Southbound Delays on Story Bridge and Extensive Rail Closures This Friday

Friday Morning Commute Overview

Commuters heading into the Brisbane CBD and across the metropolitan area this Friday, April 10, 2026, should prepare for significant travel disruptions. A combination of essential bridge maintenance and a large-scale rail shutdown is expected to push travel times well beyond the usual morning and afternoon peaks. Authorities are urging residents to allow at least 60 to 90 minutes of additional travel time, particularly if heading toward the airport or crossing the river.

Major Road Impact: Story Bridge Lane Closure

The primary bottleneck for motorists remains the Story Bridge. As part of a multi-stage restoration program, a single southbound lane is continuously closed. This closure, which began earlier this month, is scheduled to remain in place until Saturday evening. With over 100,000 vehicles typically using this corridor, the loss of a lane is causing heavy congestion on the Bradfield Highway and cascading delays through Kangaroo Point and Fortitude Valley. Motorists are encouraged to use the Captain Cook Bridge or the Clem7 tunnel as alternatives to avoid the worst of the congestion.

Widespread Public Transport Disruptions

Friday marks a critical phase of the April extended track closures, affecting nearly every major line in the South East Queensland rail network. Work on the Cross River Rail project and new digital signalling installations have necessitated the following rail-to-bus replacements:

• Beenleigh and Gold Coast Lines: Buses are replacing trains between Banoon and Boggo Road stations.
• Caboolture and Sunshine Coast Lines: No trains are running between Northgate and Bowen Hills, or between Gympie North and Caboolture.
• Airport Line: The Airtrain is severely impacted. Trains are only operating between the Domestic/International terminals and Eagle Junction. Passengers must transfer to replacement buses at Eagle Junction to reach the city.
• Ipswich and Springfield Lines: While trains are running, all express services have been cancelled between 9:30 am and 3:00 pm, and timetable changes are in effect for the entire day.

CBD Construction and Local Rolling Closures

In the city center, the eastbound lane of Mary Street adjacent to the Albert Street construction site remains closed to all vehicles. This is causing increased pressure on Charlotte and George Streets during peak hours. Furthermore, residents in the Chuwar area should be aware of full rolling road closures on Allawah Road and Blackwall Road between 7:00 am and 4:30 pm today due to event preparations. These local closures may affect those commuting from the western suburbs into the city via the Warrego Highway.

Advice for Commuters

If you are travelling today, check the Translink app before leaving home, as timetables for all operating rail lines have been adjusted. For those driving, consider carpooling or shifting travel times outside of the 7:00 am – 9:00 am window to avoid the heaviest Story Bridge delays.