Two gravel roads that provide a thoroughfare to a popular lakeside walking trail are set to be sealed, improving accessibility for road users and residents.
The $1.74 million project will see improvements made to Lakewood Drive and Monak Road at Peregian Beach.
The roads have been earmarked for upgrades as part of the 2024-25 Sunshine Coast Council budget, delivered in June.
Lakewood Drive is an access point for the 3.3km Lake Weyba Foreshore Walk, which includes a new 24m suspension bridge.
Monak Road, off Murdering Creek Road, runs along a 150-hectare property that the state government and Sunshine Coast Council recently acquired to become a conservation park.
The roads are also home to residents and the Iona College Outdoor Education Centre.
Residents along the dirt roads have long demanded action from the council to improve the stretch, which has racked up its share of crashes in the past, including from drivers swerving to avoid potholes.
Division 9 councillor Maria Suarez told Sunshine Coast News the upgrades would see the roads sealed and widened, plus improvements for safety and drainage concerns.
“Our community’s safety on the local road network is our highest priority and that’s why I’m pleased we are upgrading the gravel road at Lakewood Drive and Monak Road, Peregian Beach,” she said.
“The upgrade includes sealing the gravel surfaces, widening the road around curves for better navigation and clearing vegetation to make the road safer for road users.
“To address draining concerns, we’re implementing measures to effectively manage water on and around the road.”
Cr Suarez said the surrounding environment would also receive a boost as part of the project.
“In line with our commitment to environmental responsibility, we will be planting new trees in designated areas to offset the necessary clearing,” she said.
“Additionally, we are repurposing some of the natural materials such as mulch, wood chips and salvaged tree material to create advanced habitats for local fauna as part of our revegetation efforts.”
Work is anticipated to begin in the coming months and likely to be completed next year.
“We have completed the road design and construction is set to start in October 2024, contingent upon favourable weather conditions,” Cr Suarez said.
“We anticipate the works will be completed mid-2025, again depending on weather and site conditions.”
The aerial imagery in this story is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap. The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high-resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand and North America.
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