Anger surging as traffic keeps commuters in jam

A FURIOUS commuter explodes over traffic gridlock, declaring on social media that it has just taken 23 minutes to crawl 150m (photo right).

The anger is palpable as the driver, a resident of the rapidly growing Pimpama area off the M1 in the city’s north, then unloads: “Everyone in this area is just done with the bull--responses we get from elected representatives.

“It’s okay to spend, what … $60 million to film Dora the (expletive) Explorer in Qld but the lives of people who pay taxes in the first place is right down the ladder of ‘we just don’t give a (expletive)’!!! Pathetic.”

To find out what is going on, take this drive with me along the Pacific Motorway, to about 30km north of Surfers Paradise where we find Australia’s fastest growing suburb – and its slowest moving.

Driving north on the M1, look to your right to the escarpment above the southbound lanes. Behind that is one of the Gold Coast’s worst intersections.

You will have plenty of time to contemplate all of this. As your car approaches Exit 49 at Pimpama, around 8am, Brad the traffic guy on ABC 91.7 warns of an accident ahead at Beenleigh.

As the traffic grinds to a halt, several northbound vehicles head on to the ramp on the western side of the motorway.

Halfway up the ramp is a long line of red brake lights.

Across the highway bridge, at a roundabout, stands Coomera MP Michael Crandon. The LNP backbencher is responsible for both sides of the motorway, is not one for cheap publicity stunts. He has no leadership ambitions.

Michael Crandon just wants to sort out a political mess. Standing on the overhead bridge, he makes his first point – everyone is not just heading to Brisbane, the traffic south to the Gold Coast is just as busy. He points east to a roundabout and Yalwalpah Rd. Just one lane feeding into it.

“This traffic is not an issue going on to the M1. It’s an issue getting on to this roundabout to head south and go across the highway,” Mr Crandon says.

He says the council roads feeding local traffic on to or across the M1 are too narrow.

“Yalwalpah Rd is a classic example. We have a one-lane road until just before the roundabout before the M1,” he says.

Yalwalpah Rd is on the eastern side of the highway. Traffic can be so heavy you’d take your life into your hands trying to sprint across it.

Until now, the traffic