Australian Towns, Cities & Highways: Pacific Motorway

Pacific Motorway was

The Pacific Motorway, an engineering masterpiece, provides the premier link between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. Formerly known as the Pacific Highway, this stretch of road has undergone a myriad of changes since its inception in the 1950's.

The motorway begins just to the west of Brisbane City and heads south-east through suburban Brisbane as Metroad-3 (shown above) before intersecting with the Gateway Motorway, where it then passes through Logan, now designated as the M1. From Logan, the motorway continues south-east, departs Greater Brisbane and passes through rich dairying countryside before entering the Gold Coast metro area. As the motorway continues south, it bypasses Nerang and skirts the western suburbs of the Gold Coast for the remainder of its length before entering New South Wales, where it continues south as the Pacific Highway. A notable difference on the Pacific Motorway to other motorways in Australia are the use of Exit Numbers - numbers assigned to interchanges by their distance from the Brisbane GPO.

The original Pacific Highway from the 1950's and 1960's initially followed existing suburban roads through Brisbane (Logan Road) and the Gold Coast (Gold Coast Hwy) with a single carriageway section providing the rural link. The significant alterations to the original alignment include:

Duplication of Pacific Hwy (Logan-Labrador) 1960's
Riverside Expressway (Brisbane City-Woollongabba) - early 1970's
South East Freeway (Woollongabba-Logan) - About 1978-1984
Coolangatta/Tweed Heads bypass - Mid 1980's
Western Gold Coast bypass (Tugun-Helensvale) About 1974-1987
Pacific Highway upgrade (Logan-Nerang) - change from National Route 1 to the M1 - 1999/2000
Tugun Bypass (Tugun-NSW Border) - Under construction

It is notable that the Riverside Expressway and the South Eastern Freeway were once separate entities, up until the completion of the Logan-Nerang Pacific Highway upgrade when the entire length was renamed to the Pacific Motorway. Upon completion of the Tugun bypass will achieve freeway standard conditions for the motorway's entire length (Brisbane to NSW border). Other projects such as extra interchanges and widening of the motorway between Logan and Brisbane City are expected within the next 5-10 years.

State: Queensland
Name Origin: The Pacific Motorway takes its name from the original Pacific Highway (still used in NSW), of which was named as it closely follows the South Pacific Ocean coastline.
Start: Coronation Drive/North Quay (1km west of Brisbane City)
Principal Towns/Cities: Brisbane, Beenleigh * Nerang *, Gold Coast *, Tweed Heads *
Finish: QLD/NSW Border (Tweed Heads/Coolangatta)
Length: 105km
Road Standard: Bitumen and Concrete
Road Quality: Excellent - Currently freeway conditions for 102km (soon to be entire length). Dual carriageway for entire length (2 lanes: Nerang-NSW Border, 3 lanes: Brisbane-Logan & Gaven-Nerang, 4 lanes: Logan-Gaven).
Road Continuation: Click here for the Pacific Highway in NSW, Click here for the Gateway Motorway
Speed Limit (outside built up area): 100km/hr: Brisbane-Beenleigh, 110km/hr: Beenleigh-Nerang, 100km/hr: Nerang-NSW Border
* - represents towns/cities that are bypassed by the Pacific Highway/Motorway

Photos from the Pacific Motorway (Click on thumbnail for full sized image):

View south-east along the Pacific Mwy (Riverside Expressway) from Brisbane Square (2006).

Looking north along the Pacific Motorway (Riverside Expressway) from the Vulture St overpass, South Brisbane (2004).

Looking north-west across the Stanley Street on-ramp to the Pacific Motorway (Riverside Expressway), South Brisbane (2004).

Looking south along the Pacific Motorway, again from the Vulture St overpass, South Brisbane (2004).

Looking west along Stanley Street as it approaches the Pacific Motorway. Note the old Route 1 marker on the left sign, Woolloongabba (2004).

The Pacific Motorway, heading south from the Juliette/Cornwall St interchange, Greenslopes (2004).

The Pacific Motorway, heading south approaching the Marshall Road exit, Holland Park West (2003). (Thanks to Jamie Scuglia for this pic!)

Distance sign, heading south-east from Gaza Road on the Pacific Motorway (2005).

Looking south-east along the Pacific Motorway with the Gateway Motorway overpass in the distance, Eight Mile Plains (2005).

Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway as it approaches the Gateway Mwy and changes route number from Metroad 3 to the M1.

Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway from the Gateway Motorway interchange. Sign should show this as being the M1 rather than Metroad 1, Rochedale (2005).

Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway approaching the Rochedale Road interchange, Rochedale (2005).

The Pacific Motorway, heading south through Springwood (2003).

Directional sign along Paradise Road approaching the Pacific Motorway, Slacks Creek (2005).

Distance sign, heading north-west along the Pacific Motorway (sign should say M1 and lettering "Pacific Mwy"), Slacks Creek (2005).

Looking north-west along the Pacific Motorway from the Loganlea Road overpass, Daisy Hill (2005).

More approach signage to the Pacific Motorway, this time at Loganlea Road, Daisy Hill (2005).

View north-west over the Pacific Motorway from the Bryants Road overpass, Shailer Park (2005).

The Pacific Motorway, looking south-east outside the Logan Hyperdome, Shailer Park (2005).

The Pacific Motorway passing south through Tanah Merah, approaching the Logan Motorway interchange (2003).

Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway as it approaches the Beenleigh exit, Loganholme (2005).

Old directional sign on the Old Pacific Highway between Yatala and Beenleigh. Note the old National Route 1 marker (2006).

Looking south-east along the Old Pacific Hwy as it approaches the Pacific Motorway on-ramp, Yatala (2006).

View south-east along the Pacific Motorway from the Computer Road overpass, Ormeau (2006).

The Pacific Motorway, heading south near Ormeau (2004).

The Pacific Motorway, heading north from the Nerang entrance (2003).

Heading south on the Pacific Motorway, near Worongary (2003).

Distance sign, heading west from Tugun on the old Pacific Highway. This section is soon to be bypassed (2004).

Looking north along the Pacific Hwy at the Gold Coast Hwy junction. This section will also soon be bypassed, Tugun (2004).

The Pacific Highway, heading south from Coolangatta approaching the NSW border. This section will be also soon be bypassed (2004).

	View south-east along the Pacific Mwy (Riverside Expressway) from Brisbane Square (2006).
	Looking north along the Pacific Motorway (Riverside Expressway) from the Vulture St overpass, South Brisbane (2004).
	Looking north-west across the Stanley Street on-ramp to the Pacific Motorway (Riverside Expressway), South Brisbane (2004).
	Looking south along the Pacific Motorway, again from the Vulture St overpass, South Brisbane (2004).
	Looking west along Stanley Street as it approaches the Pacific Motorway. Note the old Route 1 marker on the left sign, Woolloongabba (2004).
	The Pacific Motorway, heading south from the Juliette/Cornwall St interchange, Greenslopes (2004).
	The Pacific Motorway, heading south approaching the Marshall Road exit, Holland Park West (2003). (Thanks to Jamie Scuglia for this pic!)
	Distance sign, heading south-east from Gaza Road on the Pacific Motorway (2005).
	Looking south-east along the Pacific Motorway with the Gateway Motorway overpass in the distance, Eight Mile Plains (2005).
	Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway as it approaches the Gateway Mwy and changes route number from Metroad 3 to the M1.
	Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway from the Gateway Motorway interchange. Sign should show this as being the M1 rather than Metroad 1, Rochedale (2005).
	Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway approaching the Rochedale Road interchange, Rochedale (2005).
	The Pacific Motorway, heading south through Springwood (2003).
	Directional sign along Paradise Road approaching the Pacific Motorway, Slacks Creek (2005).
	Distance sign, heading north-west along the Pacific Motorway (sign should say M1 and lettering "Pacific Mwy"), Slacks Creek (2005).
	Looking north-west along the Pacific Motorway from the Loganlea Road overpass, Daisy Hill (2005).
	More approach signage to the Pacific Motorway, this time at Loganlea Road, Daisy Hill (2005).
	View north-west over the Pacific Motorway from the Bryants Road overpass, Shailer Park (2005).
	The Pacific Motorway, looking south-east outside the Logan Hyperdome, Shailer Park (2005).
	The Pacific Motorway passing south through Tanah Merah, approaching the Logan Motorway interchange (2003).
	Heading south-east along the Pacific Motorway as it approaches the Beenleigh exit, Loganholme (2005).
	Old directional sign on the Old Pacific Highway between Yatala and Beenleigh. Note the old National Route 1 marker (2006).
	Looking south-east along the Old Pacific Hwy as it approaches the Pacific Motorway on-ramp, Yatala (2006).
	View south-east along the Pacific Motorway from the Computer Road overpass, Ormeau (2006).
	The Pacific Motorway, heading south near Ormeau (2004).
	The Pacific Motorway, heading north from the Nerang entrance (2003).
	Heading south on the Pacific Motorway, near Worongary (2003).
	Distance sign, heading west from Tugun on the old Pacific Highway. This section is soon to be bypassed (2004).
	Looking north along the Pacific Hwy at the Gold Coast Hwy junction. This section will also soon be bypassed, Tugun (2004).
	The Pacific Highway, heading south from Coolangatta approaching the NSW border. This section will be also soon be bypassed (2004).