Ipswich Motorway

The Ipswich Motorway (M7) is a major road that connects Brisbane and Ipswich in South East Queensland, Australia. It commences at the junction of Ipswich Road and Granard Road and proceeds through to the M2 Logan Motorway interchange. It is then signed M2 until the junction of the Warrego Highway and the Cunningham Highway.

It initially passes through the suburbs of Rocklea, Oxley and Darra in south west Brisbane before reaching the eastern suburbs of Ipswich such as Redbank Plains, Goodna and Riverview. The Motorway is directly connected to the M5 Centenary Motorway at Darra and the M2 Logan Motorway at Gailes. In 2008, it was estimated that 80,000 cars use the road daily. In late 2010, this figure had risen to close to 100,000 vehicles per day. In 2002, the morning peak traffic volume was greatest between 7:00 am and 8:00 am. By 2008, the morning peak traffic volume peaked between the hours of 5:00 am and 6:00 am.

This road consists of two separate state-controlled roads as defined by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR). The part from Rocklea to Goodna is named Cunningham Arterial Road (number U16) and the other is named as part of the Cunningham Highway (number 17A). Road U16 is part of the state strategic network, and road 17A is part of the national network.

Construction

The motorway was constructed in stages from 1988 to 1994:

* 1988 - Blunder Road/Oxley Road interchange completed in September at a cost of $12 million.
* 1989-1990 - Church Street interchange and Granard Road overpass.
* 1991-1992 - Progress Road/Wacol Station Road and Endeavour Road interchanges.
* 1993 - Acanthus Street/Harcourt Road, Rudd Street/Douglas Street, and Donaldson Road/Banting Street interchanges.
* 1994 - Centenary Highway interchange (elevated roundabout).

Following completion of the final interchange, the Ipswich Motorway was commissioned on 17 May 1994.

Upgrade

In 2003, just 9 years after it was completed, planning for an upgrade of the entire motorway began. The road was identified in the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan and Program as one requiring urgent attention. An upgrade was needed to improve safety and relieve traffic congestion.

An upgrade of the Granard Road interchange was the first project to be built. It was opened on 31 August 2006 by Federal Minister for Transport Jim Lloyd. Next was an upgrade to the section between Wacol and Goodna, including the rebuilding of the Logan Motorway interchange. Construction commenced in February 2007, and was completed in late 2009.

Widening of the motorway from four lanes to six lanes between Wacol and the Centenary Motorway at Darra was one of the Australian Labor Party's key 2007 federal election promises. The upgrade included the transformation of the Centenary Highway Interchange to a free-flowing multi level system interchange and work on adjoining service roads that aims to reduce traffic on the motorway by up to 20%. The Federal government has contributed a total of $3.1 billion for the upgrade. The Wacol to Darra section of the motorway was officially opened on 18 April 2010.

The eight kilometres upgrade of the Ipswich Motorway between Dinmore and Goodna was commenced in mid-2009. It was officially opened on 15 May 2012. The A$1.95 billion project funded by the Australian Government is delivered by the Origin Alliance consisting of the Department of Transport & Main Roads, Abigroup, Seymour Whyte, Fulton Hogan, SMEC and Parsons Brinckerhoff.

Construction of a 3km section between Granard Road, Rocklea and Oxley Road, Oxley, was commenced in 2017, and was completed in April 2021 at a cost of $400 million.

Widening of the final section, between the Centenary Motorway and Oxley Road, is still in the planning stages.

Interchanges

See also

* Freeways in Australia
* Freeways in Brisbane
* Road transport in Brisbane

References

External links

{{Road infrastructure in Brisbane

Highways in Queensland
Roads in Brisbane
South East Queensland
Transport infrastructure completed in 1994
1994 establishments in Australia