Gold Coast Highway
Gold Coast Highway | |
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Gold Coast Highway at Second Avenue looking north towards Surfers Paradise, featuring the Light Rail in the median | |
| General information | |
| Type | Highway |
| Length | 39.8 km (25 mi) |
| Route number(s) |  State Route 2 |
| Former route number |
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| Major junctions | |
| North end |
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| South end |
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| Location(s) | |
| Major suburbs | Southport, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Burleigh Heads |
| Highway system | |
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National Route 1
Alternate National Route 1
Tugun Currumbin Road
Pacific Motorway (M1)The Gold Coast Highway in Queensland, Australia links the coastal suburbs of the Gold Coast. 39.8 kilometres (24.7 mi) in length, the highway runs from near the Pacific Motorway at Pacific Pines to the Pacific Motorway at Tweed Heads. It passes through the numerous popular tourist areas including Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, a commercial centre at Southport, residential areas, shopping centres and the Gold Coast (Coolangatta) Airport.
It is characterised by a variety of urban landscapes, ranging from:
- high-density high rises between Southport and Broadbeach
- low rise apartments in Palm Beach and Bilinga
- low-rise residential areas at Miami, Tugun and Labrador
- shopping at Southport and Broadbeach
- entertainment precincts at Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise
- historic motels at Mermaid Beach
- light industry at Arundel
- native bushland at Coombabah Lake wetlands, Burleigh Head National Park and Currumbin Hill
- parklands, sport and recreation at the Southport Broadwater Parklands and many smaller reserves
- coastal views at Currumbin Creek
The highest point of the highway is 42 metres at Currumbin Hill.[1]
Contents
1 History
2 Road conditions
2.1 Speed limits
3 Projects and improvements
4 Public transport
4.1 Bus
4.2 Light Rail
4.3 Railway
4.4 Air
5 Major intersections
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
History
The Pacific Highway in Surfers Paradise in 1952.
It was formerly part of the Pacific Highway, when it handled transport between Queensland and New South Wales through the Gold Coast. The Pacific Highway now runs about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the west as the M1.
Road conditions
Northbound towards Beach Road, Surfers Paradise
The highway is divided along the entire length, mostly with four lanes. There are some six lane segments (often as bus lanes). It is also predominately well lit at night, with a few exceptions such as Currumbin and Burleigh Heads. Median fencing to prevent pedestrians crossing has also been introduced in areas such as Mermaid Beach. The highway at Surfers Paradise is subject to congestion during events, notably during the Gold Coast 600 held each October when part of the highway becomes part of the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit at Paradise Waters. The highway width is reduced to two lanes (one carriageway) and the speed limit reduced to 40 km/h.
Speed limits
- Helensvale to Captain Cook Drive (Arundel): 80 km/h
- Captain Cook Drive to Government Road (Labrador): 70 km/h
- Government Road to Nerang St (Southport): 60 km/h
- Nerang St to Ferny Ave (Surfers Paradise): 70 km/h
- Ferny Ave to Pacific Ave (Miami): 60 km/h
- Pacific Ave to West Burleigh Rd: 70 km/h
- West Burleigh Rd to George St East(Burleigh Heads): 50 km/h
- George St East to Tallebudgera Dr (Palm Beach): 60 km/h
- Tallebudgera Dr to Eighth Ave (Palm Beach): 70 km/h
- Eighth Ave to Thrower Drive (Palm Beach): 60 km/h
- Thrower Drive to Toolona St (Tugun): 70 km/h
- Toolona St to Pacific Hwy: 80 km/h
Projects and improvements
1. Labrador: Between Government Road and North Street, along a section mostly called Frank Street. The Highway was upgraded from a single carriageway to a divided 4 lane highway. A new bridge with a 4 lane crossing has been completed across Loders Creek in 2007. The road upgrade resulted in a thoroughfare similar to that in Surfers Paradise, with a narrow median and narrow road reserve due to limited space and to minimise property resumptions. One of the two lanes in each direction was initially designated a transit lane (buses and vehicles with 2 or more occupants), but this designation was removed in 2013.[2]
Bridge over Tallebudgera Creek
2. Broadbeach to Miami: Bus lanes will be added along the route as well as changes to bus stops, u-turns, traffic lights, signs, lighting and the median strip. The first phase (Alexandra Avenue to Hilda Street) was finished in mid September 2008. The second phase (Hilda Street to Chairlift Avenue) was largely completed in July 2009.[3]
3. Tugun: The most notorious bottle-neck was at Tugun, where the Gold Coast Highway joins the Pacific Highway 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north of Coolangatta has been eliminated with the opening of the Tugun Bypass in June 2008. Some minor changes and improvements near Stewart Road in Tugun have coincided with the completion of the bypass to deal with the changed traffic flow.
Public transport
Gold Coast Highway looking south near Birt Ave with Sun City building on the left. Image taken in 2007, before the upgrade. This section of the highway is now 2 lanes each way.
Bus
Bus services throughout the area are operated by Surfside Buslines. Route 700 operates along the highway between Broadbeach South and Tweed Heads. On Sunday to Thursday nights it continues north of Broadbeach South to the Gold Coast University Hospital. It is the only 24-hour bus route in Australia. It is complemented by limited stops route 777 from Broadbeach South to Gold Coast Airport.[4][5]
Bus Lanes are in place along some sections of the highway, particularly Broadbeach to Mermaid Beach and Miami.
Light Rail
The G:link light rail line opened in July 2014 between Gold Coast University Hospital and Broadbeach South. It has its own reservation to the west of the Gold Coast Highway from Southport to Surfers Paradise, from where it diverges onto Surfers Paradise Boulevard. It then rejoins the Gold Coast Highway at the south end of Surfers Paradise proceeding via a reservation in the median strip to Broadbeach North before crossing again to the western side to terminate at Broadbeach South. It is to be extended to Helensvale by 2018.[6]
Railway
Helensvale railway station is located near the northern end of the highway. It is on the Gold Coast railway line with services operating frequently along the electrified line between Brisbane and Varsity Lakes.
Air
Gold Coast Airport is located at the southern end of the highway. It has frequent flights to Sydney and Melbourne as well as international services to New Zealand, Japan and South-East Asia.
Major intersections
The road is in the Gold Coast local government area, with the exception of the last 1 km, which is in the New South Wales LGA of Tweed Shire.
| Location | km | mi | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Pines | 0 | 0.0 | Binstead Way - west (via roundabout) - Maudsland / Pacific Pines Boulevard - south (from roundabout) - Pacific Pines / Universal Street - north-west (from roundabout)- Oxenford | North-western end of Gold Coast Highway (State Route 2) The highway commences about 100m east of the intersection (roundabout) | |
| Oxenford, Gaven, Helensvale border | 0.2– 1.0 | 0.12– 0.62 |  Pacific Motorway (State Route M1) - north-west - Coomera / south - Nerang Entertainment Road - north-west - Oxenford Heslop Road - south - Gaven | This intersection provides access to Westfield Helensvale shopping centre from Pacific Motorway (southbound) and Gold Coast Highway (westbound) | |
| Helensvale | 1.4 | 0.87 | Discovery Drive - north - Helensvale / Town Centre Drive - south - Westfield Helensvale and Helensvale railway station | ||
Arundel, Biggera Waters, Labrador border | 7.1 | 4.4 |  Olsen Avenue (State Route 4) - south - Ashmore / Oxley Drive (State Route 4) - north - Runaway Bay | Parts of the road west and east of this intersection are alternatively named Brisbane Road | |
| Southport | 11.4 | 7.1 |  North Street (State Route 10) - south-west - Pacific Motorway (via Smith Street Motorway) | Parts of the road north of this intersection are alternatively named Frank Street. Parts of the road south of this intersection are alternatively named Marine Parade. | |
| 13.0 | 8.1 |  Ada Bell Way (to Queen Street) (State Route 20) - west - Ashmore | Parts of the road south of this intersection are alternatively named Ferny Avenue and Remembrance Drive | ||
| Nerang River | 13.4– 13.7 | 8.3– 8.5 | Sundale Bridge | ||
| Broadbeach | 20.2 | 12.6 |  Hooker Boulevard (Nerang-Broadbeach Road) (State Route 90) - west - Carrara | ||
| Burleigh Heads | 26.6– 27.7 | 16.5– 17.2 |  West Burleigh Road (State Route 80) - south-west - Reedy Creek | Parts of the road south of this intersection are alternatively named Tweed Street | |
| Tallebudgera Creek | 28.2– 28.3 | 17.5– 17.6 | Bridge - no known name | ||
| Currumbin Creek | 32.7– 32.8 | 20.3– 20.4 | Estuary Bridge | ||
| Currumbin | 32.9 | 20.4 |  Duringan Street (State Route 98) - south-west - Currumbin Waters | ||
| Tugun | 34.4– 34.5 | 21.4– 21.4 | Tugun Currumbin Road - west - Currumbin Waters | Southern end of State Route 2. Gold Coast Highway continues south with no route number. | |
Bilinga, Coolangatta, Tweed Heads, New South Wales border | 38.8 | 24.1 | Queensland - New South Wales border | Road crosses into New South Wales to intersect with the Pacific Motorway | |
| Tweed Heads, New South Wales | 39.8 | 24.7 | Pacific Motorway (State Route M1) - north-west - Tugun / south - Tweed Heads South, New South Wales Sugarwood Drive - south - Tweed Heads West, New South Wales | Southern end of Gold Coast Highway. | |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
- Highways in Australia
- List of highways in Queensland
References
Route map:
KML file (edit • help) |
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gold Coast Highway. |
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^ "Gold Coast Highway - Government Road to North Street". Road Projects. Queensland Government Department of Main Roads. 29 October 2007. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
^ "Gold Coast Highway upgrade and bus lanes - Broadbeach to Miami". Road Projects. Queensland Government Department of Main Roads. 29 October 2007. Archived from the original on 27 July 2008. Retrieved 2007-12-17.
^ Route 700 timetable TransLink 21 July 2014
^ Route 777 timetable TransLink 21 July 2014
^ Stephens, Kim (11 October 2015). "Gold Coast light rail: PM arrives by train with $95m promise on board". Brisbane Times.
External links
- South Coast Region traffic cameras
 Road infrastructure in the Gold Coast | ||
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| Motorways: |
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| Highways: |
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| Major roads: |
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Transport on the Gold Coast | ||
