A congestion-busting bridge has finally opened to the public in one of the Gold Coast’s busiest suburbs. Now the countdown is on for another major transport project.

The Gold Coast’s “bridge to nowhere” has finally opened to the public for the first time since its construction 25 years ago.

The 25 metre long, two-lane Pimpama bridge officially opened yesterday, linking the Gainsborough Greens Estate to the M1 and the Pimpama City Shopping Centre.

It comes after a long campaign by the Bulletin and developer Norm Rix to see the unused bridge alleviate traffic in the city’s fastest growing suburb.

As well as repairs, the $2 million project – started in late 2019 – involved new road approaches, barrier and guard rail upgrades, and road resurfacing.

Deputy Mayor Donna Gates said the bridge had been a “crucial part” of ensuring connectivity in Pimpama.

“It’s been a long battle over many years, with conditions of approval applied and then a strenuous legal defence by council to make sure we could ensure (it).

“It will take the traffic that has formerly gone down to Exit 49 and then head east. There’s an immediate connection now.”

The bridge was constructed more than 25 years ago by Queensland Rail after the State Government’s railway line blocked access to a farmer’s property.

In early 2019 development veteran Mr Rix approached the Bulletin about the bridge as a solution to Pimpama’s major congestion issues.

Approached about its opening yesterday, he said it was just the first part of the battle to relieve the issue.

“This is four to five years’ work trying to get the whole thing together,” he said.

“(Since the bridge was built) Pimpama has grown tremendously, the road system here is congested nearly all the time.

“This is going to relieve a lot of that traffic that has previously been a major problem.

“We’ve got another fight on our hands now, which is a railway station on my property.

“Now that they’ve earmarked the railway station to come on the same site that the bridge services, we need 500 (station) carparks to service this population.

“If they can get that railway station in two years, with 500 carparks, now that bridge is open just imagine how many people we can get off the road.”

A new Pimpama railway station is slated to be completed in 2024.

Source: goldcoastbulletin.com.au