Northern Gold Coast drivers furious over slow Pimpama Roads as councillors call for M1 upgrade

A NORTHERN Gold Coast mother has revealed she has to leave the house an hour and a half early to get to work just around the corner. But what do political leaders say needs to happen?

FURIOUS Gold Coast motorists tackling congested M1 feeder roads say the situation is getting worse and political leaders must fix it fast.

Irate drivers inundated the Bulletin’s Facebook page yesterday after a story revealed motorists were taking 23 minutes to travel 150 metres on Pimpama’s Yawalpah Road near Exit 49.

Charlene Thompson said she experienced similar conditions further south in Oxenford on the roads surrounding Damian Leeding Park.

Frustrated motorists in suburban Gold Coast streets about to head to Exit 49 on the M1 at Pimpama. Photo: John Wolski

“I have to put my kids in before school care just to get to work on time. I have to leave at 6.30am to avoid the build-up when I only work around the corner and don’t start until 8am. It’s ridiculous,” she wrote.

Pimpama resident Desley Carthcart Millward lives in the Hawthorn Woods estate and said the roads surrounding her house were frequently clogged.

She called for new roads to be built to take pressure of existing arterials.

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Yalwalpah Road at Pimpama during morning peak hour just off the M1.

“The main roundabout at Exit 49 blocks up then it flows on down to our T-junction,” she said. “We want a back road out and up to Ormeau and an easier one than taking Waverley Drive.”

Coomera MP Michael Crandon wants the upgrades of feeder roads to the M1 a priority, particularly as the area continues to grow.

Data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics last month revealed Pimpama is the third-fastest growing suburb in Australia.

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Coomera MP Michael Crandon overlooking the M1 traffic.

Acting Gold Coast Mayor Donna Gates said the council was working to try and fast-track work to widen and upgrade Yawalpah Road. The work would include an expansion of the road’s bridge.

But she said responsibility for solving the gridlock hell fell to the state and federal governments to fund upgrades of the M1’s exits and interchanges.

“It doesn’t matter what we do to our local roads, unless the state and federal governments agree to these upgrades the traffic has nowhere to go,” she said. “I call for them to put the politics aside and work together to address the growth we have encouraged in the area.”

Helensvale councillor William Owen-Jones said solving congestion at Exit 57 was paramount.

“This needs more than just a set of solar panels. It needs replacement or a serious amount of renewal,” said Cr Owen-Jones in reference to the State Government’s decision to install solar panels near the M1 to power intersection traffic lights. Locals are angered by the decision and want a slip road to ease congestion.

“The State Government put in $25 million at the last election to partially resolve this matter and I’d like to see the Opposition commit to fixing it too.”