Length:

2031 km (Eight Mile Plains to Dinmore: 33 km)

Termini:

Eastern: Pacific Motorway (M1 / M3) and Gateway Motorway (M1), Eight Mile Plains

Western: NT-QLD Border, Camooweal

Miscellaneous:

Continues as Barkly Highway (NH66) in Northern Territory

Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:

Eight Mile Plains, Kuraby, Drewvale, Parkinson, Larapinta, Heathwood, Forest Lake, Carole Park, Wacol, Gailes, Goodna, Redbank and Riverview

Current: M2

Former: 15 2 4 6

Road Authority Internal Classification: ¹

210A (Logan Motorway (Gailes to Loganholme))

N332 (Gateway Extension Motorway (Drewvale to Eight Mile Plains))

U16 (Ipswich Motorway (Cunningham Arterial Road))

General Information:

M2 / A2 is the main link from Brisbane to the Northern Territory. It varies from motorway standard in the Brisbane metropolitan area, to dual carriageway rural highway standard between Brisbane and Toowoomba, and rural highway standard beyond Toowoomba. The route is the only sealed link between Flinders Highway and Capricorn Highway apart from Gregory Development Road between Emerald and Charters Towers.

The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborough, an Australian explorer of the 19th century. The Barkly Highway is the only major route connecting Queensland and the Northern Territory.

13 December 1921: Brisbane-Toowoomba Road was declared a Main Road under the Main Roads Act, 1920. ²

December 1988: Stage one completion of the Logan Motorway, initially known as the Goodna-Loganholme Road. It was constructed to link the Cunningham and Pacific Highways via Carol Park, Browns Plains, Loganlea and Loganholme. ³ The route began life as a Super-2 motorway. ⁴

October 1995: Announcement of the duplication of Goodna-Loganholme Road between the Ipswich Motorway and Wembley Road. This was linked with the Gateway Motorway, by the Gateway extension via Kuraby in 1997. ³

December 1996: Thiess Contractors planted 80 000 native trees, shrubs and grasses along the Gateway Motorway Extension from Rochedale to Drewvale. ⁵

1997: The Gateway Motorway extension from Rochedale to Drewvale opened to the public, providing an opportunity for motorists to bypass the City from Ipswich to the Sunshine Coast. ⁵ Also duplication of Logan Motorway to Pacific Motorway begins at the eastern, including interchange works with Pacific Motorway. ⁶

September 2000: Completion of duplication works along Logan Mwy. ⁶

May 2006: Construction begins on the Logan Motorway / Parardise Road interchange at Larapinta. ⁷

6 November 2006: Upgrade works commence on the Mt Lindesay Hwy (NR13) interchange with Logan Mwy. Work includes realignment of the ramp, removal of a right hand curve and the easing of a second left hand curve. ⁸

February 2007: Construction commenced on the Logan Mwy / Ipswich Mwy interchange upgrade. ⁹

March 2007: Official opening of the Paradise Road interchange on the Logan Motorway by Premier Peter Beattie and Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Paul Lucas. ¹⁰

13 October 2008: Work commences at Kuraby on the installation of a tolling gantry in preparation for the transition to free-flow tolling. ¹¹

March 2009: Metroad 2 between Dinmore and Gailes replaced by the M2 route number, Metroad 4 replaced in its entirety by the M2 route number. ¹²

30 June 2009: Work commences on the Ipswich Mwy to increase it from four lanes to six lanes and improve safety on an 8 kilometre section of the motorway between Dinmore and Goodna, and also to increase the route from four lanes to six lanes along a 2.5 kilometre section of the motorway between the Logan Motorway Interchange and Sandy Creek (Wacol to Darra). ¹³

This page concentrates on the former alignment between Eight Mile Plains and Dinmore

Eight Mile Plains to Dinmore

Cunningham Highway:

Ipswich Mwy (M2) at the exit with Cunningham Hwy (NH15), Riverview, July 2004.

Image © Michael Greenslade

Dinmore to Eight Mile Plains

End NH15 / Start M2:

Sign at the Cunningham Hwy (M15) (former NH15) interchange at Riverview, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Distance Sign:

Reassurance directional sign after the Cunningham Hwy (M15) interchange at Riverview, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Distance Sign:

RD sign on Ipswich Mwy (M2) at Riverview, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign :

AD sign at Riverview approaching the Brisbane Rd and Mine St interchanges, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign at Redbank approaching Mine St, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Distance Sign:

RD sign at Goodna, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Advance Directional Sign:

AD sign at Goodna approaching Church St (SR61) interchange, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley

Supplemental Advance Directional Sign:

Supplemental AD sign at Goodna approaching Church St (SR61) interchange, November 2009.

Image © Rob Tilley