QLD Mooloolah River Interchange Stage 1 upgrade marks new milestone

The Mooloolah River Interchange upgrade on the Sunshine Coast is moving a step closer to beginning works as it enters the consultation stage. 

Locals are being encouraged to have their say on this significant project. 

“The Mooloolah River Interchange upgrade will provide key safety improvements by helping to reduce crashes at the interchange and improve travel time on the Sunshine Coast. 

“This project is one of many critical infrastructure projects to receive funding from the Morrison Government as part of its record $110 billion, 10-year infrastructure investment pipeline, which is helping to drive Australia’s world-leading economic recovery,” Federal Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher MP said. 

Feedback from the community is going to be considered as part of the detailed design for the $327.5 million Stage 1 upgrade on the Mooloolah River Interchange. 

This upgrade is a major part of the Queensland Government’s infrastructure investment that drives the State’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan. 

“This funding commitment adds to our infrastructure investment on the Sunshine Coast, which is delivering more than $3.9 billion worth of jointly-funded road and rail upgrades supporting thousands of jobs. 

“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 merging Maroochydore central business district, the Sippy Downs university campus and the Kawana hospital precinct. 

“More than 550,000 people are expected to be living on the Sunshine Coast in 20 years, so we need this upgrade to support growth that is coming and taking pressure off Nicklin Way,” Queensland Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said. 

Planning layout (source: Department of Transport and Main Roads)

Key features of the Mooloolah Rover Interchange include: 

• An additional northbound lane between the Mooloolah River Interchange and Buderim-Mooloolaba Interchange 
• New Sunshine Motorway overpass for traffic travelling from north to west (replaces existing loop configuration) 
• New overpass providing eastbound traffic with a direct link to Brisbane Road 
• Duplication of the sunshine Motorway between the existing Kawana Way Interchange and the new Mooloolah River Interchange, completing four-lanes to the Bruce Highway 
• New direct local road connection between Karawatha Drive and Brisbane Road, removing the need for local drivers to weave across Sunshine Motorway traffic 
• New overpass to connect Nicklin Way northbound with Brisbane Road (replaces existing loop configuration to Mooloolaba) 
• New active transport provisions (pathways and cycle lanes) linking Parrearra, Mountain Creek and Mooloolaba 
• New Mooloolah River Crossing connecting the Sunshine Motorway to Kawana Way 
• New signalised intersection with Kawana Way 

Minister Bailey added that the planning layout for the project is being provided to the community for feedback prior to commencing detailed design works. 

“We will then move detailed design to construction, keeping the community updated as the project progresses. 

“Motorists who travel on the Sunshine Motorway, Brisbane Road and nearby roads know the safety issue caused by weaving traffic and understand how important these planned improvements are. 

“I encourage the Sunshine Coast community to provide feedback to help us understand community needs,” Minister Bailey said. 

Stage 1 of the upgrade is jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, each contributing $160 million and $167.5 million respectively. 

The first stage of the Mooloolah River Interchange upgrade will include: 

• A new road overpass to provide a more direct and efficient connection from Nicklin Way to Brisbane Road in Mooloolaba 
• A new local road connection between Karawatha Drive in Mountain Creek and Brisbane Road in Mooloolaba 

On the other hand, future stages of the upgrade will include: 

• A new crossing of the Mooloolah River, connecting the Sunshine Motorway to Kawana Way 
• A major interchange with connections to the Sunshine Motorway to the west and north, Nicklin Way to the south-east and Kawana Way to the south 
• An upgrade of the Sunshine Motorway from two to four lanes between the existing Kawana Way Interchange and the Mooloolah River Interchange 
• A direct, safe and efficient connection for the Sunshine Motorway, north to west 
• An additional northbound lane on the Sunshine Motorway 

“We need this upgrade to support the growth that is coming and take pressure off Nicklin Way. 

“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. 

“That’s why we want locals to give us feedback at this early stage to help us understand community needs before detailed design progresses,” Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt said. 

The timeline for construction is going to be determined during the detailed design phase of the project.

Community consultation will end on 27 August 2021. For more information, you can check out the project’s dedicated consultation page here. 

Source: Queensland Government – Media Statements; Queensland Government – Department of Transport and Main Roads; Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts