A section of hinterland road remains closed almost 18 months after it was affected by a landslip.
The State Government has told Sunshine Coast News there is no timeframe to repair an estimated 200m of northbound lane on Kilcoy-Beerway Road at Cedarton.
The area was affected by a landslip, which occurred during a period of heavy rain in early 2022.
State Member for Glass House Andrew Powell expressed his dismay at the delay, while officials said they were trying to work through hundreds of rectification jobs caused by the floods.
Mr Powell said commuters deserved to know when it could be completed by.
“The road has now been closed for (more than) 530 days after a drain failed and the road slipped following heavy rain in February and March of 2022,” he said.
“There really are no excuses for the issue not being resolved.
“I get the project is complicated and that we need to get this right, but where is the timeline?
“Kilcoy-Beerwah Road is well-travelled by locals and tourists alike, and they deserve to know when this section will be restored to two fully functioning lanes.”
About 1875 vehicles travel the route each day.
The section of winding road, which is just south of the Maleny-Stanley River Road turn-off, was completely closed immediately after the flooding, before the southbound lane was reopened in relatively quick time.
But the northbound lane has essentially been in limbo since.
A spokesperson for the Department Transport and Main Roads said it was one of many sections of road that needed addressing around the region, and that works would proceed in earnest when possible.
“This site is one of more than 450 projects across southern Queensland being managed by the department following the 2022 floods and, due to the large number of sites, the program of rectification works is being delivered progressively,” they said.
The spokesperson said the section of road remained closed “to ensure the safety of road users, while the damage was assessed, geotechnical investigations conducted and the repair works scoped and designed”.
“Temporary traffic signals have been in place to manage traffic flow through the affected area with minimal delays to motorists,” they said.
The site received a high-risk rating during post-flood assessments and the spokesperson said rectification of the site would require a thorough detailed design approach.
Assistance will be provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.
“The Kilcoy-Beerwah landslip site, as with all DRFA sites, is still under consideration as part of a broader program of recovery work and we are currently in the process of finalising detailed design and undertaking procurement for construction across the program,” the spokesperson said.
“Timing for construction for Kilcoy-Beerwah Road landslip site will be confirmed once detailed design is finalised after all engineering events are fully considered.”
