Increased Safety and Capacity on the Gold Coast

With a fast-growing population, the $3.02 billion Coomera Connector Stage 1 project will increase safety and capacity by providing a new travel route for local traffic between Gold Coast communities, relieving pressure on the nearby Pacific Motorway (M1).

HDR and BG&E formed a design joint venture to provide engineering design services for the Stage 1 South section of the project. Our team delivered value engineering, preliminary and detailed design phase services (including traffic analysis, hydraulic analysis, road design, pavement design and structural design), facilitation of a construction contractor Early Tenderer Involvement (ETI) process, development of an Early Works package and more.

New Motorway, Including New Bridges

The Stage 1 South section of the Coomera Connector project will be constructed from Smith Street Motorway in Molendinar to Nerang-Broadbeach Road in Nerang, which is about four kilometres in total. The section requires three new bridges, including a large bridge crossing the Nerang River.

The new road will be constructed in a predominantly greenfield corridor as a four-lane road, with key interchanges, bridges, and other components designed to accommodate future upgrades. A shared-use path has also been designed along the entire length of the new road supporting active transport. 

Key challenges include soft soils in the floodplain, very hard rock in a 20-metre cutting, hydraulic sensitivities at Nerang River, and working within a corridor constrained by nearby rail lines, waterways, protected environmental areas, and private properties. As one portion of a larger project, our team also had to work closely with the team designing the Stage 1 Central section to ensure a coordinated interface.

Design of the main works package has been completed and the contract for the main construction was awarded in late March 2025.