Diversions put brakes on journey

THE M1 is about to get a lot slower.

Motorists heading back to the Gold Coast late after working in Brisbane, or driving early in the morning, need to prepare for major traffic diversions.

In State Parliament yesterday, Transport Minister Mark Bailey detailed the traffic changes at the Gateway Merge to help build a new bridge across the Pacific Motorway.

At least 41,000 motorists travel from the Coast to Brisbane on the M1 to get to work each day.

Night-time diversions will be in place along a 5.5km stretch of the M1 from Eight Mile Plains to Springwood from Thursday, February 21, to Saturday, March 9.

Cranes will lift 52 concrete girders and make way for a new four-lane bridge over the M1 at Underwood.

Traffic will be detoured on to Logan Road between 9pm and 5am from Sundays to Thursdays, and from 11pm and 6am on Fridays and Saturdays,

Mr Bailey said construction of the new bridge was a significant milestone for the M1/M3/ Gateway merge upgrade.

“The heavy lifting of these girders is concrete evidence of our commitment to reduce travel times for motorists,” he said.

Each of the precast concrete girders is up to 32 metres in length and weighs an average of 65.9 tonnes.

Mr Bailey admitted that traffic times for motorists could be blown out.

“There is no doubt that these diversions will add to traffic times for people for a short period,” he said.