Oxenford to get a $25 million upgrade to the M1’s Exit 57, but when?

LOCALS have suffered through congestion at the Oxenford Exit of the M1 since the area has gone through exponential growth over the past decade. But they may be waiting a little longer before improvements are completed.

M1 traffic at Oxenford. Upgrades to the exit will begin in 2020. Photo by Richard Gosling

WHILE designs are progressing on the $25 million upgrade to the M1’s Exit 57 Oxenford interchange, construction will not begin on the busy exit until 2020.

Taking around 12 months to complete, locals will not get to feel the ease of congestion for another three years.

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Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey confirmed works were expected to start in two years time to increase capacity for traffic entering the interchange from the M1 and reduce queues on the highway’s hard shoulder.

The M1 at Oxenford often experiences major congestion. Pic by David Clark

“The Exit 57 interchange upgrade is an important piece of our long-term strategy to improve the M1,” said Mr Bailey.

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“This is just the beginning of the delivery process, with detailed design expected to take about 12 months.

“The preferred design will include improvements for eastbound and westbound traffic movements too.

Heavy traffic at Oxenford on the M1

“The design will be complex as there are many movements and surrounding intersections to consider.”

The Exit 57 project will support an average of 75 direct jobs over the life of the project.

GHD had been awarded the tender to deliver a preferred design for the exit.

Premier Palaszczuk announced an M1 action plan to include upgrading the highway to six lanes the entire stretch from Brisbane to the border of New South Wales.

The Palaszczuk Government have committed to make M1 six lanes wide from Brisbane to the New South Wales border costing $2.3 billion in a jointly funded project.