Why is the commute on the Gold Coast so slow? Worst roads, congestion mapped

Drivers stuck in congestion nightmares are slow to crawling, with average speeds in some areas dropping below 20km/h and sitting at 17.8km/h in one evening commute stretch.

Drivers stuck in congestion nightmares are slow to crawling, with average speeds in some areas dropping below 20km/h and sitting at 17.8km/h in one evening commute stretch.

Average weekday speeds have plummeted on key roads including the northern section of the M1, Burleigh Connection Rd, Smith St and the Gold Coast Highway south of Broadbeach, an analysis of Transport and Main Roads, data by the RACQ shows.

In some parts of Southport, average speeds have dropped below 20kp/h at times, while the average achieved on Smith St between Olsen Ave and the M1 has plunged from 48.4km/h to 40.3km/h.

Average speeds have also tumbled on Burleigh Connection Rd, where evening commuters are stuck doing just 17.8km/h between the Gold Coast Highway and Bermuda St.

Speeds between the Oxenford and Coomera exits of the M1 are down from 75.9km/h to 62.6km/h in the morning and from 80.5km/h to 66.3km/h in the evening.

The extraordinary plunge has prompted Coomera MP Michael Crandon to say there was “no surprise” in the figures showing increased congestion in the northern end of the M1.

Mr Crandon said the statistics proved the need for the Coomera Connector to be built as soon as possible.

Speeds are also well down on the Gold Coast Highway through Mermaid Beach, with motorists crawling along at an average of 20.7km/h each morning between Margaret Ave in Broadbeach and Pacific Ave in Miami – a 19.2 per cent drop on the 2019 figure of 25.6km/h.

However some areas did see some small improvements in average speeds, most particularly on the M1 south of Mudgeeraba where upgrade works have been completed in the last two years.

RACQ table showing cost of congestion on Queensland roads.

Stage one of the Coomera Connector, between Shipper Dr in Coomera and Nerang-Broadbeach Rd in Nerang is scheduled to be completed in three sections.

Construction work on the first section – Stage 1 North, from Shipper Dr to Helensvale Rd – is due begin later this year. Stage 1 Central – from Helensvale Rd to Smith St – is expected to follow a year later.

“The Coomera Connector is the solution, but the problem is it’s not going to be built in the next four years. It’s going to take at least eight years just for the three stages that they (the state government) refer to as stage one,” Mr Crandon said.

“The first stage, if we’re lucky, will be built in the current term, but because they haven’t signed contracts yet it’s probably going to blow out to 2025 and beyond.”

The RACQ figures also showed that congestion on the northern Gold Coast is coming at a higher cost than anywhere else in Queensland.

According to the motoring body’s calculations, separate parts of the M1 between Coomera and Helensvale took out three of the top five spots in a list of the state’s road sections with the highest cost of congestion.

Worst was a 2.23km stretch from Pimpama to Exit 54 in Coomera, where congestion was calculated to impose costs of $4.27 million a year.

Afternoon traffic on the M1 at Helensvale. Picture: Nigel Hallett.

RACQ Head of Public Policy Susan Furze said it was vital governments also committed to building stage 2 of the Coomera Connector, from Coomera to the Logan motorway.

“We have long advocated for the efficient delivery of the Coomera connector to provide much needed congestion relief along the Pacific Motorway,” Ms Furze said.

“We also need the Federal and State Governments to commit to future funding for continued planning and delivery of Stage 2 of the project, to join it with the Logan Motorway.”

Transport Minister Mark Bailey said the northern Gold Coast was “one of the fastest growing regions in Queensland”. Mr Bailey said the Palaszczuk Government was investing more than $5 billion in the Coomera Connector and M1 upgrades as a result.

“Early works are already underway on Stage 1 of Coomera Connector between Coomera and Nerang, ahead of major construction starting later this year,” Mr Bailey said.

“The LNP gets a gold medal for hypocrisy in requesting M1 upgrades to be done yesterday given not a single new dollar was spent on the M1 under Campbell Newman and his protege Minister David Crisafulli, and their record of blocking progress on the second M1.

“Michael Crandon was as quiet as a church mouse when his LNP was in power when they blocked the Coomera Connector and ignored the M1.”

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