Legacy Way Tunnel Power Failure Brings Brisbane Traffic to a Standstill

Editor’s note: Transurban reopened Legacy Way after 5:00 p.m. 5 February 2025.

Legacy Way tunnel closure caused severe traffic congestion across Brisbane after a power supply issue forced its sudden shutdown.



Severe Traffic Jams Across Brisbane

The shutdown began at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning and caused major delays across key routes into the CBD. Some commuters reported their usual 20-minute trips stretching to over 90 minutes.

The Department of Transport and Main Roads quickly issued an alert advising motorists to find alternative routes.

However, the diversion led to even more congestion, as surrounding roads became heavily clogged. It wasn’t until just before 10am that traffic conditions started to improve.

Legacy Way tunnel
Driving along the tunnel
Photo Credit: Wikimedia

The tunnel closure triggered widespread gridlock, with several major roads experiencing heavy congestion. The worst-affected areas included:

– Milton Road and the Inner City Bypass – long delays and bumper-to-bumper traffic.
– Western Freeway – city-bound traffic backed up 10km from Mount Coot-Tha to Sumner.
– Kelvin Grove Road and Coronation Drive – crawling speeds of just 8km/h.
– Moggill Road – journey times from Kenmore to the CBD stretched to nearly an hour.

By mid-morning, traffic on the Inner City Bypass was gridlocked from Bowen Hills to the Riverside Expressway, with flow-on effects reaching as far as Sandgate Road in Albion.

Frustrated Commuters Call It ‘Apocalyptic’

Many Brisbane commuters described the traffic as some of the worst they had ever experienced.

One commuter shared that her usual 10-minute drive along Abbotsford Road ended up taking 35 minutes, despite her GPS estimating just 18 minutes. Another driver said the congestion was “insane”, adding that they had never experienced anything like it before. 



What Caused the Legacy Way Tunnel Shutdown?

A Transurban spokesperson confirmed that the closure was due to a power supply issue caused by an incident at one of the tunnel’s substations.

Power restoration is ongoing to reopen the tunnel as soon as possible. Meanwhile, motorists are advised to seek alternative routes as both directions are closed, the spokesperson added. 

There is no confirmed reopening time yet, and authorities are urging drivers to stay updated with live traffic reports and allow for extra travel time while repairs continue.

Published 5-Feb-2025

Legacy Way Tunnel In Toowong To Close For Planned Roadworks

Motorists are advised to plan their travels as the Legacy Way Tunnel in Toowong will be closed for all traffic on specific days and times in March 2022, due to planned roadworks across Brisbane.


Read: Surf Lifesavers: Untiring Rescue Efforts in Toowong, Other Flood-Impacted Suburbs


Toll has also resumed on Monday, 7 March on public transport and council-operated toll roads, including Legacy Way, after it was announced for free from 3 Mar- 6 Mar, to help Brisbane residents in the clean-up efforts brought by the devastating flood.

See the date and time of upcoming planned roadworks:

WorksDate and Time
Legacy Way eastbound tunnel closure16-17 March, 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
Legacy Way tunnel closure both directions: 19 March, 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.
Legacy Way westbound tunnel closure: 
14-15 March, 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

Linkt Brisbane regularly carry out maintenance on the roads and tunnels and while they do their best to avoid disruptions, sometimes temporary traffic changes are needed to keep everyone safe.

“In the event of adverse weather conditions or other delays, works will be postponed to the next available shift,” Linkt stated in its website. 

legacy way toowong
Map highlighting Toowong road works (Photo credit: https://www.linkt.com.au

About the Tunnel

Legacy Way is a 5.7 kilometre twin tunnel connecting the Western Freeway at Toowong with Brisbane’s Inner City Bypass at Kelvin Grove.

It has four lanes, two inbound and two outbound, connecting AirportlinkM7 and Clem7 (via Inner City Bypass) to Brisbane’s western suburbs.

The tunnel is owned and currently being managed by Transurban Queensland.