Road Photos & Information: Queensland: Pacific Motorway, Coronation Drive, Hale Street, Inner City Bypass, Bowen Bridge Road,Lutwyche Road, Gympie Road and Gympie Arterial Road (M3 / A3) -Greenslopes to Brisbane

Statistics:

Length: 38 km (Greenslopes to Brisbane: 7 km)
Northern Terminus: Bruce Highway / Gateway Motorway (M1) at Bald Hills.
Southern Terminus: Pacific Motorway (M1) / Gateway Motorway (M2) at Eight Mile Plains.
Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Greenslopes, Annerley, Woolloongabba, Kangaroo Point, South Brisbane and Brisbane (CBD).

Route Numbering:

Current:
Former:

Road Authority Classification: U12A (South East Arterial Route) 1

General Information:

The Pacific Motorway once had 2 names, the bridges and interchanges in the Brisbane CBD was called the Riverside Expressway and the freeway south of the CBD was known as the South East Freeway. The South East Freeway and Riverside Expressway were two of the early projects to be completed from the Wilbur Smith "Brisbane Transportation Study", which was published in 1965 and made recommendations covering sixteen years to 1981. 2

The Captain Cook Bridge is the third crossing of the Brisbane River. It crosses at the South Brisbane Reach of the river, and links Gardens Point to Woolloongabba. It carries four lanes of traffic in either direction.

History:

1965: American consultant Wilbur Smith, recommended an extensive freeway system for Brisbane (as part of the Brisbane Transportation Study), with the first section of the South East Freeway opening in 1970s. 3
1966: The Coordinator-General’s Department commenced the design of the Riverside Expressway and the Captain Cook Bridge. 4
20 August 1969: The construction contract for the Riverside Expressway was let to Messrs. McDougall-Ireland Pty Ltd. 4
November 1972 5: The Captain Cook Bridge and the first stage of the Southeast Freeway were opened to traffic. 6
1975: Work on the Southeast Freeway (now Pacific Motorway) to extend it to Holland Park. 7
22 July 1976: Riverside Expressway opened to traffic. 8
1976: First sections of the South East Freeway completed. 9
1977: The South East Freeway reached Marshall Road. 2
1980: The South East Freeway reached Klumpp Rd & Mains Road. 2
1982: The South East Freeway reached Logan Road. 2
1985: The South East Freeway reached the Pacific Highway at Springwood. 2
March 1996: The Queensland Government announced its intention to widen the South East Freeway to eight lanes between the Brisbane central business district and the Gold Coast. In the Brisbane City and Logan City areas, the Transport Planning (south-east Queensland) Branch of Queensland Transport proposed that the additional lanes should be provided as busway lanes and transit lanes. 10
13 September 2000: The first section of busway between the CBD and Woolloongabba was opened to services, which coincided with the first match in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Football Tournament at Woolloongabba. 10
30 April 2001: The second section of busway between Woolloongabba and Eight Mile Plains opened. 10
2009: Metroad 3 decommissioned, route renumbered M3 for motorway standard / limited access sections and A3 for suburban arterial road sections. 11

Greenslopes to Brisbane		Brisbane to Greenslopes
Preview:	Description:	Preview:	Description:
	Advance Directional Signs: AD signs over the lanes of the Captain Cook Bridge, over the Brisbane River, Brisbane CBD, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on Musgrave Rd (SR31), Brisbane approaching Hale St (M3), June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Captain Cook Bridge: Night view of the Captain Cook Bridge from the Brisbane River, looking northeast, July 2004. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD signs on the Caxton St bridge in Brisbane, approaching Milton Rd (SR32), June 2009. The sign alterations are a result of the Clem 7 tunnel roadworks. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on the Pacific Motorway (formerly Riverside Expressway) for the Margaret Street interchange, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: AD signs on the Milton Rd (SR32) bridge in Brisbane, approaching Coronation Dr (SR33 / M3), June 2009. The sign alterations are a result of the Clem 7 tunnel roadworks. Image © Rob Tilley
	Pacific Motorway Northbound: Looking northbound along the Pacific Mwy (formerly Riverside Expwy) in Brisbane, from the Victoria Bridge (which carries Melbourne St), March 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign on Coronation Dr (M3) approaching Eagle Tce in Brisbane, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Margaret Street Exit: M3 at the Margaret St interchange, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Intersection Directional Signs: Signs near Makerston Street, over the lanes for North Quay and Pacific Motorway (former Riverside Expressway) in Brisbane, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Elizabeth St interchange, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		North Quay and Pacific Motorway Access: Southbound through the Brisbane CBD near Tank Street, with North Quay on the left of the traffic island, and access to the Pacific Motorway on the right hand side, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Elizabeth Street Exit: M3 at the Elizabeth St interchange in Brisbane CBD, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Victoria Bridge: Looking south towards Victoria Bridge (which carries Melbourne St traffic), March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green Advance Directional Sign: Very old AD sign on George Street in Brisbane approaching Ann Street, which has an interchange with the Pacific Motorway (formerly Riverside Expressway), September 2007. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: Older style AD sign for the Elizabeth St off ramp on the Pacific Mwy (former Riverside Expwy), Brisbane, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign over the lanes on Ann Street in Brisbane, May 2009. Image © Darren Hodges		Elizabeth Street Off Ramp: Pacific Mwy as it passes through the interchange with Elizabeth St in the Brisbane CBD, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Freeway Green Prohibition Sign: Very old freeway green sign indicating types of traffic not allowed on the Pacific Mwy, located on the interchange with Ann St in Brisbane, March 2006. Image © Paul Rands		Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Margaret St exit. This sign replaced this one, taken in March 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign approaching the Turbot St interchange in Brisbane, February 2009. The empty blue panel used to show the direction to the airport, this was removed as quicker access can be gained using the Gateway Mwy (M1). Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: Pacific Mwy southbound over the Captain Cook Bridge, over the Brisbane River and AD sign for Vulture St / Stanley St (SR41) interchange, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Turbot Street Exit: Turbot St interchange in Brisbane, February 2009. The empty blue panel used to show the direction to the airport, this was removed as quicker access can be gained using the Gateway Mwy (M1). Image © Rob Tilley		Captain Cook Bridge: Name plate on the Captain Cook Bridge over the Brisbane River, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign for the Herschel Street exit in Brisbane, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Supplemental AD sign: Supplemental advance directional sign approaching the Vulture St / Stanley St interchange (SR41), at Kangaroo Point, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Herschel Street Exit: Pacific Mwy as it passes through the Herschel St interchange in Brisbane CBD, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Vulture St / Stanley St Interchange: ID sign over the lanes of the Pacific Mwy in Kangaroo Point at the Vulture St & Stanley St (SR41) interchange, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Freeway Green End of Motorway Sign: Older freeway green coloured End of Motorway sign, near the Herschel St exit in Brisbane, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Vulture Street and Stanley Street Interchange: Pacific Mwy, southbound at Kangaroo Point, through the Vulture St & Stanley St (SR41) interchange, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Old End of Expressway Sign: Possibly an original End of Expressway sign from the 1970s at the northern end of the Pacific Mwy (former Riverside Expwy) in Brisbane, February 2009. M3 continues as Coronation Drive at this point. Image © Rob Tilley		Freeway Green RD Sign: Freeway green distance sign at Woolloongabba, near Hawthorne St overpass, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Advance Directional Sign: AD signs on the William Jolly Bridge on Coronation Dr (M3) in Brisbane, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Advance Directional Sign: Southbound AD sign at Woolloongabba approaching Cornwall and Juliette Streets, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
	Coronation Drive / Hale Street Split: Intersection directional assembly over the lanes of Coronation Dr as it becomes SR33. M3 veers right, onto Hale St. Brisbane, February 2009. Image © Rob Tilley		Supplemental Advance Directional Sign: Southbound supplemental AD sign at Woolloongabba approaching Cornwall and Juliette Streets, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
			Intersection Directional Sign: Southbound ID sign at Woolloongabba at the Cornwall and Juliette Streets interchange, June 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
			Advance Directional Sign : AD sign on the Cornwall St and Juliette St interchange approaching Marquis St at Woolloongabba, August 2009. Note the SR15 shield, SR15 should be coverplated with A7. Image © Rob Tilley
			Cornwall Street & Marquis Street: Intersection directional sign at the interchange with Cornwall St and Marquis St in Woolloongabba, August 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
			Advance Directional Sign : AD sign at Greenslopes on Marquis St approaching Juliette St, August 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
			Juliette Street: Looking south at the Juliette St interchange at Greenslopes, August 2009. Image © Rob Tilley
Click here for the continuation of M3 / A3 between Brisbane and Aspley Click here for the continuation of M3 between Greenslopes and Eight Mile Plains

1 State Road Network of Queensland Map, 30 June 2008
2 Queensland Roads, March 2009
3 The 200 km City Web Site
4 Queensland Roads, Edition No. 4, Sept 07
5 Redcliffe City Library
6 Queensland State Archives, 1972 Cabinet Minutes
7 Queensland State Archives, 1975 Cabinet Minutes Historian's Report
8 Queensland State Archives, 1976 Cabinet Minutes
9 Brisbane City Council Annual Report 06-07
10 Busway Website History Web Page
11 Michael Greenslade

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