Statistics:

• Length: 20 km
• Northern Terminus: Coronation Drive (A3), Brisbane
• Southern Terminus: (At time of decommissioning) Pacific Highway (NR1), Springwood
• Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along The Route: Springwood, Underwood, Rochedale South, Rochedale, Eight Mile Plains, Macgregor, Upper Mount Gravatt, Mount Gravatt, Nathan, Holland Park West, Tarragindi, Greenslopes, Woolloongabba, South Brisbane and Brisbane (CBD)

Route Numbering:

• Current:  
• Former: 
• Road Authority Classification: U12A (South East Arterial Route) 1

General Information:

The Pacific Motorway once had 2 names, the bridges and interchanges in the Brisbane CBD was called the Riverside Expressway and the freeway south of the CBD was known as the South East Freeway. The South East Freeway and Riverside Expressway were two of the early projects to be completed from the Wilbur Smith "Brisbane Transportation Study", which was published in 1965 and made recommendations covering sixteen years to 1981. 2

The Captain Cook Bridge is the third crossing of the Brisbane River. It crosses at the South Brisbane Reach of the river, and links Gardens Point to Woolloongabba. It carries four lanes of traffic in either direction.

History:

• 1965: American consultant Wilbur Smith, recommended an extensive freeway system for Brisbane (as part of the Brisbane Transportation Study), with the first section of the South East Freeway opening in 1970s. 3
• 1966: The Coordinator-General’s Department commenced the design of the Riverside Expressway and the Captain Cook Bridge. 4
• 20 August 1969: The construction contract for the Riverside Expressway was let to Messrs. McDougall-Ireland Pty Ltd. 4
• November 1972 5: The Captain Cook Bridge and the first stage of the Southeast Freeway were opened to traffic. 6
• 1975: Work on the Southeast Freeway (now Pacific Motorway) to extend it to Holland Park. 7
• 22 July 1976: Riverside Expressway opened to traffic. 8
• 1976: First sections of the South East Freeway completed. 9
• 1977: The South East Freeway reached Marshall Road. 2
• 1980: The South East Freeway reached Klumpp Rd & Mains Road. 2
• 1982: The South East Freeway reached Logan Road. 2
• 1985: The South East Freeway reached the Pacific Highway at Springwood. 2
• March 1996: The Queensland Government announced its intention to widen the South East Freeway to eight lanes between the Brisbane central business district and the Gold Coast. In the Brisbane City and Logan City areas, the Transport Planning (south-east Queensland) Branch of Queensland Transport proposed that the additional lanes should be provided as busway lanes and transit lanes. 10
• 13 September 2000: The first section of busway between the CBD and Woolloongabba was opened to services, which coincided with the first match in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Football Tournament at Woolloongabba. 10
• 30 April 2001: The second section of busway between Woolloongabba and Eight Mile Plains opened. 10
• 2009: Metroad 3 decommissioned, route renumbered M3 for motorway standard / limited access sections and A3 for suburban arterial road sections. 11

Below are images of old signs that either show or once showed the F3 shield. Many of these have been updated with the M3 designation since these images were taken. Thanks to Michael Greenslade for helping in locating these old signs.

Preview:	Description:
	Advance Directional Sign: Freeway green AD sign with F3 shield on Messines Ridge Road, approaching the on-ramp to Pacific Mwy (former South East Fwy) at Holland Park West, March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Freeway green AD sign with F3 shield on Messines Ridge Road, approaching Gaza Road at Holland Park West, March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: Freeway green ID sign facing Gaza Road at the intersection with the off ramp from Pacific Mwy and Bapaume Rd in Holland Park West, March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign with F3 shield under a Metroad 3 coverplate, facing Sterculia Av, Tarragindi, March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign designed by Brisbane City Council as a replacement for an older sign, on Ekibin Rd East at Annerly approaching Lewisham St. Note the F3 shield, this is in error, as the F3 route number was decommisioned long before this sign was made. March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign designed by Brisbane City Council as a replacement for an older sign, northbound on Earl Street at Greenslopes approaching Ridge Street. Note the F3 shield, this is in error, as the F3 route number was decommisioned long before this sign was made. March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: AD sign designed by Brisbane City Council as a replacement for an older sign, westbound on Ridge St at Greenslopes approaching Earl St. Note the F3 shield, this is in error, as the F3 route number was decommisioned long before this sign was made. March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Advance Directional Sign: Freeway Green AD sign on Marshall Rd (SR11) at Tarragindi, approaching the intersection with Toohey Rd. The sign has a Metroad 3 coverplate over an old F3 shield, which you can see peeking out under the coverplate. March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Marshall Road / Bapaume Road / Birdwood Road Intersection: Looking northeast on Marshall Rd (SR10/11) approaching the interchange with the Pacific Mwy and the intersections of Marshall Rd, Bapaume Rd & Birdwood Rd (SR10) at Tarragindi. Freeway green ID sign with F3 shield under a Metroad 3 coverplate, next to the bridge in the distance, and original 1970s style mast arm traffic signals in the foreground. March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green ID sign: Freeway green intersection directional sign at the junction with Pacific Mwy (former South East Fwy), Bapaume Rd, Marshall Rd (SR10/11) and Birdwood Rd (SR10) at Tarragindi. The sign has a Metroad 3 shield over an old F3 shield. March 2006. Image © Paul Rands
	Freeway Green and Black Intersection Directional Sign: ID sign on Logan Rd (SR95 and former NR1) at the interchange with Pacific Mwy (former South East Fwy) at Eight Mile Plains. The Metroad 3 coverplate is hiding an F3 shield, and the blank plate beside it is covering an NR1 shield. This sign is still in use (despite now being non-standard) and has since been updated with an M3 coverplate. January 2005. Image © Michael Greenslade
	Advance Directional Sign: Freeway green AD sign with F3 shield on Holmead Rd approaching Logan Rd (SR95) at Eight Mile Plains. March 2006. Image © Paul Rands

1 State Road Network of Queensland Map, 30 June 2008
2 Queensland Roads, March 2009
3 The 200 km City Web Site
4 Queensland Roads, Edition No. 4, Sept 07
5 Redcliffe City Library
6 Queensland State Archives, 1972 Cabinet Minutes
7 Queensland State Archives, 1975 Cabinet Minutes Historian's Report
8 Queensland State Archives, 1976 Cabinet Minutes
9 Brisbane City Council Annual Report 06-07
10 Busway Website History Web Page
11 Michael Greenslade