Length:

38 km (Eight Mile Plains to Brisbane: 17 km)

Termini:

Northern: Gateway Mwy (Metroad 1) and Bruce Hwy (NH1), Bald Hills

Southern: Pacific Mwy (Metroad 1) and Gateway Mwy (Metroad 1 and Metroad 2), Eight Mile Plains

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Eight Mile Plains, Macgregor, Upper Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt, Nathan, Holland Park West, Tarragindi, Greenslopes, Woolloongabba, South Brisbane and Brisbane

Current: M3

Former: 3 1 F-3

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

U12A (Pacific Motorway (South East Arterial Route))

General Information:

Metroad 3 took in the Brisbane's inner south and also skirted the CBD via what was once called the Riverside Expressway, then continued into the northern suburbs via Coronation Drive, Hale Street and the Inner City Bypass before connecting with Bowen Bridge Road, Lutwyche Road, Gympie Road and finally the Gympie Arterial Road for the connection to the Bruce Highway at the Gateway Motorway (Metroad 1) interchange.

The route features the Captain Cook Bridge. It 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.

The Pacific Motorway section of the route had 2 names, the bridges and interchanges in the Brisbane CBD were collectively 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

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: The Captain Cook Bridge and the first stage of the Southeast Freeway were opened to traffic. ^{5 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

18 November 2001: Stage 1 of Inner City Bypass (Hale Street to Campbell Street) opened by Lord Mayor Jim Soorley. ¹²

2009: Metroad 3 decommissioned, route renumbered M3 for motorway standard / limited access sections and A3 for suburban arterial road sections. ¹²

Eight Mile Plains to Brisbane

Freeway Green and Black Sign:

Freeway green and black sign on Logan Rd (SR95, former NR1 and ALT-NR1) at Eight Mile Plains at the interchange with Pacific Mwy (then Metroad 3, now M3), March 2005.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Marshall Road / Bapaume Road / Birdwood Road Intersection:

Eastbound on Marshall Rd (SR11) approaching the interchange with the Pacific Mwy (Metroad 3), Marshall Rd (SR10), Birdwood Rd (SR10) & Bapaume Rd (unnumbered) at Tarragindi. Note the freeway green ID sign, which features an F3 shield under a Metroad 3 coverplate, next to the bridge, and original 1970s style mast arm traffic signals in the foreground. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Captain Cook Bridge:

Pacific Mwy (Metroad 3) as it crosses Brisbane River via Captain Cook Bridge at South Brisbane, March 2004. In the past, this bridge was point where South Eastern Fwy ended and was the start of Riverside Expwy.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

Coronation Dr (Metroad 3) at Milton approaching Coronation Dr (SR33) ad Hale St (Metroad 3), October 2004.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the exit to Boomerang St from Hale St (Metroad 3) at Milton, October 2004.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Brisbane to Eight Mile Plains

Hale Street, Southbound:

Hale St as it makes its way southbound through Brisbane after the Musgrave Rd (SR31) interchange, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Signs:

AD signs for Milton Rd (SR32) and Coronation Dr (SR33 / Metroad 3) on the Caxton St overpass as Hale Street passes through Brisbane, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD signs on the Milton Rd (SR32) overpass for Coronation Dr (SR33 / Metroad 3) as Hale Street passes through Brisbane, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Signs:

AD signs on gantry over Coronation Dr in Brisbane, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

William Jolly Bridge:

Metroad 3 changes from Coronation Drive to Pacific Motorway (former Riverside Expressway) under the William Jolly Bridge in brisbane, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Black and Freeway Green Signs:

Signs over the lanes for North Quay and Pacific Motorway (former Riverside Expressway) in Brisbane, March 2006. Click or tap here for a photo of this location by Michael Greenslade from May 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

North Quay and Pacific Motorway Access:

Southbound through the Brisbane CBD, with North Quay on the left of the traffic island, and access to the Pacific Motorway on the right hand side, as you approach Herschel Street. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Freeway Green Intersection Directional Sign:

Freeway green ID sign probably dating back to the opening of the Riverside Expwy in 1976, corner of North Quay and Herscel St, Brisbane, June 2006.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Intersection Directional Signs:

Signs over the lanes for Pacific Motorway and North Quay facing Ann Street traffic in the Brisbane CBD. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Older style AD sign for the Elizabeth St off-ramp on the Pacific Mwy (former Riverside Expwy), Brisbane, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

The ramp to Elizabeth Street with Melbourne Street overpass overhead, with the AD sign for the Margaret St exit in the distance, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Alice Street Interchange:

Pacific Mwy (former Riverside Expwy) as you pass through the Alice Street Interchange in Brisbane, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Signs:

ID signs over the lanes facing Alice St traffic in the Brisbane CBD, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Captain Cook Bridge and 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 in the distance, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Vulture St / Stanley St Interchange:

Freeway green ID sign over the lanes of the Pacific Mwy in Kangaroo Point at the Vulture St & Stanley St (SR41) interchange. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Pacific Motorway:

View of Pacific Mwy (Metroad 3) at Woolloongabba, from Hawthorne St overpass, March 2004.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Freeway Green RD Sign:

Freeway green distance sign at Woolloongabba, near Hawthorne St overpass, March 2004.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Advance Directional Sign:

Southbound AD sign at Woolloongabba approaching Cornwall and Juliette Streets, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Intersection Directional Sign:

ID sign at the corner of Cornwall and Marquis Street in Greenslopes, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

Diagrammatic AD sign on Marquis St approaching Juliette St and Pacific Mwy in Greenslopes, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Distance Sign:

Distance sign after the Cornwall St / Juliette St interchange in Greenslopes, October 2005.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign approaching the Marshall Rd (SR10 and SR11) interchange at Holland Park West, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Marshall Road Interchange:

Southbound through the Marshall Rd (SR10 and SR11) interchange at Holland Park West, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Klumpp Road & Mains Road AD sign:

Advance directional sign approaching the Klumpp Rd and Mains Rd (SR36) interchange at Mt Gravatt, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Klumpp Road & Mains Road Interchange:

Southbound ID sign at the Klumpp Road and Mains Road (SR36) interchange in Mt Gravatt, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Southbound Distance Sign:

RD sign near the Mains Rd / Klumpp Rd interchange in Mt Gravatt, May 2005.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Distance Sign:

RD sign at Upper Mt Gravatt, southbound near the beginning of the transit lane, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Upper Mt Gravatt for Logan Rd (SR95, former NR1), March 2006. Kessells Rd (Metroad 2) overpass behind the sign.

Image © Paul Rands

Logan Road Interchange:

Looking southbound through the Logan Rd (SR95) interchange at Eight Mile Plains, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

Distance Sign:

RD sign, southbound after the Logan Rd (SR95) interchange at Eight Mile Plains, March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

End Metroad 3 500m:

Sign beside the Miles Platting Rd (SR56) overpass at Eight Mile Plains indicating distance to the end of Metroad 3. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands

End Metroad 3:

Sign at the interchange with Gateway Mwy (M1 and former Metroad 4, now M2) and Pacific Mwy (M1) at Eight Mile Plains, indicating the end of Metroad 3. March 2006.

Image © Paul Rands