Several alarming incidents along a busy road have led to its ‘black spot’ designation and a planned safety upgrade.
The federal government has allocated almost $510,000 towards improvements along a section of Bellvista Boulevard at Caloundra West.
The works will include a raised zebra crossing at the existing pedestrian refuge on the south-west leg of the roundabout at Stornaway Avenue and Bells Reach Drive, and flashing school zone signs to reduce speed to 40km/h during peak school times.
The upgrades will be delivered during the summer holidays.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said funding from the national Black Spot Program was committed after several locals expressed their concerns about the road.
“This location has recorded four multi-vehicle crashes in the past five years, with no pedestrian or cyclist injuries. However, numerous near-misses have been reported by Unity College parents and local drivers, highlighting the urgent need for action,” they said.
Bellvista Boulevard cuts through a residential area, with the school to its west and homes to its east.
It is used by about 15,500 vehicles per day and is expected to become significantly busier in one of the state’s fastest-growing areas.
Councillor Jenny Broderick raised concerns about the safety of schoolchildren crossing the multi-lane road last year.
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The council spokesperson said a risk assessment was undertaken “not based on crash history but on potential danger” before council submitted the project for Black Spot Program funding.
“The assessment identified a raised zebra crossing as the most effective solution to improve pedestrian safety,” they said.
One lane is expected to be open in both directions during the works period.
“Drivers are asked to follow traffic controller directions during works,” the spokesperson said.
“More construction details will be shared closer to works starting.
“This upgrade reflects council’s commitment to proactive safety measures and protecting our community’s most vulnerable road users.”
The state government has also started investigations to upgrade the nearby junction of Bellvista Boulevard and Caloundra Road at Little Mountain.
Traffic can be banked up in three directions at the two-lane roundabout, which serves as a main entryway to Caloundra and Australia’s largest master-planned community, Aura.
A Transport and Main Roads spokesperson said the local roads were getting busier.
“Continued traffic growth along Caloundra Road and Bellvista Boulevard, as well as from surrounding areas, highlights the need for upgrades to meet both current and future transport demands, including active transport needs,” they said.
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.
