Mooloolaba Transport Corridor Upgrade (widening of Brisbane Road and Walan Street)
  • Last updated:
  • 02 Oct 2020

As part of a major transport infrastructure investment, council is upgrading Brisbane Road (south of Hancock Street and Walan Street) and Walan Street to four traffic lanes. The transport corridor will be constructed in stages over a period of four years (2019-2023). In addition to improving traffic flow, this important project will enhance the southern entrance into Mooloolaba and create a corridor that is integrated and inviting for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and public transport users. This is one of many Mooloolaba infrastructure projects council is investing in to create a world-class destination for residents and visitors to enjoy.

Project scope

The Mooloolaba Transport Corridor Upgrade (MTCU) of Brisbane Road and Walan Street, is a multi-stage upgrade project. The MTCU Project and associated staging was endorsed by council at the July 2018 Ordinary Meeting.

Stage 1a was completed in October 2019 and is part of the broader project. It included the extension of Naroo Court through to Muraban Street, Mooloolaba.

Stage 1b which started in February 2020 is expected to be completed by late 2020, weather and site conditions permitting.

The MTCU project includes the following stages and scheduled timeframes (which will be subject to weather, site conditions, council’s budget process and other funding and may change).

Construction stages

To minimise inconvenience to the community the project has been broken into stages. To view the staging plan, please refer to the map. 

Stage 1a: Naroo Court Upgrade (completed in October 2019)

  • Extension of Naroo Court through to Muraban Street including a new roundabout at Muraban Street.

Stage 1b: Walan Street Upgrade (February 2020 - late 2020)

  • widening of Walan Street between Venning Street and Smith Street to four traffic lanes
  • a new signalised intersection at Walan Street and Naroo Court
  • formalised pedestrian crossing across Walan Street and Naroo Court with pram and disability compliant access ramps and treatments
  • new median strips for safety
  • landscaping, including green space between Naroo Court and Muraban Street
  • retaining the existing bus stops and bus services in conjunction with TransLink.

View a plan of the Stage 1b design.

Stage 2: Brisbane Road from 42 Brisbane Road through to Kyamba Court including the new Mayes Canal Bridge (2021 - 2022)

  • upgrading the intersection of Brisbane Road/ Foote Street/ Tarcoola Avenue to a new, signalised intersection
  • construction of the new Mayes Canal Bridge with four traffic lanes and provision for mass transit
  • upgrading the intersection of Brisbane Road/ Bindaree Crescent/ Woomba Place to a signalised intersection
  • on-road cycle lanes
  • retaining the existing bus stops on Brisbane Road.

Stage 3: Intersection of Brisbane Road/ Walan Street/Hancock Street (2022 - 2023)

  • upgrading the intersection of Brisbane Road/ Walan Street/ Hancock Street to four lanes
  • on-road cycle lanes.

Stage 4: Brisbane Road from near Bindaree Crescent to Culbara Street including Tuckers Creek Bridge (2023)

  • upgrading the road to four traffic lanes
  • upgrading the intersection of Brisbane Road/ Woomba Place/ Bindaree Crescent to a signalised intersection.

What to expect during construction

Construction hours for stage 1b works will primarily be 7am to 6pm Monday to Saturday.

Council will make every effort to minimise impacts to the local community during construction however, throughout the construction period there will be:

  • changed traffic conditions–reduced speed limits, temporary lane closures, traffic and pedestrian realignments, traffic control
  • permanent changes to on-street parking
  • temporary and permanents changes to some driveways
  • the use of machinery and increased heavy vehicle movements
  • construction noise (mitigation measures will be used).

The project team will continue to liaise with directly affected businesses and residents to inform them of specific construction activities, timeframes and impacts

Register for project updates

To register to receive regular construction updates via email send your details (name, address and email address) to mooloolabatransportcorridorupgrade@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

Contact the project team

If you have any questions on the Mooloolaba Transport Corridor Upgrade project, please contact the project team on 1800 531 597 (Monday to Friday 8.15am-5pm) or email mooloolabatransportcorridorupgrade@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au.

Where to from here

Council is committed to keeping residents and businesses in the affected areas informed about ongoing works.

View the latest project news and construction notifications:

Background

Mooloolaba is one of the major coastal tourism destinations on the Sunshine Coast. As a result Mooloolaba has had an increase of through traffic and congestion on the roads. This has made accessing the Mooloolaba Centre and its local attractions increasingly difficult.

Considering this, council is progressing plans to upgrade the Brisbane Road/ Walan Street corridor. This will deliver an outcome that:

  • supports the local economy
  • provides accessible public and active transport options
  • protects our lifestyle.

In 2003, the former Maroochy Shire Council conducted the Mooloolaba Integrated Land Use and Transport Assessment Study to determine the transport system that would best serve the future needs of Mooloolaba. This study included transport options:

  • car
  • public transport
  • cycle and pedestrian elements.

The study considered a range of alternative options for the corridor.

In 2010, council re-examined the proposed transport corridor upgrade for Mooloolaba. This was to ensure that any work would be consistent with council’s vision for Australia’s most sustainable region. Following the review, council engaged external engineering consultants. Council further refined the options and developed a preferred layout. This layout proposed a four lane carriageway with a central median strip.

The preferred layout was adopted at the Ordinary Meeting on 2 February 2011. This layout was later incorporated in the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme 2014 commencing 21 May 2014. Council has continued to revise and improve the preferred layout for the Mooloolaba Transport Corridor with the assistance of the Strategic Traffic Model, and the Mooloolaba Local Area Traffic Model.

At the 19 July 2018 Ordinary Meeting the following were adopted:

  • the refinement of the Mooloolaba Local Area Traffic Model
  • the preferred layout and construction staging.

Public consultation for the Brisbane Road upgrade began in 2003 as part of the Mooloolaba Integrated Land Use and Transport Assessment Study. This involved both a community forum and feedback analysis. Public participation has indicated an understanding of the need for future transport planning and broad community support for the Corridor upgrade. Council has engaged with Mooloolaba:

  • households
  • local businesses
  • affected land holders and
  • interested parties.

Engagement was via newsletters, media releases and council’s website. Improvement of the Mooloolaba Transport Corridor has had increased public enquiry and comments. Over the last four year period stakeholder engagement has been undertaken. As a part of the Mooloolaba Master Plan process over 3000 participants were involved.

Further community consultation on trunk transport corridors was undertaken in 2018 as part of the Local Government Infrastructure Plan public consultation phase across the Sunshine Coast region.

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