Greater Brisbane Key Corridors performance January-June 2019

Greater Brisbane road network

This report provides information on the traffic volume and average speed for the Greater Brisbane key transport corridors over the January to June 2019 period. The corridors include Brisbane City Council (Council) and Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) managed roads.

Network summaries are presented in vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) and average network speeds. The report includes information on initiatives being undertaken by both organisations to manage congestion on the road network.

Report findings

Greater Brisbane key corridors

The volume and speed of the 38 key corridors in the current reporting period (January - June 2019) is compared with the same period in 2018. All traffic volume data takes into account both directions of travel. It includes weekdays only and excludes public holidays. Traffic volumes on TMR’s corridors were taken at the road segment with the highest volume. Council corridor traffic volumes were taken in the middle segment of the corridors.

The average daily traffic volume for the month is the number of vehicles utilising the corridor per day, averaged over all weekdays of the month (excluding public holidays).

AM peak period for TMR corridors is from 6am to 9am as the TMR network is utilised earlier, particularly on the outer edges of the Greater Brisbane road network (for example, the Bruce Highway and the Pacific Motorway). AM peak period for Council corridors is from 7am to 9am. PM peak periods are the same for both TMR and Council corridors, 4pm to 7pm. The monthly AM and PM peak per hour traffic volumes are the average hourly volume for the month over the corresponding AM and PM peak periods, respectively.

Note:

Speed data was not available for Pacific Motorway (2) (between Beenleigh and Gateway Motorway) during the January - June 2019 period. The route was excluded from the network vehicle kilometres and network speed summary charts.

Speed data was not available for Gympie Road (between Pine River Bridge and Kedron) during the January - June 2019 period. The route was excluded from the network vehicle kilometres and network speed summary charts.

Table: Greater Brisbane Key Corridors January to June 2019

Network vehicle kilometres travelled summary

Average vehicle kilometres travelled on 38 key corridors by month.

Traffic volume and vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT)

VKT is a measure of traffic demand on the road network. It is the length of a section of road in kilometres multiplied by the average traffic volume on that section. The daily VKT is the product of the length of the road and average daily traffic (ADT). The monthly VKT is the daily VKT multiplied by the number of weekdays in the analysis period.

The AM peak monthly VKT is the product of the length of the road, the average AM peak hourly traffic volume and number of weekdays in the analysis period.

The PM peak monthly VKT is the product of the length of the road, the average PM peak hourly traffic volume and number of weekdays in the analysis period.

The network VKT is the sum of all the corridors in the network.

Table: Greater Brisbane network vehicle kilometres travelled January to June 2018 to 2019

Use the dropdown menu to change between Council, TMR or Greater Brisbane (all) key corridors.

Average network speed summary

Average speed of 38 key corridors

Average speed in kilometres per hour is a measure of traffic efficiency on the road network. Average speed is calculated using travel times collected from TMR’s and Council’s extensive network of Bluetooth scanners within the Greater Brisbane road network. Average corridor speed includes delays at signalised intersections. Average travel times were collected during the AM and PM peak periods to calculate the average speed of the corridor. Peak periods are similarly defined as in the VKT calculations. AM peak travel time is taken as the inbound direction while the PM peak travel time is the outbound direction.

Table: Greater Brisbane network average speed January to June 2018 to 2019

Use the dropdown to change between Council, TMR or Greater Brisbane (all) key corridors.

State Government Congestion Initiatives

TMR has a number of policies, strategies and projects that are addressing traffic congestion and journey reliability in Greater Brisbane, including those listed below.

• Travel options and travel information – creating a public transport and active transport network that has greater accessibility, frequency and reliability (ongoing funding of principal cycle network, QLDTraffic website and smartphone app, 13 19 40 phone service, real-time bus information, enhanced train timetable). QLDTraffic was launched in February 2017, providing dynamic and real-time travel information through a new website https://qldtraffic.qld.gov.au/ and a smartphone app.
• The award-winning MyTransLink app allows users to personalise ‘Favourites’ and track services in real-time. The smartphone app http://translink.com.au/mytranslink has more than 200,000 active users each month.
• Improved incident management including traffic response units (with Council).
• Smart Motorways operations (for example, ramp signalling, Ipswich Motorway Lane Use Management and Variable Speed Limit operations).
• Increased capacity – there have been significant projects to address the growing traffic demands on the road network such as M1/M3 Gateway merge, Gateway Upgrade North and Ipswich Motorway.

M1/M3 Gateway merge upgrade

TMR is working to alleviate congestion on the Pacific Motorway between Eight Mile Plains and Rochedale.

The M1/M3 Gateway merge upgrade includes:

• widening up to five southbound motorway lanes between Eight Mile Plains and Rochedale South (Exit 19)
• relocation of the existing bus entry from the Eight Mile Plains Bus Station onto the Pacific Motorway, south of Underwood Road
• construction of the new four-lane Underwood Road bridge to replace the existing overpass. The new bridge was opened to traffic early July 2019
• managed motorway technologies from Klumpp Road to Rochedale Road in both directions.

This project will reduce congestion, improve travel times for motorway users, improve travel time reliability for public transport users, increase freight efficiency and improve safety.

The $195.3 million upgrade is jointly funded by the Australian Government ($115 million) and the Queensland Government ($80.3 million).

The M1/M3 Gateway merge commenced construction in mid-2018 and is scheduled for completion in mid-2020.

This project is Stage 1 of the M1 Masterplan (Gateway to Logan Motorways) which is being delivered in priority stages as funding becomes available.

Gateway Upgrade North (GUN)

Major construction is now complete on the Gateway Upgrade North project, with the widened motorway officially commissioned in March 2019.

This $1.143 billion project was designed to ease congestion, improve travel time reliability, safety and connectivity to key urbanised areas.

Carrying more than 83,000 vehicles a day, the Gateway Motorway was upgraded from four to six lanes between Nudgee and Deagon, with additional pavement rehabilitation and safety works through to Bracken Ridge. It also included:

• reconfiguring the Nudgee interchange including a new Nudgee Road overpass
• widening of the Deagon Deviation to two lanes in each direction between Depot and Bracken Ridge Roads
• the provision of a grade-separated interchange between the Gateway Motorway and the Deagon Deviation at Deagon
• construction of a new off-road cycle path connecting to local networks.

The Gateway Upgrade North project was jointly funded by the Australian Government ($914.18 million) and Queensland Government ($228.54 million) on an 80:20 split. The upgrade was delivered by TMR, with Transurban Queensland engaged to assist in managing the delivery of the major works package.

Ipswich Motorway Upgrade: Rocklea to Darra – Stage 1 project

The Ipswich Motorway Upgrade: Rocklea to Darra – Stage 1 project is a $400 million project jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, with each contributing $200 million.

The project covers the 3 km section from Granard Road, Rocklea to east of Oxley Road, Oxley. This is the most critical section of the remaining 7 km of the motorway still to be upgraded. Upgrading the remaining 4 km of the Ipswich Motorway, between Oxley Road and the Centenary Motorway, is still a priority, but subject to available funding.

The local community and businesses will benefit from the upgrade through improved road safety and better local connectivity. Motorists on this section of the Ipswich Motorway will also benefit from improved traffic flow and improved flood immunity. 

Works on this section now include:

• upgrading the motorway from four to six lanes 
• higher bridges over Oxley Creek, including seven new bridges
• new 1.5 km Boundary Road connection linking Boundary Road, Rocklea across the Oxley Creek floodplain to the intersection of Blunder and Boundary Roads, Oxley
• new northern service road connection over the Oxley Creek floodplain
• new active transport facilities on the northern service road
• new traffic signals at the Suscatand Street intersection and Boundary and Factory Roads intersection.

Works will be staged to effectively manage the upgrade of the motorway while under live traffic conditions. 

Construction commenced late October 2017 and is expected to be completed late 2020.

Logan Enhancement Project (financed and delivered by Transurban Queensland)

Transurban Queensland’s $512 million Logan Enhancement Project includes widening sections of the Logan and Gateway Motorways, improving key congestion hot spots (Logan Motorway/Mount Lindesay Highway/Beaudesert Road interchange and the Wembley Road/Logan Motorway interchange) and constructing new south-facing ramps on the Gateway Motorway at Compton Road.

The project will improve safety and travel time reliability, enhance connectivity to key residential and business areas, and help future proof the network by:

• widening of Logan Motorway between Mount Lindesay Highway and Wembley Road interchanges, with a minimum three lanes in each direction
• widening the Gateway Motorway between Compton Road and the Logan Motorway interchange, to provide three lanes in each direction
• widening Wembley Road to two lanes in each direction between Pagewood Street and Greenfern Drive
• upgrading the Mount Lindesay Highway/Beaudesert Road interchange to remove traffic conflict points and weave movements to improve road user safety and the efficiency of the interchange
• upgrading the Logan Motorway and Wembley Road interchange, providing new on and off­‑ramps
• upgrading the Gateway Extension Motorway interchange at Compton Road, providing new south-facing on and off-ramps.

The project is the first Market-Led Proposal to be approved in Queensland being delivered at no cost to the Queensland Government. To fund these upgrades, there will be a moderate increase to truck tolls on the Logan and Gateway Motorways that will take effect once construction is completed in 2019 and the benefits of the project start to be realised.

CPB Contractors, a member of the CIMIC Group, completed detailed design in early 2017 and began major construction in June 2017.

The project is supporting 1300 direct jobs during construction and will generate approximately $1.2 billion in economic benefits for Queenslanders over 30 years by unlocking the economic potential of the Logan region as well as the business and freight hubs in Brisbane’s north and west.

As of June 2019, construction is 96% complete with more than 2.99 million hours worked. The project remains on schedule for completion in 2019.

Council congestion initiatives

Major projects

Council is committed to reducing congestion and improving safety and access across the city through a network-wide focus on traffic improvements to meet current and future traffic demand along Brisbane’s key corridors.

This aligns with Council’s Transport Plan for Brisbane-Strategic Directions that will guide the evolution of our transport network over the next 25 years and beyond.

A range of significant projects are delivered by Council to improve access to the transport network, including major road construction and intersection upgrades. Council is also working to minimise traffic congestion and improve safety in local areas by constructing intersections, conducting corridor upgrades and delivering minor road projects.

Some of the major projects are profiled below.

Profile: Wynnum Road corridor upgrade Stage 1 and 1b

Council is upgrading the Wynnum Road corridor through East Brisbane and Norman Park in stages. Stage 1 of the upgrade is the section from Latrobe Street to Canning Bridge, valued at $115 million, and started in early 2018.

Stage 1b of the corridor upgrade will complement the works undertaken in Stage 1 by implementing interim measures to improve traffic efficiency and safety along Wynnum Road, between Canning Bridge and Riding Road. This $11.59 million project started in late 2018.

Both projects are expected to be completed in early 2020.

When complete, the Wynnum Road corridor upgrade will improve safety for all road users, improve road capacity to cater for current demands and accommodate expected traffic growth, reduce travel times for commuters by up to 50% and reduce congestion.

Stage 1 of the Wynnum Road corridor upgrade involves:

• widening Lytton Road between Latrobe Street and Canning Bridge from four to six lanes
• upgrading the bend at Heidelberg Street by changing the curve to improve safety
• increasing lane widths to 3.3 metres for the inside lanes and 3.7 metres for the outside lanes to improve safety
• signalising the new intersection at Kulpurum Street and Lytton Road
• installing a U-turn facility at the new Kulpurum Street and Lytton Road intersection
• installing a centre median to prevent uncontrolled right-turns
• rationalising and indenting bus bays to reduce the impact on traffic flow and improve efficiency
• the provision of an off-road bike path between Mowbray Park and Laidlaw Parade, with a separate pedestrian footpath
• removing access to Eskgrove Street, Scanlan Street and Laidlaw Parade from Lytton Road
• undergrounding the existing overhead service lines
• installing up-lighting under feature trees and the war memorial, and providing free Wi-Fi in Mowbray Park.

Stage 1b of the Wynnum Road corridor upgrade involves:

• upgrading the Norman Avenue intersection, including a U-turn for eastbound traffic to travel westbound 
• removing unsafe right-turn movements across Wynnum Road at Gillan Street, Norman Crescent and Overend Street
• rationalising bus stops to reduce impacts on traffic flow 
• indenting the outbound bus stop at Norman Avenue 
• extending the existing bus jump lane (7-9am Monday to Friday) from Bennetts Road to Hipwood Street 
• improving the existing U-turn facility on Wynnum Road near Kingsbury Street. 

Profile: Waterworks Road upgrade (Trout Street to Beth Eden Terrace) – Ashgrove

Council is upgrading Waterworks Road, between Trout Street and Beth Eden Terrace at Ashgrove. The upgrade will improve safety for road users, improve reliability of travel times, and help cater for existing and future traffic demands along this busy road corridor.

Council identified the 315metre-long section of Waterworks Road, from Trout Street to Beth Eden Terrace, as a priority upgrade. This is based on current high levels of congestion, delays and unreliable travel times. Council expects traffic volumes will continue to grow, intensifying congestion problems in the area.

Safety is also a key consideration for the upgrade, with 23 recorded accidents occurring along this section of road corridor between July 2011 and December 2018, including five resulting in hospitalisation and 15 resulting in medical treatment at the scene.

The Waterworks Road upgrade is part of Council’s $1.3 billion commitment to more than 90 road improvement projects. Construction started in late March 2019 and is expected to be completed in early 2020.

The project involves:

• widening sections of Waterworks Road between Trout Street and Ashgrove Avenue to provide two through-traffic lanes and a dedicated left-turn lane into Ashgrove Avenue
• the provision of eight all-day dedicated parking bays on the inbound side of Waterworks Road adjacent to the local shopping precinct
• widening the section of Stewart Road between Waterworks Road and Harry Street to provide an additional right-turn lane into Waterworks Road
• relocating the inbound bus stop in the project area to reduce the impact on traffic flow and improve efficiency
• replacing the indented outbound bus stop between Stewart Road and Ashgrove Avenue with an in-lane outbound bus stop to improve safety
• relocating the inbound and outbound T2 lanes by 150 metres on the eastern side of Ashgrove Avenue
• reinstating kerb and channel
• road resurfacing and line marking
• planting 20 trees within the local area, nine of which will be located within the project footprint. 

Major traffic improvement projects

Profile: Grange Road and Raymont Road intersection upgrade

Council is upgrading the Grange Road and Raymont Road intersection in Grange to improve traffic flow, increase safety for all road users, and help cater for future traffic demands.

Following investigations detailed in the Wilston Grange Precinct Transport Study, it was shown that traffic flow and safety would improve with the addition of extra turn lanes for vehicles turning into and out of Raymont Road. The project will widen Grange Road to provide new dedicated left-turn and right-turn lanes.

Safety is a key consideration for the upgrade, with 10 reported crashes at the intersection, five of which required medical treatment and one additional which required hospitalisation, between July 2013 and December 2018.

The Grange Road and Raymont Road intersection upgrade is part of Council’s $1.3 billion commitment to more than 90 road improvement projects.

The project involves:

• installing a dedicated right-turn lane (southbound) and left-turn lane (northbound) on Grange Road into Raymont Road
• widening Grange Road to include turning lanes
• upgrading the existing traffic signals and lighting on Grange Road and Raymont Road
• installing a new centre traffic island at the intersection on Grange Road, south of Raymont Road
• installing new footpath and access ramps
• line marking and signage
• minor landscaping.

Profile: Player Street connection project

Council is constructing the Player Street connection project in Upper Mount Gravatt, to improve traffic efficiency and safety, and reduce congestion along Kessels Road. Construction started in June 2019 and is expected to be completed by early 2020.

The project will see a new road link built by extending Player Street to the existing intersection of Kessels Road and MacGregor Street, as indicated in the 2012 Mt Gravatt corridor neighbourhood plan.

Traffic signals at the intersection of Kessels Road and Cremin Street currently provide access to the residential precinct to the north. These signals are currently located close to the Logan Road intersection, creating congestion and safety concerns for all road users.

Between 2007 to 2019, there were 52 recorded crashes at the Kessels Road and MacGregor Street intersection, 30 crashes at the Kessels Road and Cremin Street intersection, and 71 crashes at the Kessels Road and Logan Road intersection.

The project will remove the Cremin Street signals, improving traffic efficiency on Kessels Road by increasing queuing spaces for the Kessels Road intersections with MacGregor Street and Logan Road. This will improve access to and from the local residential area, and safety and travel time reliability along this length of Kessels Road.

The project is part of Council’s $1.3 billion commitment to more than 90 road improvement projects to take real action on congestion, by focusing on a range of solutions to improve the existing road network, getting residents home quicker and safer. 

The project involves:

• constructing a new road link from the existing Kessels Road and MacGregor Street intersection through to Player Street
• removing existing traffic signals at the Kessels Road and Cremin Street intersection, and providing left-in access only into Cremin Street
• installing a traffic median along Kessels Road, between MacGregor Street and Logan Road to remove right-turn movements to and from Cremin Street
• lengthening the right-turn lane from Kessels Road eastbound into Logan Road
• providing a dedicated right-turn lane from Kessels Road westbound, into the new Player Street connection
• constructing a new roundabout at the Player Street and Pickworth Street intersection
• constructing new pedestrian footpaths and landscaping along the Player Street connection
• planting four trees within the vicinity of the project area for every tree that is removed.

Congestion Busting Projects

Council’s Congestion Busting Projects (CBP) deliver low-cost, high-impact projects to reduce traffic congestion across Brisbane.

These projects use reputed traffic signal intersection modelling software, SIDRA (Signalised and unsignalised Intersection Design and Research Aid), as the primary decision-making tool to determine the value for money of the project works undertaken.

The following case studies look at two types of CBP. The first type reconfigures existing road space by making changes to line markings, medians and signage. The second type involves the provision of additional road space on the network through minor road widening and lengthening.

CASE STUDY: Road space reconfiguration

Example: Bracken Street at Gawain Road, Bracken Ridge

Bracken Street is a suburban road and an important link for the local residential community to Bracken Ridge Road and onwards to westbound Gateway Motorway ramps. Sporting and community facilities are located at the southern end of Bracken Street.

The intersection of Bracken Street and Gawain Road is a simple T-junction with no additional turning lanes, carrying approximately 1200 vehicles per hour during weekday peak travel times.

It was determined that safety concerns and congestion caused by the turning demand from Bracken Street into Gawain Road could be addressed by providing a dedicated right-turn lane for this manoeuvre.

Bracken Street was realigned to accommodate a dedicated 30metre right-turn lane.

This low-cost, high-impact project was delivered in April 2019.

Case study: Capacity Improvement

Example: Settlement Road between Bromwich Street and Bromar Street, The Gap

Settlement Road and Illowra Street are suburban roads that service local residents of The Gap.

The Settlement Road/Waterworks Road/Illowra Street signalised intersection carries approximately 2700 and 2900 vehicles per hour during the AM and PM peak travel periods respectively.

It was determined that the congestion experienced on Settlement Road southbound could be addressed by providing two continuous lanes between Bromwich Street and Bromar Street.

This low-cost, high-impact project was delivered in January 2019.

The project has resulted in an 18% improvement in travel time for motorists travelling southbound on this section of Settlement Road every day in the AM peak, and a five per cent improvement for the PM peak.

Congestion Busting Projects – January to June 2019

The following projects were completed within this reporting period.

Factors affecting network performance

Traffic volume and travel times are also affected by other factors, including traffic incidents. These incidents, such as accidents, extreme weather and planned events, influence the amount of congestion experienced on the roads. Depending on the timing, location, severity and duration, an incident may have minimal effect on the road network or cause gridlock in large parts of the city.

Specific incidents can have a greater impact on the road network. Emergency works, for example water main repairs on the Bruce Highway, can have a significant impact on the average incident clearance times, and hence the journey times. Incidents that require emergency service attendance can take up to four hours to clear, depending on the severity and location of the incident.

There are also locations within the city that are particularly susceptible to excess congestion when a minor incident happens. Examples of these include Hale Street and Merivale Street.

The BMTMC continue to proactively manage the impacts of incidents as they happen to minimise effects on residents, businesses and travellers within Greater Brisbane. The data detailed in this report specifically analysed significant unplanned incidents that had the potential to have a major impact on the road network. BMTMC collected and compiled this incident data for roads throughout the Greater Brisbane metropolitan area.

Significant incident data

This data is a collection of traffic crashes, hazards and stationary vehicles that impacted the road network. These are defined as unplanned incidents. It does not cover planned events/roadworks, alerts, congestion incidents, or quick clearance towing for TMR and Council clearway towing.

Range of durations of significant incidents

This graph shows the range of durations* in minutes of significant incidents.

*Incident duration is measured from the time BMTMC is notified about the incident until the time the incident is resolved (cleared from the road)