Raised pedestrian crossings and a reduced speed limit will be introduced in a bustling area that is being upgraded as one of three ‘black spots’ on the Sunshine Coast.
Nine elevated crosswalks will be built and drivers will be expected to slow down at Cotton Tree.
Federal funding is also on the way to improve road safety and address deficiencies on Carter Road at Nambour and Mons Road at Buderim.
A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said the three zones were accident-prone and required improvements.
“Each location has experienced a high number of crashes, prompting necessary upgrades to enhance safety measures,” they said.
Crashes have led to 29 injuries in the high-pedestrian Cotton Tree area during the past five years.
The federal government has committed $1.772 million for the works, which could start as early as next week and are due to be completed by September next year.
Eight raised crossings will be installed at all side road intersections with Sixth Avenue, and a raised zebra crossing will be installed on Fourth Avenue. The speed limit will also be reduced to 40kmh. Two-metre-wide shared paths will also be constructed.
Carter Road was identified as a black spot because of its curve-related challenges and outdated signage. There has been seen six crashes there in the past five years, resulting in two fatalities and four injuries.
A $30,000 boost will go towards the installation of a vehicle-activated warning sign on the southbound lane and the installation of new curve warning signs. The speed limit will be reduced from 60kmh to 50kmh. Work should start next week and finish by December.
Meanwhile, Mons Road has hazardous clear-zone conditions and inadequate alignment warnings, with crashes leading to four injuries during the past year.
A $268,000 contribution will be used to install static alignment warning signs, chevron alignment markers and additional delineation devices. It will also go towards replacing and installing new signage and replacing line marking. Work should start next week and take less than two months.
The works across these locations will be managed by the council.
The federal Department of Infrastructure and Transport told Sunshine Coast News that the Black Spot Program aims to improve road safety at locations where crashes are occurring or are at risk of occurring.
“Project nominations are assessed and prioritised by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, before they are considered by a consultative panel of road safety experts and recommended for approval,” they said.
“The Australian Government is progressively increasing black spot funding to $150 million per year across Australia, with over $130 million available in 2024-25.”
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