Congestion grind on Centenary corridor continues
Heavy congestion continues to plague motorists using the Centenary Motorway, with the corridor recording weekday average peak hour speeds slower than school zone limits.
RACQ’s 2023 Average Speed and Travel Time Report showed the weekday average speed on the Centenary Motorway between Ipswich Motorway and Fig Tree Pocket Road was 37.4km/h in the AM peak from 6-10am.
The Club’s Head of Public Policy, Dr Michael Kane, said while works were underway to upgrade the Centenary Bridge, more was needed to curb growing traffic pain.
“We know the Queensland Government is working on a draft Master Plan for the Centenary Motorway and we need this to be holistic and well thought out,” Dr Kane said.
“Any long-term planning for the Centenary Motorway corridor must consider a connecting ‘Western Bypass’ corridor linking through to the proposed Gympie Road Bypass Tunnel.
“By fixing, finishing and extending our outer ring of motorways we will take traffic off our local roads and corridors by allowing them to bypass Brisbane altogether.
“We commend the State and Federal Governments for funding the Centenary Bridge Upgrade, but a more detailed and long-term plan is needed to effectively alleviate congestion along this vital corridor. If this doesn’t happen, motorists will continue to crawl at school zone speeds on this major motorway.”
Dr Kane said plans must also focus heavily on public transport, specifically separated bus lanes, to create possible extension routes for the Brisbane Metro network.
“To manage congestion along our major radial roads that lead into central Brisbane we need to see significant and continued investment in public and active transport to put more people on bikes, buses and trains, and fewer in cars,” he said.
The results also showed the Pacific Motorway between North Quay and O’Keefe Street was the slowest motorway section in 2023 with an average travel speed of 28.6km/h between 3pm and 7pm on weekdays. The opposite direction in the AM peak was also slow at 37.3km/h.
The Gateway Motorway from Buchanan Rd (Nudgee) to Pine Rivers Bridge also struggled in 2023, recording 42.3km/h in the PM peak.
It was not all bad news for motorists, with the Pacific Motorway upgrade between the Springwood VMS billboard and Underwood Road having increased average speeds in the AM peak from 45.2 km/h in 2019 to 71.0 km/h in 2023.
RACQ looks forward to working closely with all levels of government to continue advocating on behalf of Queensland motorists.
For more information read RACQ’s 2023 Average Speed and Travel Time Report.Related topics
Things to note
The information in this article has been prepared for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal advice or specific advice to any particular person. Any advice contained in the document is general advice, not intended as legal advice or professional advice and does not take into account any person’s particular circumstances. Before acting on anything based on this advice you should consider its appropriateness to you, having regard to your objectives and needs.
Insurance Products (excluding Travel Insurance) are issued by RACQ Insurance Limited ABN 50 009 704 152 (RACQI) and arranged by RACQ Distribution Services Pty Ltd (RDS) ABN 35 116 361 650, AFSL 567130 and RDS' authorised representatives (including RACQ Operations Pty Ltd ABN 80 009 663 414, AR No. 234978 (RACQO)). Conditions, limits and exclusions apply.
Any advice provided by RDS and RACQO is general advice only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and you will need to consider whether the advice is appropriate for you. Read the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before making a purchase decision on the product. You can also access our Target Market Determinations on this website.
RDS receives a commission from RACQI for the policies it arranges. RACQO receives fees paid for services it provides to RDS. Further details about remuneration are available on request prior to purchasing.
Banking and loan products issued by Members Banking Group Limited ABN 83 087 651 054 AFSL/Australian credit licence 241195 trading as RACQ Bank. Terms, conditions, fees, charges and lending policies apply. This is general advice only and may not be right for you. This information does not take your personal objectives, circumstances or needs into account. Read the disclosure documents for your selected product or service, including the Financial Services Guide and the Terms and Conditions, and consider if appropriate for you before deciding.
Except for RACQ Bank, any RACQ entity referred to on this page is not an authorised deposit-taking institution for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Cth). That entity’s obligations do not represent deposits or other liabilities of RACQ Bank. RACQ Bank does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of that entity, unless noted otherwise.
RACQ Bank subscribes to the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice which establishes higher standards than the law requires. The Code reflects modern consumer expectations and developments in approaches to issues such as consumer vulnerability, guarantors, and supporting customers through financial hardship. Please read our Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice page for more information.
RACQ Operations Pty Ltd (ABN 80 009 663 414, AR No. 234978) and Members Travel Group Pty Ltd (ABN 45 144 538 803, AR No.432492) (RACQ) are authorised representatives of the RACQ Travel Insurance insurer Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd. (ABN 80 000 438 291 AFSL 246 548) (Tokio Marine). Tokio Marine Management (Australasia) Pty Ltd (ABN 69 001 488 455, AR No. 1313066) is an authorised representative of Tokio Marine, and administers RACQ Travel Insurance as the managing agent on behalf of Tokio Marine. Terms, conditions (including eligibility criteria), exclusions, limits and sub-limits apply. Any advice is general advice only, and does not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation or needs. Before you purchase, please consider the Combined Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) / Financial Services Guide (FSG) and Target Market Determinations (TMDs) available at racq.com or on request from RACQ.