The Queensland Government has committed an additional $432 million to support the delivery of the first stage of works on the Coomera Connector.
The Coomera Connector will provide a much-needed alternative to the M1 for local journeys and will alleviate M1 congestion by accommodating an estimated 60,000 daily trips. Stage one includes 16-kilometres, from Coomera to Nerang, and features additional bridge crossings at the Coomera and Nerang Rivers.
The corridor is wide enough for an ultimate six-lane motorway. The 16 kilometre Stage One route will be built to four lanes to meet medium-term traffic needs. Key major structures will be future-proofed to six lanes, to help minimise future construction impacts to adjacent residents and the travelling public.
The project will be delivered in three construction packages. Stage One North: Shipper Drive, Coomera to Helensvale Road, Helensvale. Stage One Central: Helensvale Road, Helensvale to Smith Street Motorway, Molendinar and Stage One South: Smith Street Motorway, Molendinar to Nerang-Broadbeach Road, Nerang.
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Stage One North of the project is well underway, with expected completion with community consultation ongoing for Stage One Central and tenders being assessed for the Stage One South package.
Stage One North will open progressively from late 2025. The additional $432 million brings the State’s total contribution on the project to $1.513 billion.
Due to the rising cost of labour and materials, as well as the industry supply and demand challenges for specialist construction equipment, a further $864 million is required to complete Stage One.
The Queensland Government has sought a $432 million matching contribution from the Australian Government which will be considered in the upcoming Federal Budget in May.
The Federal and Queensland governments have so far committed a total of $2.593 billion to plan and construct Coomera Connector (Stage 1) (Second M1) between Coomera and Nerang.