Demolition works have started on the Stapley Drive bridge replacement project, as part of the congestion-busting M1 Pacific Motorway upgrade between Mudgeeraba and Varsity Lakes.
Minister for Population, Cities and Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge said the replacement bridge would be wider and higher to help bust congestion on the M1.
"It will provide better connections for motorists travelling over the motorway between Reedy Creek and Varsity Lakes," Mr Tudge said.
"The new bridge will be a significant improvement on the old bridge, which featured only one westbound and two eastbound lanes for motorists."
Over coming weeks, the old bridge will be removed by excavators, used to gradually crunch down the structure. Piling works will then start to build the foundations of the new structure.
The new wider and higher Stapley Drive bridge is currently scheduled to open to traffic in early to mid-2020.
State Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said bridge works at Stapley Drive were being conducted offline to minimise impacts to motorway traffic and the local community.
"This project is part of our commitment to build a better M1 and it's exciting to see the progress being made for Gold Coast motorists," Mr Bailey said.
"Before removing the old bridge, all northbound motorway traffic was temporarily diverted over to the eastern side of the motorway.
"This also involved temporary changes to the location of the nearby Reedy Creek Road northbound motorway on-ramp.
"This temporary traffic arrangement is expected to be in place until early 2020.
"We appreciate the community's ongoing patience during these works, which are being conducted within a very busy environment."
Works to build part of the new bridge were carried out between mid-2018 and mid-2019. The project remains on track for completion by mid-2020.
An average of 321 direct jobs will be supported over the life of the upgrade.
Federal Member for McPherson Karen Andrews said Gold Coasters want to get to work and get home efficiently, without sitting in traffic on the M1.
"I have spent years fighting for these upgrades and am excited to see such wonderful progress, with the finish line in sight," Minister Andrews said.
"Once widening work is complete on this stretch of the M1, action will begin on widening the rest of the motorway all the way to Tugun.
"I'm not interested in just pushing the bottleneck further south, we actually need to fix the M1 all the way through to Tugun, and that's what we're doing."
State Member for Springwood Mick de Brenni said the route between Eight Mile Plains, where the Gateway Motorway merges with the Pacific Motorway, and the Logan Motorway was one of the busiest sections of the M1.
"Our community is feeling a lot of relief seeing the next big step in the M1 upgrade being delivered. Fixing the motorway will save small business millions on lost time each year, which instead can be spent on jobs for locals," he said.
''In coming weeks, about 110,000 residents will receive information in their letterboxes with the most up-to-date information on Stage 2 of the M1 upgrade from Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill.
"We've made huge progress to deliver on our commitment to get you home to your family sooner.
''The four-page newsletter explains plans for the new park 'n' ride and bus station at Rochedale, connecting the busway through to Springwood.''
Federal Member for Forde Bert van Manen welcomed the project's latest milestone.
"After advocating for nine years for this work to be completed, I'm delighted that the Federal Government commitment for funding for the corridor from Gateway to the Logan Motorway has been made," Mr van Manen said.
"As a result of the Federal Government commitment we are now seeing the progress at a rapid pace and I look forward to Stage 2 commencing in 2020."
Community information sessions for the M1 Eight Mile Plains to Daisy Hill upgrade are expected to begin in early October.
The M1 Pacific Motorway Upgrade Program - Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes upgrade is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments, with the Australian Government providing $110 million, and the State Government providing $97.3 million towards the project.
