RACQ Report Reveals Centenary Motorway Slower than School Zone Speeds During Peak Hours

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Photo credit: CC-BY-SA-4.0/Kgbo/Wikimedia Commons

The Centenary Motorway is living up to its name and taking drives back a century with average weekday peak hour speeds slower than suburban school zones.


Read: Olympic-Size Congestion: Call For Urgent Upgrade on Centenary Highway


The latest traffic data from  Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) shows the major Brisbane motorway corridor is a slow grind, with average speeds of just 37.4 km/h between Ipswich Motorway and Fig Tree Pocket Road during the 6-10 a.m. peak period.

RACQ’s 2023 Average Speed and Travel Time Report revealed the Centenary Motorway is one of the city’s most congested routes. The Pacific Motorway between North Quay and O’Keefe Street was Brisbane’s slowest at just 28.6km/h in the 3-7 p.m. afternoon peak period.

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Photo credit: Google Street View

The organisation’s Head of Public Policy, Dr Michael Kane, acknowledged the ongoing Centenary Bridge upgrade work but emphasised that more comprehensive solutions are required to mitigate the escalating traffic challenges. This includes considering connections to proposed bypass tunnels to allow motorists to skirt around Brisbane.

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“We know the Queensland Government is working on a draft Master Plan for the Centenary Motorway and we need this to be holistic and well thought out,” Dr Kane said.

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“Any long-term planning for the Centenary Motorway corridor must consider a connecting ‘Western Bypass’ corridor linking through to the proposed Gympie Road Bypass Tunnel.

Proposed Gympie Road Bypass Tunnel (Photo credit: northbrisbaneinfrastructure.com.au)

“By fixing, finishing and extending our outer ring of motorways we will take traffic off our local roads and corridors by allowing them to bypass Brisbane altogether.

According to Dr Kane, any comprehensive strategy must heavily incorporate public transit solutions, such as segregated bus lanes, allowing for the possibility of extending the Brisbane Metro network’s reach.

The RACQ report did have a silver lining – upgraded sections of the Pacific Motorway saw dramatic speed improvements, giving a glimpse of how Brisbane traffic could flow if solutions are implemented.


Read: Congested Section Of Centenary Motorway To Receive Much-needed Upgrades


RACQ is eager to collaborate closely with local, state, and federal government entities as they persist in championing the interests of drivers across Queensland.

Published 27-March-2024