The wider benefits of a congestion-busting project planned for Caloundra have been revealed, as traffic numbers continue to surge.
Tens of thousands of locals and visitors are grappling with a stop-start commute through the intersection of Caloundra Road, Nicklin Way and Pelican Waters Boulevard, to access Caloundra’s CBD on a daily basis.
This intersection, managed by Transport and Main Roads, is planned to be upgraded.
But prior to this upgrade, traffic volumes through the roundabout are expected to be reduced by constructing the Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade (CTCU).
At the moment, the increasing pressure on the main roundabout is forcing many motorists to seek alternative route ‘rat runs’ through once-quiet suburbs.
These include Moffat Beach, Dicky Beach and Currimundi, as well as Aroona and Caloundra West (Sugar Bag Road).
Sunshine Coast Council Division 2 Councillor Terry Landsberg said the $37.8 million CTCU, planned to run from Omrah Avenue to the Nicklin Way, was the next step to addressing one of the worst traffic snarls in our region.
“If you look at the recent drone footage over Caloundra you can see the main areas of congestion,’’ Cr Landsberg said.
“The town is choking due to bottlenecking and this has significant flow-on effects to other local roads that were never built to cater for the amount of traffic they are experiencing.
“However, the CTCU will reduce the number of vehicles travelling through the roundabout and on various roads by an estimated 20 per cent – that’s a real win for our beachside communities.”
State Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt said there was “real progress and genuine consultation” on the project.
“Traffic congestion on Caloundra Rd is a significant issue in our community and this project, combined with the Bells Creek Arterial Rd, represents a genuine effort to address this problem,” he said.
Community groups, including the Community Residents Association, are opposed to a four-lane design option for the CTCU, amid fears it would “rip” through the town’s centre, bring major traffic into an urban village and impact a precious bush reserve. The groups say they prefer a two-lane option.
But the groups have welcomed the formation of a Stakeholder Interest Group to participate in the corridor upgrade project.
Feedback from the SIG, which represents residents, motorists, transport operators, businesses and local facilities, will be considered as part of various project options, including traffic, flood and stormwater modelling, environmental and cultural heritage investigations.
Environment and Liveability Portfolio Councillor Peter Cox said community responses to a 2022 Living on the Sunshine Coast survey told council that low road congestion was among the most important aspects to living in the region.
“Forty-eight per cent of Caloundra respondents, including the catchment area from Pelican Waters in the south, Little Mountain in the west to Currimundi in the north, said easing road congestion was important in making somewhere a good place to live,” he said.
“Along with providing an additional vehicle route into the CBD, the CTCU design focuses on vastly improving safety and accessibility for walkers and cyclists with new signalised crossings, pedestrian pathways and a dedicated 1.6km two-way cycle track for all levels of cyclists.
“The new facilities adjacent to a low-speed traffic environment – typically 50km/h – encourage active transport in the area, which we know returns several health, environmental and economic benefits.”
Cr Terry Landsberg said the CTCU would help attract business into the CBD as part of the Caloundra Centre Activation Plan.
“This project includes a district level library with community spaces, the Community and Creative Hub connecting The Events Centre, a proposed new Regional Gallery, and new town square through to Bulcock Beach,” he said
The project is being funded by Sunshine Coast Council, the Federal Government and State Government. Section one is being delivered by SCC while section two is being delivered by TMR.
The State Government is contributing $7 million to the $18.2 million cost of section two from TMR’s State Road Network Upgrades program.
For more information about the project, including a video showing the extent of traffic congestion in Caloundra, visit Council’s Caloundra Transport Corridor Upgrade webpage. To receive project updates please register your contact details by clicking here.
Forecast benefits
- Traffic congestion forecast to reduce on Sugar Bag Road, Queen Street, Elizabeth Street, Buccleugh Street, eastern end of Caloundra Road, western end of Bowman Road and western end of Bulcock Street after CTCU opens.
- Once completed, the CTCU is forecast to reduce traffic volumes by around 20 per cent at the Caloundra Road, Nicklin Way and Pelican Waters Boulevard intersection and on various local roads including reducing the amount of traffic flow through our beachside suburbs of Dicky and Moffat Beach.
- CTCU provides new access from Industrial Avenue and Third Avenue to Nicklin Way for walking, cycling and driving, which will greatly reduce the number of heavy vehicles entering the already congested Caloundra Road.
- Once completed, the CTCU will deliver infrastructure to cater for our growing population and tourism.
- TMR can progress to upgrade Caloundra Road, Nicklin Way and Pelican Waters Boulevard intersection including walk and cycle crossings, after the CTCU is completed. TMR planning supports the CTCU including the Third Avenue extension to be completed first.
- Planning for alternative access has allowed streetscaping on Bulcock Street to be undertaken.
- The CTCU will provided dedicated active transport connections for pedestrians and cyclists and continue to align with the Sunshine Coast Integrated Transport Strategy of responsible land use and transport integration to reduce trip lengths and increase viability of active and passenger transport.
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