WITH Gold Coast commuters regularly stuck in gridlock, a solution to the M1 carpark was always going to be a hot Queensland election issue.

The LNP has put its cards on the table early, with Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls revealing a $500million blueprint of his solution to the peak-hour chaos to “get Gold Coasters home safer and sooner”.

The four-lane arterial will connect Stapylton-Jacobs Creek Rd and Nerang-Broadbeach Rd (see diagrams below).

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER THIS ADVERTISEMENT

WANT TO SEE YOUR BUSINESS ADVERTISED HERE?

The LNP will bring $250m to the table, with the Federal Coalition to match it dollar-for-dollar.

Mr Nicholls said the M1 was regularly crippled by traffic and accidents and an alternative was needed.

“Gold Coasters are sick of sitting in traffic day in, day out. Our plan for a Second M1 will get people home from work sooner,” Mr Nicholls said.

But, Labor has immediately seized on the plan, calling it a “Road to Nowhere”.

“(Tim Nicholls is) building a fifth of a road. If I was an M1 motorist I would look at that and just shake my head,” Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey told myGC.

“If you’re building a new highway it costs a lot of money, $500 million is just scratching the surface”,” Mr Bailey added.

When asked how Labor planned to tackle the major issue, as it looks to win just one Gold Coast seat at the November 25 poll, Mr Bailey deflected blame back on the Opposition.

“There is a second corridor under planning, which was stopped by the Newman/Nicholls Government, we’ve recommenced that, we’ve gazetted some new sections for that road. So that planning is ongoing.

“To build a second M1 would cost nearly $2.4billion dollars: it’s 36 kilometres long,” he explained.