New Government asked to fast track northern finish of Coomera Connector to avoid gridlock

The new Crisafulli government is being asked to fix a ‘ludicrous’ Coomera Connector problem before fresh traffic chaos engulfs one of the city’s busiest roads.

The northern finishing point for stage one of the Coomera Connector at Shipper Drive has been described as “ludicrous” with predictions it would cause further traffic chaos at the Gold Coast’s second busiest intersection.

City councillors at a transport committee briefing on northern Gold Coast road projects have backed Acting Mayor Donna Gates in getting Mayor Tom Tate to send an urgent letter to new Premier David Crisafulli and Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg.

The call for changes to the $3bn motorway project, which will take pressure off the M1, is the first big infrastructure funding ask by the City of the new government.

Latest mapping on Coomera Connector with the red line showing Stage One heading north, and the blue line the route of an extension to Yawalpah Rd in Pimpama.

Ms Gates is seeking an extension of the finishing point of the Connector’s first stage from Shipper Drive at Coomera to Yawalpah Road at Pimpama.

Such a move would avoid dumping more traffic on Foxwell Road, located between those intersections.

Senior councillor Peter Young during the briefing backed Ms Gates, telling officers: “It never really occurred to me. This (the Connector) seems to drop off the end of the world. It dumps all the traffic on Foxwell Road – it’s ludicrous.”

Ms Gates said Coomera along with Robina had emerged as the city’s two congestion hot spots and taking the Connector through to Yawalpah Road would avoid more gridlock.

“It’s a real concern what happens with the Coomera Connector in the first stage. I hope everyone is proven wrong, and we make a significant change to what happens at Foxwell Road,” she told the meeting.

“If the majority (of traffic on the Connector) is heading north, we are not going to see a massive change. To take it through to Yawalpah Road – has been seen as necessary (by officers) in Stage One.”

Future northern stages of the Coomera Connector. This graphic shows the Foxwell Road intersection and then north to Yawalpah Road.

Outside the meeting, Ms Gates confirmed she had on Wednesday gained support from Coomera LNP MP Michael Crandon to get some urgent work done on the extension.

“Foxwell Road is the second busiest road in our entire city. I guess the Connector will help with southbound traffic, before it hits the 54 interchange traffic will be able to go south,” she said.

“But for anything going north, Exit 54 is a debacle every day. To take it further to Yawalpah where there has just been an upgrade of Exit 49 by the state government makes absolute sense.”

Mr Crandon said he supported Ms Gates in getting all levels of government including the Commonwealth to fast forward a business case for the Connector north of Shipper Drive.

“We have to have all levels of government working on this, both federal, state and also council – absolutely something I’m supportive of,” he said.

The Coomera Connector and how the new motorway in Stage One stops at the Shipper Drive interchange at Coomera.

The previous state government had committed only $11 million in funding for planning north of Shipper Drive which was matched by the former Coalition federal government, he said.

“That’s the problem. It’s only ever been planning money, there has never been any commitment to build anything north of Shipper,” Mr Crandon said.

“I concur with what Donna said. Right now things are at an absolute log jam and it will be crisis time when the Coomera Connector finishes at Shipper Drive – at the end of 2027.”

Mr Crandon said completing the next two sections north after Stage One made more sense than “pulling up stumps at Shipper Drive”.

“I’m pushing for our people, for the new Crisafulli Government, to prioritise that next stretch otherwise it is going to be a nightmare,” he said.

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