Southern Cross Way – a legendary name for the Old Gateway Motorway

Main Roads Minister Craig Wallace has unveiled new road signs for Southern Cross Way in a tribute to one of the world’s greatest aviators and Brisbane sons, Charles Kingsford Smith.

Minister Wallace said a name change for the Old Gateway Motorway was needed to distinguish the two stretches of motorway for police and emergency service vehicles.

“It’s important for emergency workers to have clear directions so they can get to where they need to go as quickly as possible,” Mr Wallace said.

The Minister said the community was asked to come up with a new name and Charles Kingsford Smith’s famous plane, the Southern Cross, came through with flying colours.

“Smithy and the Southern Cross trail blazed their way into the history books in the first-ever crossing of the Pacific from San Francisco to Brisbane in 1928.

“When Kingsford Smith landed at Eagle Farm airport after that historic flight, a crowd of 25,000 was waiting to greet him. He flew over this very site, now part of a world-class road network,” he said.

Mr Wallace said thousands of motorists will drive the Southern Cross Way every day, helping to keep alive the memory of one of Brisbane’s true heroes.

“Smithy held more long distance flying records than anyone else on earth and we can now honour his memory by naming Southern Cross Way after the plane that took him on those epic flights,” he said.

“We had some good suggestions including Serpentine Way named after a local creek and Bernborough Way in recognition of a famous race horse. You could say Southern Cross Way took out the constellation prize.”

The original 7km stretch of Gateway motorway was built in 1986 and runs between Eagle Farm and Nudgee Road at Banyo. The newer stretch, which will keep the Gateway brand, is part of the State Government’s $2.5 billion Gateway Corridor Upgrade and carves a more direct route through the airport precinct.

“Southern Cross Way will stand as a lasting tribute to one of the world’s greatest aviators – a war hero, the man on the $20 note and a boy from Brisbane who was born to fly,” he said.

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