Major Mooloolaba Rd intersection upgrade underway to fix congestion

A notorious Sunshine Coast intersection carrying 20,000 vehicles daily will receive a $30 million transformation to slash crash rates and peak-hour delays.

Mr Mickelberg said the 'dangerous' intersection will be upgraded with multiple lanes added to decrease congestion. Photo: contributed.

Work has begun on a long-awaited $30 million upgrade of one of the Sunshine Coast’s worst congestion points, with early construction starting today on the Mooloolaba Rd intersections at Sugar Rd and Syd Lingard Dr.

The busy stretch, used by about 20,000 vehicles daily, is considered a high-risk location for crashes.

The project will deliver additional lanes, new turning options and a redesigned intersection aimed at easing morning and afternoon peak-hour delays.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg said locals had waited “a very long time” for an upgrade of this scale.

“Any Sunshine Coast local knows this is a bottleneck,” he said.

“It’s the main cause of congestion in this electorate, and it has a high crash rate.

“These upgrades have been needed for a long, long time.”

The works will involve an extra lane between Sugar Rd and Syd Lingard Dr, extending through the intersection, along with two new dedicated left-turn lanes for eastbound traffic on Sugar Rd.

The overhaul also includes extensive reconstruction around the Mooloolaba Road-Sugar Road intersection.

Early works, including vegetation clearing, will continue over the next six months, with the full project expected to be completed next year.

Depiction of the intersection upgrade. Photo: contributed.

Mr Mickelberg said the upgrade forms part of a broader push to deliver long-overdue transport infrastructure to support the rapidly growing region.

“The Sunshine Coast is one of the fastest-growing areas of Queensland, if not Australia,” he said.

“We need the transport infrastructure to support that growth.

“Here in the Buderim electorate, we’re not immune. We’ve seen significant growth from Harmony to Palmview and increased densification across Buderim.”