In 2004, when TransApex was first proposed, there was only one corridor that traffic could use to bypass the city centre (the Gateway Bridge), which lies 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the east of the CBD.
As the Liberal lord mayoral candidate in the 2004 Brisbane local government election, Campbell Newman proposed a transport infrastructure plan which would "revolutionise cross-town travel for motorists and provide for the creation of cross-suburban bus routes for public transport patrons... while its resultant free-flowing road network will mean shorter trips, reduced fuel consumption and decreased vehicle emissions.
The final implementation strategy of the plan is significantly different from what was originally proposed, and now consists of four tunnels and one bridge linking various parts of the city.
Discussions are still underway regarding the East-West Link and Stages 2 and 3 of the Kingsford Smith Drive upgrade[7] and as of June 2011 firm construction dates for these projects have not been announced.
This project was delivered as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) by the RiverCity Motorway consortium at a final cost of $3.2 billion.
It connects the western end of the Inner City Bypass with Merivale and Cordelia Streets in South Brisbane to the west of the existing William Jolly Bridge.
[17] Speculated causes for the financial difficulties include underestimated costs and overestimated revenue;[18] the Clem Jones Tunnel was originally budgeted at $2 billion.
[19] Prior to the finish of construction, Airport Link constructors Leighton Holdings forecast a pre-tax loss of $430 million on the project.
Research has shown that tolling new infrastructure can actually discourage people from using it, keeping volumes high on the congested surface roads.