Roads fast tracked for Sunshine Coast

By June Cummings

A windfall in the Queensland state budget has delivered record road funding of $221m in 2005-06 for the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane and an extra $329m over the next four years for major projects.

According to Queensland Main Roads, all projects will go to open tender. Projects, funding and timing for the next four years are listed below.

Sunshine Motorway

Duplication and new interchange at Sippy Downs. * Work to start mid-2006 on a $43m project to duplicate 4km between Sippy Downs Drive and Kawana Way interchanges and construct a new interchange at Claymore/Dixon Road – completion June 2007.

Interchange improvements, Maroochydore

* $5m for initial works on a $35m project to improve operations of Mooloolaba Road interchange and provide a new interchange connection at Maroochy Boulevard - completion June 2007.

Maroochydore Road to David Low Way

* $1m for design works on a $110m project to duplicate 5km of motorway and construct a new bridge over the Maroochy River – construction starts in 2007 for completion mid-2009.

Pacific Paradise Bypass

* $5.8m for $35m northern bypass connection from David Low Way to Sunshine Motorway at Pacific Paradise – construction starts late 2006 for completion early 2008.

Maroochydore Road projects

Kunda Park

* $13m to start work late this year on an $18m project to construct four lanes through Kunda Park industrial area and upgrade Pike Street - completion late 2006.

Bruce Highway to Kunda Park

* $8m towards a $77m project to build 4km of new four-lane road with improved flood immunity between Kunda Park and the Bruce Highway. Expressions of interest for a design-and-construct contract closed in May with construction to start in mid-2006 with completion late 2007. Caloundra Road

* $2m for design works on an $80m project to construct four lanes on a 4.3km section between the Bruce Highway and Pierce Avenue - accelerated to start construction in 2007 for completion by 2009.

Caloundra-Mooloolaba Road

* $7m for initial works on a $56m project to construct a new two-lane arterial road from Caloundra Road to Creekside Boulevard – accelerated to start construction mid-2006 for completion mid-2008.

Noosa Demaining Agreement

* $8.24m towards a committed $72.7m for Noosa Council to construct further stages of Eenie Creek Road and Walter Hay Drive.

Landsborough - Maleny Road

* $1m to complete an $11.1m project to widen and reconstruct a 3km section between Bald Knob and Mountain View roads in difficult mountainous territory – construction completed mid to late 2005.

Nicklin Way

* $1.83m to complete a $6.9m project to duplicate the remaining two-lane section on the southern end of Nicklin Way. Construction is under way for completion by August 2005. Sunshine Coast hinterland.

* $1.83m to start work on a $6m project to realign sections of Yandina-Coolum Road between Valdora and Arcoona roads.

* $5.48m towards a $6.5m project to realign Eumundi-Kenilworth Road between Eerwah Creek and Browns Creek Road.

$3.2m for a pavement overlay on Eumundi-Noosa Road at Lenehans Road towards Noosa * $2.45m to complete rehabilitation and widening on Boreen Point-Tewantin Road between Kimbah Court and Lake Cooroibah Road.

Bruce Highway

Boundary Road to Uhlmann Road (Federal funding)

* $41.3m towards a $108m project to widen this 9km section to six lanes. Initial stages have started off-highway and the six-lane construction is expected to start later this year for completion mid-2007.

* A further $7m for property resumptions, service relocations and other preliminary works towards the Uhlmann Road to Caboolture section.

Other Bruce Highway federal funding includes:

$1.85m for on-going work on the $5.1m planning study on the Bruce Highway between Cooroy and Gympie, which is looking at a new highway alignment and possible Gympie bypass;

$4.35m for pavement rehabilitation at Black Mountain, north of Cooroy; and

$700,000 in preliminary funding towards passing lanes north and south of Gympie, estimated to cost around $9.2m.