Exit 49 M1 Pimpama: Plan for major change after crashes, road rage incidents

Transport Minister Mark Bailey has issued a cutting rebuke to a Gold Coast MP who proposed an urgent change to a nightmare M1 exit. WHAT HE SAID

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey has issued a cutting rebuke to a Gold Coast MP who proposed making an urgent change to a nightmare M1 exit.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon had suggested the fast-tracking of a new southbound on-ramp at the exit after a series of accidents and road rage incidents were reported at the Yawalpah Rd roundabout.

Mr Bailey said the major road infrastructure was “best designed by engineers, not backbench politicians”.

“Mr Crandon has been nothing but a hindrance to the (state government) delivering $5.4bn worth of M1 upgrades,” Mr Bailey said.

Minister for Transport and Main Roads Mark Bailey. Picture: Richard Walker

“Mr Crandon tried to halt the Exit 41 (Yatala) upgrade after construction had already started to re-design it himself after he’d raised no objections to the plans through consultation.

“Fortunately for M1 motorists, it’s the Palaszczuk Labor Government getting major M1 upgrades done after not a single new dollar went to upgrading the M1 when the Newman LNP Government and Mr Crandon were last in power.

“... The design for Exit 49 is in the final stages, and construction is on track to start next year and be finished by 2024.

“New major road infrastructure is best designed by expert transport engineers, not backbench politicians trying to boost their profile.”

Mr Crandon on Monday wrote to TMR Regional Director for the South Coast Region Paul Noonan suggesting the slip lane be built as an interim measure ahead of the full upgrade of Exit 49.

Mr Crandon said problems at the exit were a “serious road safety issue”.

PREVIOUSLY PLAN FOR URGENT FIX AT NIGHTMARE M1 EXIT

A GOLD Coast MP is demanding an urgent change is made to a nightmare M1 exit which is the scene of regular accidents and road rage incidents.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon has written to Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) officials requesting a southbound on ramp, off Yawalpah Road, is built at Exit 49 in Pimpama.

Mr Crandon wants the ramp fast-tracked as an interim measure ahead of full construction of a $110m upgrade to the exit which is not expected to be completed until 2024 at the earliest.

“Illegal activities occur at the roundabout that cannot be successfully policed on an ongoing basis,” Mr Crandon said in a letter to Paul Noonan, TMR Regional Director for the South Coast Region.

“I’m told and have witnessed myself, people using the left lane to enter the roundabout from Yawalpah Rd - which is intended for the south bound traffic on to the M1 ramp only - then cut across traffic that is in the right lane, to travel over the overpass or onto Attenborough Rd.

“The reports I receive include incidents of road rage but, more importantly, these actions are a serious road safety issue.”

The proposed new southbound on ramp at Exit 49 in Pimpama.

Mr Crandon’s appeal comes after a Bulletin report highlighting problems at the intersection.

In shock video shared with this newspaper, a truck was last week seen cutting in front of a car from the left lane. The truck driver is then seen reversing towards the vehicle in an apparent act of road rage after the startled driver had beeped her horn.

Mr Crandon said building a new southbound ramp would help alleviate the pressure on traffic that led to such incidents.

“By fast tracking the new south bound on ramp onto the M1, it would significantly improve traffic flows at the roundabout,” he said.

Mr Crandon said upgrade work at other M1 exits had also been completed in two stages.

“Accordingly, I see this as a real option, that will reduce incidents as outlined above, as well as improve safety, improve network efficiency, improve traffic flow, reduce peak hour congestion and reduce interchange queuing,” he wrote.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads had yet to respond to Mr Crandon’s request at time of publication.

LAST WEEK: BRAZEN TRUCKIE’S WILD MOVE AT M1 EXIT

A GOLD COAST woman has spoken of her fright after a truck began reversing towards her vehicle at a busy M1 junction in an apparent act of road rage.

Michelle Stephens was attempting to join the M1 southbound at the Yawalpah Rd roundabout at Exit 49 in Pimpama on Monday when the truck crossed a solid white line and cut in front of her, forcing her to slam on her brakes.

Ms Stephens said the driver then yelled obscenities and reversed towards her vehicle after she beeped her horn.

“He decided to cross over illegally into my right lane without indicating when I was about to take the M1 exit,” she said.

“When I tooted he thought it was cool to reverse his truck knowing I had traffic behind me and yell obscenities at me.

“It was a little scary with him backing up. I had cars behind me so I had nowhere to go.”

The truck is seen driving across a solid white line on the roundabout.

Ms Stephens has been contacted by police, who told her they had identified the driver and were investigating.

Coomera MP Michael Crandon said what happened was “terrifying”, but not unusual.

He said he received similar reports from constituents “all the time”, as motorists battle with “woeful” congestion at the intersection.

“You will see guys coming up in the left-hand lane, which is meant to be only to go on to the M1 south,” Mr Crandon said.

“They come up in the left-hand lane because of the congestion in the right-hand lane on Yawalpah Road coming up to the overpass, and then jump across in front of the traffic in the right-hand lane, almost causing accidents.

“Sometimes I’ve been told of accidents, other times it creates road rage and certainly I get people raging about what’s going on at (Exit) 49 all the time.”

The truck was seen reversing towards other vehicles on the roundabout while the driver allegedly shouted obscenities.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads in July released detailed plans for a $110.7m upgrade of Exit 49, to be jointly funded with the federal government.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told the Bulletin at the time that upgrading the M1 was “a major priority” for her government.

Community consultation is underway on the project, with work expected to start in mid-2022 and be completed in early 2024.

Proposed upgrade of Exit 49. Photo: TMR

However, Mr Crandon said he was “very concerned” about the timeline being met in light of a $600m cost blowout for the proposed Coomera Connector.

“There’s going to be more blowouts,” Mr Crandon said.

“I know Gold Coast City Council are ready to go with the Yawalpah Road aspect of things to coincide with the upgrade to Exit 49, but I’m very concerned with everything else that’s going on.

“With the delays to the Coomera Connector, I’m very concerned that we’re going to see a delay in the completion of 49.”

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