The Coomera Connector is a planned road transport network expansion over a 45-kilometre corridor between Loganholme and Nerang. The project will provide a new road link to the east of the M1 corridor, with new crossings of the Logan, Albert, Coomera and Nerang Rivers.
Delivery of the project is being planned in stages. Stage One involves the construction of a 16-kilometre of stretch of road, up to six lanes wide, east of the M1 between Coomera and Nerang.
Stage One of the project will also be divided into four stages:
- Stage One Early Works: including resumptions, investigations, environmental initiatives, PUP relocation works
- Stage One North: Shipper Drive to Helensvale Road
- Stage One Central: Helensvale Road to Smith Street Motorway, and
- Stage One South: Smith Street Motorway to Nerang Broadbeach Road.
Scope of Stage One work will include:
- high speed arterial road to complement the M1 and surrounding road network
- grade separated interchanges at Helensvale Road, Gold Coast Highway, Smith Street and Southport Nerang Road
- shared path to improve active transport
- noise barriers and landscaping will be an integral part of the design
- wildlife sensitive design and construction, and
- a highly constrained corridor.
Details of the remaining stages, nominally between Loganholme and Coomera, are yet to be announced.
Key Dates
| Sep 2020 | Project Announcement |
| Dec 2020 | RFP Open |
| 2023 | Construction Commencement: Stage One - North |
| Dec 2025 | Expected Construction Completion |
Funding contributions
| Federal Government | |
| Queensland Government |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads |
PROJECT HISTORY
| 2018 | The Coomera Connector was selected as the preferred option as part of the preliminary evaluation phase. |
| Nov 2019 | The Queensland Government commenced consultation on the project. |
| Jul 2020 | Infrastructure Australia positively assessed the preliminary evaluation of the entire project from Nerang to Loganholme. |
| Sep 2020 | Further community consultation regarding key project negotiables was carried out. |
| Sep 2020 | The Queensland Government made its major funding commitment. |
| Oct 2020 | The Federal Government made its major funding commitment. |
| Dec 2020 | An industry briefing session was held. |
| Mar 2021 | Stage One Urban Design impressions were released. |
| Mar 2022 | The 2022-23 Federal Budget allocated $11 million towards business cases for the future stages of the Coomera Connector. |
| Jun 2022 | The 2022-23 Queensland Budget confirmed the estimated total cost for the Coomera Connector Stage One - Coomera to Nerang has increased from $1.5 billion to $2.2 billion. According to QTRIP, the Queensland Government has profiled $1.7 billion in funding over the next four years for the project, with the remaining $480 million allocated outside the forward estimates. This includes $265 million in FY2022-23. |
| Mar 2023 | Main works commenced on Stage One - North, with the Queensland Government announcing that the three Coomera Connector stages are expected to progressively be completed from 2025. The main works contract for Stage One - North is valued at $425 million. |
| Mar 2024 | The Queensland Government has committed an additional $432 million in funding for the delivery of Coomera Connector Stage One. Stage One comprises the construction of 16 kilometres of road from Coomera to Nerang and additional bridge crossings at Coomera and Nerang Rivers. Stage One North is expected to open progressively from late 2025. |
| May 2024 | The 2024-25 Federal Budget allocated an additional $432 million over an 11-year period from FY2023-24 as part of the Infrastructure Investment Program. |
| Jun 2024 | The 2024-25 Queensland Budget confirmed the project's estimated cost had increased to $3 billion. It also allocated $650 million in FY2024-25 to deliver the project. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2024)
Sector
Road
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
Queensland |
National |
Resources
