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Community consultation now open for Mooloolah River Interchange

Community - consultation - Mooloolah - River
Mooloolah River Interchange
Artists’s impression of the Mooloolah River Interchange.

Community consultation is being sought on planned upgrades at the Mooloolah River Interchange on the Sunshine Coast.

The proposed upgrades in the first stage of the project include a new road overpass to provide a direct and efficient connection from Nicklin Way to Brisbane Road in Mooloolaba, as well as a  new local road connection between Karawatha Drive in Mountain Creek and Brisbane Road in Mooloolaba.

Future stages in the planning layout will include a new Mooloolah River crossing connecting the Sunshine Motorway to Kawana Way at Parrearra and a major new interchange connecting the Sunshine Motorway, Nicklin Way and Kawana Way.

An upgrade of the Sunshine Motorway from two to four lanes between the existing Kawana Way Interchange and the Mooloolah River Interchange and an an additional northbound lane on the Sunshine Motorway are also part of the future scope of work – not included in the first stage planning.

Stage one of the project is jointly funded with $160 million from the Australian Government and $167.5 million from the Queensland Government, which was announced in the 2021 state budget. This is in addition to $7.5 million allocated to completing the detailed business case.

The project will aim to enhance motorist safety, improve road access and reduce peak hour congestion.

Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister, Mark Bailey said the project would support Queensland’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan.

“The upgrades that are a focus of the upcoming detailed design process will make the interchange safer and less congested and mean quicker trips between the emerging Maroochydore central business district, the Sippy Downs university campus and the Kawana hospital precinct,” he said.

“More than 550,000 people are expected to be living on the Sunshine Coast in 20 years, so we need this upgrade to support the growth that is coming and take pressure off Nicklin Way.”

The upgrades are set to diminish travel times between Maroochydore, Kawana and growing communities around Caloundra.

“From an engineering perspective, this project will be tricky with needing to traverse rivers and will have to be designed and delivered in multiple stages to keep traffic flowing,” Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt said.

“That’s why we want locals to give us feedback at this early stage to help us understand community needs before detailed design progresses.”

Community members and interested parties are encouraged to visit the project website to view the planning layout and watch the animated video flythrough.


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