Construction is due to start on a dead end road in Caloundra South that will eventually stretch all the way to the Bruce Highway and provide a shortcut to thousands of residents.
The $70million Bells Creek Arterial extension will be a new southern road connecting the the growing Aura development to the Bruce Highway via Bells Creek Road.
It will include 8km of new arterial road and 2kms of council roads and will save drivers five minutes travel in either direction, taking thousands of drivers off busy Caloundra Road.
Minor works began before Christmas to get the site ready and full construction will now begin with completion expected in late 2022.
The Bells Creek Arterial extension – equally funded by the State Government and Stockland – is part of four jointly-funded projects on the Bruce Highway worth almost $3 billion.
The others include an upgrade between Caloundra Road and the Sunshine Motorway and the Maroochydore and Mons Road interchange upgrades.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey said the current level of investment in Sunshine Coast roads was unprecedented and more than was spent to upgrade the M1 between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
“That Bruce Highway investment is larger in terms of its value, at almost $3 billion, as well as the number of projects involved and the jobs it will support,” he said.
“The good news for 340,000 thousand residents who rely on the Bruce Highway and the wider Sunshine Coast economy is that the investment in these upgrades is happening at a time when that economic boost is greatly needed.”
Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt said the local road upgrades associated with the larger Bruce Highway projects would help to take local traffic off the highway.
“Building the Bells Creek Arterial will give Caloundra South locals a new connection to the Bruce Highway, easing the burden on Caloundra Road,” Mr Hunt said.
“Our investment in the Bells Creek Arterial project has bought forward the construction timeline for the new road.
“That investment is the catalyst for unlocking $300 million of additional housing and infrastructure investment at Caloundra South, supporting 314 direct jobs, and more than 550 indirect jobs.
“Further north, we’re also seeing local service roads built between Mons Road and Maroochydore Road as part of the $301 million interchange upgrades.
“That means locals will be able to make local east-west trips without having to get on the
Bruce Highway, which a great outcome in terms of safety, as well as reducing congestion.”
For more details about the transport and road upgrades being delivered on the Sunshine Coast, visit www.tmr.qld.gov.au/projects/districts/north-coast
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the government’s investments in Sunshine Coast infrastructure was ramping up to support Queensland’s economic recovery.
