It connects the suburb of Pinkenba to the Brisbane central business district at the Breakfast Creek.

Kingsford Smith Drive is one of the busiest roads in Brisbane, carrying an average of 61,773 vehicles per day between July and December 2014.

[2] Convict labour was used to connect the main settlement to the women's gaol at Eagle Farm.

This bypass allowed traffic joining the Pacific Motorway to avoid the smaller and sometimes congested city streets.

In February 2007 it was announced by the Queensland Government that the road was to receive a major upgrade and that traffic rates were estimated at 67,000 vehicles a day.