take five years to build but Mr Bailey declined to speculate on a time frame or starting date.

“Timing for delivery of the IRTC will depend on the further growth in traffic demand and the availability of funding,” he said.

Traffic congestion on the Pacific Motorway around the Foxwell and Abraham Road exit at Coomera. Picture: Jono Searle.

The Government had acted to protect the corridor after the LNP failed to plan for the future by taking the unprecedented step to remove the IRTC from the SEQ Regional Plan in 2014, he added.

“The first stage between Nerang and Coomera was formally gazetted by the Palaszczuk Government last year, the northern section between Coomera and Stapylton was gazetted in May 2017,” Mr Bailey said.

“The State owns about 95 per cent of the land needed between Coomera and Nerang and 35 per cent between Coomera and Stapylton.

“All directly affected stakeholders were contacted by Transport and Main Roads before gazettal of the corridor.”

The latest data suggests the eight lanes on the M1 between Yatala and Oxenford at some “hot spots” could reach gridlock within 18-to-24 months.

The Ausroads-approved Highway Capacity Manual calculated a maximum hourly capacity of 2300 vehicles at peak flow which converts to 162,000 vehicles per day.

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The latest Main Roads data, from 2016, recorded 152,177 vehicles per day for the M1 north of the Coomera interchange at Exit 54 with the traffic growing by 10,000 cars annually.

Mr Bailey said a 2015 TMR-City of Gold Coast joint planning study report forecast up to 21,000 vehicles each day could switch to using the IRTC from the M1.

The RACQ’S Paul Turner knows it will be much easier to build an M2 than upgrade the M1. (AAP Image/Claudia Baxter)

RACQ chief communication officer Paul Turner believes the IRTC could take even more traffic off the M1.

“Depending on access points, intersections and a few other factors, the capacity of a four-lane arterial road would be around 50,000 to 60,000 per day,” he said.

“There are good reasons to consider alternative corridors such as the IRTC rather than add lanes to existing infrastructure.”

The fast growing northern Gold Coast suburbs around the Coomera River would benefit from an M2. (AAP Image/Dave Hunt)

Mr Turner said the IRTC would support growth and transport needs of residential areas and industrial areas to the east of the M1

“There are practical limits to how many lanes you can expand to on the M1, which can become very expensive if land has to be resumed,” he said.

“The IRTC can be built offline, rather than under traffic. It is good to see that public transport and active transport is also being considered for the corridor.”