Major road upgrade delivers early Christmas present

The road to an iconic Sunshine Coast holiday destination that boasts stunning beaches and outstanding natural beauty is driving forward with four brand new lanes unwrapped just in time for the holidays. 

Stages 2 and 3 of the Brisbane Road upgrade, part of the Mooloolaba Transport Corridor Upgrade (MTCU) project, have achieved some major milestones throughout the year. 

The latest is the opening of four lanes north of the Mayes Canal Bridge on Tuesday 20 December, just in time for the peak Christmas period.

Sunshine Coast Council’s Transport Portfolio Councillor Rick Baberowski said it was a great time of year to reflect on the construction progress of Stages 2 and 3.

“The project has ploughed through one of the wettest years on record along with challenges affecting the whole construction industry including materials and contractor availability,” Cr Baberowski said. 

“Our construction team has worked day and some nights to complete this main Brisbane Road thoroughfare so is ready for the holidays.

“The past few weeks have been extremely tumultuous as our construction team pulled out all stops to get the major roadworks completed before December 22.

“On behalf of the project team, contractors and myself, we would like to thank locals and businesses for your patience and cooperation during construction this year and wish you a safe, happy holiday season.”

Brisbane Road, Foote Street and Tarcoola Avenue signalised intersection looking east.

Four lanes north of the Mayes Canal Bridge open.

The project team remained flexible, assessing all options and using any and all resources at council’s disposal to help our contractors get the four traffic lanes from Mayes Canal Bridge towards Walan Street flowing into the beachfront paradise.

The past few weeks had been challenging as the team worked around wet weather and even doing additional night works. 

On Tuesday 20 December, the new Brisbane Road, Foote Street and Tarcoola Avenue signalised intersection opened, replacing the previous roundabout. This will greatly improve traffic movement and safety at this busy location.

This year the project delivered some major milestones including two of the four lanes of the new Mayes Canal bridge.

In July, cars were ‘switched’ to the new bridge lanes, operating one lane in each direction. Once completed next year, it will certainly enhance the arrival experience into Mooloolaba.

In September, we reopened a key intersection at the corner of Brisbane Road, Walan and Hancock streets.

To achieve the opening, extensive underground services works were underway from April which included 1400 metres of storm water pipes and 1200 metres of water main pipes plus telecommunications.

Road to success: What will happen next

Construction will cease over the Christmas and New Year season from December 22 to January 8, 2023 inclusive.

The remaining two new lanes of the new Mayes Canal bridge and the bridge’s timber viewing deck and shared pathway, along with some areas of pedestrian pathways and landscaping, will be completed in early 2023.

The completed project will include 232 new trees and 8850 plants as part of landscaping in the project area.

Stage 2 works are benefitting from a $12 million investment from the Australian Government.

The major road upgrade will improve traffic flow, enhance the southern entrance into Mooloolaba, and create a corridor that is integrated and inviting for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and public transport users.

Once completed the MTCU will accommodate anticipated growth in traffic generated by residents, businesses and Mooloolaba’s attractive natural features, with daily trips expected to increase from around 61,000 today to more than 90,000 in 2041.

For more information about the project, visit the project webpage at www.sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au/MTCU or to register for construction updates, email your details to [email protected].