The future of the Gold Coast Light Rail is officially set in stone as Gold Coasters will now see rail installed in the centre of the Gold Coast Highway in Miami, as part of the Stage 3 Gold Coast Light Rail works.
The section south of Nobby Beach will be installed first, closely followed by another section in Mermaid Beach. In total, 28 kilometres of rail will be installed along the Stage 3 route, with 14 kilometres expected to be in place by the end of 2024.
The rail works will move significantly quicker than the utility upgrades below the ground, which had been occurring along the alignment since late 2022.
Acting Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Murray Watt said The first piece of rail installed in the centre of the Gold Coast Highway for the Light Rail Stage 3 project is an exciting milestone.
“This project is a prime example of the Albanese Government’s commitment to delivering nation-shaping infrastructure, which will open up affordable public transport for Gold Coasters, while cutting congestion,” he said.
Rail works will require changes on the Gold Coast Highway and nearby side streets from Broadbeach to Miami, along the Stage 3 corridor. Motorists travelling in the area are reminded to drive to the conditions and continue to follow directions.
Utilities relocations will continue for the rest of this year in various sections on the Stage 3 alignment.
Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads and Minister for Digital Services Bart Mellish said he future of transport and connectivity on the Gold Coast has hit another milestone with the first section of track in the light rail extension officially set in stone.
“This public transport link over its lifespan will potentially serve hundreds of millions of people from the Gold Coast and across the world.
“The track is in the ground, we have five brand new trams added to the existing fleet, and we’re going to see plenty more work above and under the ground taking shape from now into next year.
“We know there may be short term challenges during construction, but we know the project is continually hitting milestones that point to a bright future.
“Not only that, but construction of Stage 3 is providing 760 locals with jobs, with more than 90 per cent of those being local and 90 per cent of procurement from local suppliers.”
GCLR3 includes 6.7 kilometres of new dual-track light rail running from Broadbeach south station to Burleigh Heads, eight new light rail stations and five light rail vehicles.
GoldlinQ Chairman John Witheriff said a significant amount of the rail works including concrete pours will be undertaken during the day. As summer approaches, there will be a requirement for night works due to the curing time for the concrete.
“We have been pleased to see how drivers have navigated the road changes so far. The traffic changes are unavoidable during construction, but overall driver behaviour has been excellent.”
