Limited access roads and limited access policies

A limited access road can be declared a state-controlled road under the Transport Infrastructure Act 1994 by the Department of Transport and Main Roads. 

A state-controlled road that is gazetted as a Limited Access Road must have a policy put in place about how we will make new decisions about driveways onto the limited access road. We may also put a new limited access road policy in place for a road that is currently a limited access road. 

Limited Access Road Policies outline how we:

• make decisions about vehicle access to the limited access road from adjacent land
• assess applications for new or changed vehicle access, such as a driveway to the limited access road. 

Purpose of a limited access road  

Limited access roads tend to be more important roads, such as motorways and highways that carry large volumes of traffic at high speeds. As the efficient and safe operation of these roads is extremely important to the people that use them, proposed driveways onto these roads need to be very carefully considered. 

Managing vehicle access to Limited Access Roads is important because it:

• provides safety for road users
• supports efficiency of the road network. 

Limited Access Road Policies are put in place to make sure that the roads in Queensland that carry large numbers of vehicles and freight can continue to do so as safely and efficiently as possible. These policies can be used to reduce the impact of future road improvement projects on adjoining owners, as well as projects costs for government.

Policy principles

Limited Access Road Policies incorporate the principles and strategies in the vehicular access to state-controlled roads policy and identify the additional strategies that we have in place for the limited access road. 

Vehicular access to a state-controlled road must:

• not compromise safety of the state-controlled road network or other transport infrastructure
• be consistent with the functional requirements of the state-controlled road
• be consistent with the current or planned intent for the state-controlled road.

The road specific strategies that are put in place for a limited access road will depend on the current and future role of the road within the broader road network. 

Search for a Limited Access Road Policy

Only policies gazetted from 2003 onwards are available online. To obtain a copy of an earlier policy, please contact the relevant Department of Transport and Main Roads office. 

More information

For more information about limited access roads and Limited Access Policies contact:

Director (Development Facilitation)
Transport Strategy and Planning Branch
Department of Transport and Main Roads

Phone: 07 3066 5864
Email: dcs@tmr.qld.gov.au