Absolutely this. I live in Brisbane, where Gympie Rd is also the major North/South highway. In order to drive from Gold Coast to Sunshine Coast, you end up taking Gympie Rd or pay to take the detour across the toll bridge to the East.

If you want to go from the city to the Northern Suburbs you pay the toll or take Gympie Rd. (Some suburbs have no choice of a toll road and simply must take Gympie.)

This road was never designed to be a major highway. It has schools on it, it has houses that face it. People die because this one road takes all the traffic.

On a smaller scale, take the large roundabout near my house at the intersection of Webster Rd and Hamilton Rd in Chermside. Just 350m West of that roundabout is Craigslea Primary School, and just past that, the high school.

The cachement for these schools extends East across that roundabout into the neighbourhood on the East side of Webster Rd. Every morning and afternoon on schooldays I see children lining up to try to cross the roundabout during rush hour.

This roundabout is right in front of a major hospital and right next to the fire and ambulance stations. It is very unsafe, and there is no safe way for children to cross. Lots of parents drive their kids, or the kids will take longer routes home to walk to a street with a crossing light.

Here is a snapshot of a kid crossing the roundabout on google maps: maps.app.goo.gl/5AW57JS8KDgvS4RS6

Gympie Rd magically turns from a highway into a proper freeway just 4.5km North of that roundabout, no on ramps or off ramps, you just cross the final light at Beams Rd and you are on a freeway North to Sunshine Coast.