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Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway Upgrades (GMBHU): Planning update

The Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) is progressing integrated planning to cater for increasing traffic demands and improved safety on the Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway corridors.

Significant population growth and current demand indicate traffic levels will increase by more than 50 per cent by 2041. Without upgrades, this vital section of the National Highway will be heavily congested for longer periods, with travel times significantly increasing for motorists.

The department would like to thank everyone who has provided feedback during planning. Feedback has been incorporated where possible, so the best outcomes are achieved for the overall transport network and the community. The community will continue to have opportunities to provide feedback as the project progresses.

The project is being delivered in three sections as part of integrated planning. These projects are jointly funded by Australian and Queensland governments.

1. Gateway Motorway (Bracken Ridge to Pine River)
   Upgrading Gateway Motorway from Bracken Ridge to the Pine River.
2. Bruce Highway (Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road)
   Upgrading Bruce Highway between the Gateway Motorway and Dohles Rocks Road, including planning for upgrading Gympie Arterial Road between Strathpine Road and Gateway Motorway.
3. Bruce Highway (Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue)
   Stage 1: Delivering extended north-facing ramps on the Bruce Highway from Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue.

Have your say

The department welcomes feedback on the recommended planning for the Gateway Motorway (Bracken Ridge to Pine River) and Bruce Highway (Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road) sections.

Tell the project team what you think by:

• visiting the consultation page
• emailing or phoning the project team.

Project location map

Recommended planning for 1 and 2

Recommended planning for (1) Gateway Motorway (Bracken Ridge to Pine River) and (2) Bruce Highway (Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road) will manage increasing traffic demands and improve safety, travel time reliability, connectivity, and accessibility.

The overarching key features are:

• upgrading the Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway corridors to increase capacity and meet National Highway standards
• upgrading key interchanges to improve connectivity and safety
• introducing collector-distributor roads on the Bruce Highway to collect and distribute local traffic and remove unsafe weaving
• providing a shared pathway along the project corridor to improve active transport connections for bike riders and pedestrians
• providing or upgrading noise barriers to address noise assessment outcomes
• minimising impacts to surrounding areas of environmental importance and including features such as fauna fencing and fauna underpasses.

Please note: Recommended plans shown in this update are not final. Project cost, scope, staging and timing are subject to further planning. The community will continue to have opportunities to provide feedback as the project progresses.

Gateway Motorway (Bracken Ridge to Pine River)

Key location: Gateway Motorway at Bracken Ridge curve

Top benefits

• Allowing for a safe speed limit of 100km/h, consistent with adjoining National Highway.
• Increasing capacity and reducing congestion.
• Improving active transport connections between Gateway Motorway and Bruce Highway for bike riders and pedestrians.

Future planning considerations

Reconfiguring the existing Gateway Motorway from six to eight lanes between Nudgee and Bracken Ridge. This is recommended as a future stage, to be delivered subject to funding and competing priorities.

Community feedback being considered

• Property impacts: TMR is working with all private property owners directly impacted.
• Improving accessibility and local connections: TMR is seeking to include safe, accessible connections with Bracken Ridge Road, Barfoot Street and local schools.
• Minimising noise impacts: TMR is undertaking comprehensive noise investigations to manage future road noise, and noise levels during construction.

Bruce Highway (Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rocks Road)

Recommended planning

Key location: Gateway Motorway, Bruce Highway and Gympie Arterial Road interchange

Top benefits

• Allowing for a safe speed limit of 100km/h, consistent with adjoining National Highway.
• Improving connectivity by providing ‘priority’ for motorists travelling on the Gateway Motorway to/from the Bruce Highway.
• Improving motorist safety by introducing collector-distributor roads on either side of the Bruce Highway, to reduce weaving through highway traffic.

Future planning consideration: Upgrading Gympie Arterial Road between Strathpine Road and Gateway Motorway, to address traffic flow and connection with Bruce Highway. This is recommended as a future stage, to be delivered subject to funding and competing priorities.

Collector-distributor roads 

Collector-distributor roads will be constructed either side of the Bruce Highway between the Gateway Motorway, Gympie Arterial Road and Dohles Rocks Road interchange.

Collector-distributor roads are built parallel and separate to a main carriageway - collecting local traffic and distributing it on the road network. Collector-distributor roads provide extra road space and improve safety by reducing the need for vehicles to weave through highway traffic.

Community feedback being considered

• Impacts to surrounding environment: TMR is working to minimise and manage impacts to surrounding environmental and cultural heritage areas as part of the planning, design and delivery.
• Maintaining local neighbourhood facilities: TMR is investigating ways to reduce impacts to the Bald Hills boat ramp access road from future upgrades to Gympie Arterial Road, including minimising tree removal.
• Minimising noise impacts: TMR is undertaking comprehensive noise investigations to manage future road noise, and noise levels during construction.

Bruce Highway (Brisbane-Gympie), Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue upgrade

Planning update

Stage 1: Delivering extended north-facing ramps at the Dohles Rocks Road interchange on the Bruce Highway. Stage one of this project has progressed to detailed design with construction expected to start in 2024.

Future stages: Upgrading the Bruce Highway by extending the collector-distributor roads on both sides of the Bruce Highway from Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Avenue and upgrading the Anzac Avenue interchange.

Funding and construction timings are not confirmed for these future stages.

Timeline

	2020 to late 2023		Late 2023 to early 2024	Mid-2024 onwards
Gateway Motorway (Bracken Ridge to Pine River)	Planning		Business Case completion	Funding, scope and staging for delivery confirmed. Detailed design and construction timeframes TBC
Bruce Highway (Gateway Motorway to Dohles Rock Road)	Planning		Business Case completion	Funding, scope and staging for delivery confirmed. Detailed design and construction timeframes TBC
Bruce Highway (Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Ave) Stage 1	Planning	Business case completed	Detailed design	Construction to commence
Bruce Highway (Dohles Rocks Road to Anzac Ave) Future stages	Planning	Business Case completed	Detailed design and construction timeframes are unknown at this stage and subject to funding and competing priorities.
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