A Shorten Labor Government will contribute $168m towards easing congestion on the M1 at the southbound Gateway merge.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten made the fully-costed, fully-funded announcement at a public town hall meeting in Beenleigh with Jim Chalmers, Member for Rankin and Des Hardman, Labor candidate for Forde.

The $210m project includes a $42m investment from the Queensland Labor Government and will fix the Gateway-M1 merge, by adding additional southbound lanes on the M1 between Eight Mile Plans and Springwood, with construction to start next year.

This investment will help ease congestion on the M1, the busiest road in Queensland which carries an average of 145,000 vehicles a day. At times, there are up to seven kilometre-long traffic queues for up to four hours during peak periods on weekday afternoons and weekends.

The 2015 Infrastructure Australia Audit highlighted congestions in the Brisbane-Gold Coast Corridor as a serious problem and one expected to worsen significantly over the next fifteen years.

Bill Shorten said “Labor will put people in the Brisbane-Logan-Gold Coast corridor first by lowering traffic and easing congestion on this nationally significant highway. Jim Chalmers and Des Hardman have been relentless campaigners for this much-needed upgrade – this announcement today is due to their tireless work and fierce campaigning.” 

Jim Chalmers said “ One of my key priorities as a local Member has been investment in the M1, a road I have lived next to or near for most of my life. I’m very pleased that we can make this commitment, which will make life easier for people in our local area.”

Des Hardman said “I have fought hard for this merge to be fixed because I know how much the congestion prevents people in our community from spending quality time with their families.  This is real action on the M1, not just the bluff and bluster of the LNP Member for Forde.”

Labor has a strong record of investing in the M1, with $312.5 million worth of upgrades to the road paid for and completed when we were last in Government.

Despite the Liberals’ big talk on the M1, they haven’t provided a single cent for upgrades since coming to Government almost three years ago.

Only a vote for Labor will see real action on the M1, putting people in the Brisbane-Logan-Gold Coast corridor first by dealing with the congestion which has frustrated locals for too long.