Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba and Maroochydore residents have been granted an extension to have their say on $10m worth of work to a critical intersection

An eleventh-hour extension has been granted for coastal communities to have their say on $10 million worth of proposed upgrades to a major intersection.

A community group says it needs more time to consider proposed changes to a major intersection at Alexandra Headland.

An eleventh-hour extension has been granted for coastal communities to have their say on $10 million worth of proposed upgrades to a major intersection.

Community members had been caught by surprise when they learnt they only had until Friday, March 5 to provide feedback to a planned $10 million upgrade of the Mooloolaba Rd-Sugar Rd intersection.

The changes, which were planned to introduce additional signalised pedestrian crossings and included road widening and other measures, were canvassed to about 2000 residents, businesses and stakeholders, a Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman said earlier this week.

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But several community members from Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba and Maroochydore had taken to social media earlier this week to voice their surprise at the proposed changes and the tight deadline to have their say.

A Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that the public feedback deadline would be pushed back to give locals more time to make submissions.

"The consultation period has been extended until 19 March 2021," the spokesman said.

Alexandra Headland Community Association president John Hutchinson had been eager to have the deadline extended, having told the Daily the group only found out about the proposal via a social media post from Maroochydore MP Fiona Simpson, which had taken them by surprise.

Design of the upgrades was expected to be completed by late-2021, with construction currently scheduled to start by mid-2022.

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Originally published as Alexandra Headland, Mooloolaba and Maroochydore residents have been granted an extension to have their say on $10m worth of work to a critical intersection