A shortcut from Caloundra to the Bruce Highway, via Aura, is on track to be built next year.
The 7km Bells Creek Arterial extension road is well under construction and, when finished in mid-2023, will complete the link from Caloundra Road to the Bruce Highway.
The road will run through the heart of Australia’s largest master-planned community, the $5b Aura, developed by Stockland.
The $70m project is funded 50-50 by Stockland and the State Government. It’s being constructed by local civil contractor Shadforth’s.
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Stockland project director Josh Sondergeld provided an update of the road’s progress, from the Aura Boulevard roundabout, heading south to Bells Creek Road and then west to the Bruce Highway.
“The construction zone starts at Baringa and goes along a corridor to the Bruce Highway,” he said.
“When finished, in mid-2023, it will provide a new gateway into the southern Sunshine Coast.”
“Construction of the pedestrian bridge (just south of the Aura Boulevard roundabout) is in its late stages.
“Heading southbound you then reach a 60m bridge over Bells Creek North, which is currently almost complete, and it will include a pedestrian underpass linking Baringa to the Aura Business Park
“One of Aura’s major water quality devices is under construction on the left. This cleans the water from the site and maintains environmental values as it discharges into the Pumicestone Passage.
“Then we are at the Central Avenue roundabout intersection with the Aura City Centre, which will our future retail town centre, our major parklands, the aura hotel and educational facilities, including a catholic P-12 school and an urban university.
“You can see (suburbs) Nirimba and Banya (in the background) as they continue to grow.
“As we get through the southern part of the city centre, we reach the southern access roundabout. This provides direct entry into the future police, fire and ambulance facilities, which are forecast to open in 2024.
“As we continue along, we go past the existing Bells Creek Road and push towards the highway.
Watch the flyover video here: Aura – City of Colour Facebook page
“This provides links to Brisbane to the left, Landsborough and Beerwah straight ahead and the rest of the Sunshine Coast to the right.”
The road is an extension of the first stage of Bells Creek Arterial, a $30m 3km northern access road that connected Caloundra Road to Aura Boulevard in 2017.
Aura is home to more than 10,000 people and is expected to be home to 50,000 when completed.
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