One of its most recognisable public artworks on the Gold Coast may soon be reduced to rubble, to make way for upgrades to the motorway.

The mural, painted along the Palm Beach and Elanora stretch of the M1, features of the faces of 178 children.

Phoebe Jeffery is featured next to her portrait on the soundwall. ( Supplied: Phoebe Jeffery )

Gold Coasters got their first glimpse at the next major M1 upgrade between Varsity Lakes and Tugun earlier this week.

Regional director for the South Coast Region from the Department of Transport and Main Roads Paul Noonan said Faces of the Gold Coast mural had been a part of his daily commute for many years and he recognised their community significance, but the reality was the "motorway has to be widened".

"Let's not forget it's actually a sound barrier that was used for these murals in order to provide sound protection, noise protection for the residents that live on the eastern side of the Palm Beach area," he said.

"We need to make sure that we can relocate and rebuild a new sound barrier in a location that will serve that need.

"The sound barrier itself with the murals on it — it's not in good condition, it is nearly 30 years old.

"The harsh reality is all of the faces that are painted onto horizontal panels — unfortunately removing those and trying to preserve them would provide incredible challenges and damage on the way, regardless of how careful we were."

The children featured on the wall gathered there with their families in 1998 to have their images painted. ( Supplied: Emma-Leigh Richards )

Judith de Boer's son, Christopher, is featured on the wall and passed away almost 20 years before he was featured there.

While the mural is not memorial wall, she said she was grateful for it.

"The mural has given us such joy over the 20 years, to see our son," she said.

"No-one knows which one is Christopher in there. He looks like just like one of the other 177 children in there, and you can't tell which ones are living and which ones have died, and the joy of that has been enormous for us.

"Every time I went past I was thrilled to bits to see it there and kept thinking, this is amazing that it's been there for 20 years, all those gorgeous little kids, most whom have grown up and got on with their lives and would have children of their own.

"The handful of us whose children died, we're just so lucky that our children were just part of that beautiful pantheon of children."

'We've been so lucky'

Judith de Boer's son, who died, is featured on the mural at Palm Beach. ( ABC Brisbane: Jessica Hinchliffe )

Upon hearing the news that the mural will be removed, Ms de Boer said she understood why.

"We've been so lucky to have had it for 20 years, and we're very grateful," she said.

"But right now, I think it's important for the M1 to be safe and functional, I truly believe that."

Ms de Boer said if possible she would like to see some of the walls feature somewhere like a park.

The community arts organisation behind the wall was Phantast, and its director June Hintz also had mixed feelings about the news.

"I'm very grateful that's it sat there for so long untouched," she said.

"It will be very sad to see it go,"

Ms Hintz said she would like to see a tribute to the wall somewhere close by.

A local photojournalist has been working with the children on the wall to document their stories for a coffee table book to be published later this year.

'To serve the greater good'

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The wall won't come down just yet. Mr Noonan said there was about four months worth of work to do on finalising the actual design for the new barrier.

He said he had been in discussions with local councillor Daphne McDonald, "looking at whether or not there are possibilities for the placement of some panels in the community council facilities".

"I've got to say, to serve the greater good — which is the widening of the motorway — the noise barrier where those murals are does have to be relocated."

Mr Noonan said people needed to be realistic about the wall and that it could not "perform the function that it's performed the last 30 years".

"I think people would understand that, and certainly the overwhelming opinion we've had is, just get on and build the upgrade to the M1, which is what we are doing," he said.

"And unfortunately there are going to be issues that arise in road corridor we have to deal with on a case by case basis."