Motorists stuck in Pacific Motorway traffic will be relieved to learn upgrades to three projects are in the pipeline after $500 million for highway works was promised on Friday night.
Early work near the Gateway merge at Eight Mile Plains could begin in November with most work beginning after the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
More concrete funding details will be released for five highway projects in April, just before the federal budget on May 3.
This follows a $180 million saving – a 15 per cent cost saving – for a Bruce Highway project at Caboolture, where the private sector competed aggressively for the $1.2 billion tender.
A mature approach emerged in September 2016 from both federal Urban Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher and Queensland's Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey when they allowed the private sector to prepare actual costs for real highway projects, rather than acting on computer simulations.
The pair had previously engaged in a standard, political war of words over the "50:50, or 80:20 per cent" funding split formula for national highways.
Those savings from the negotiations have been worked into the $500 million roads package jointly announced by Mr Fletcher and Mr Bailey on Friday evening.
The $500 million roads package will include money for five projects, including two high-profile projects on the M1 that even drew Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to the highway near Logan during the election campaign.
- 1. Widening the Pacific Motorway from Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes to six lanes ($210m jointly promised);
- 2. Adding extra lanes to the Pacific Motorway where the Gateway Motorway enters at Eight Mile Plains ($210 jointly promised);
- 3. Widening the Pacific Motorway from Varsity Lakes to Tugun;
- 4. Widening the Mt Lindesay Highway between Browns Plains and Beaudesert; and
- 5. Building the Walkerston bypass near Mackay.
The exact final breakdown of funding for the five projects will not be known until April, although the funding package was confirmed by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Friday.
"We have reached an agreement and can now get on with the job of upgrading the M1," she said.
"We've also committed to construction of the Walkerston Bypass, this will deliver benefits for the region and more jobs for Central Queensland."
Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester said he was delighted that agreement had been reached on these five important projects.
"Although final project costs for the M1 will not be known until the end of April, we have reached an agreement that the Australian government will keep our money on the table with the state picking up the balance," Mr Chester said.
Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said early work on the Gateway merge would begin in November.
Major construction to begin following the Commonwealth Games, he said.
"The M1 Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes project is anticipated to commence early works mid-2017, with the major construction to follow the Commonwealth Games," Mr Bailey said.
"The Queensland Government is also investing $5 million to progress the planning and business case development for the six-laning of the Pacific Motorway between Varsity Lakes and Tugun – the next highest priority upgrade on the southern end of motorway."
Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls also welcomed the negotiations that had secured the funding package.
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