AFTER years of advocacy, work is finally about to commence on the $ 5 million upgrade of a notorious roundabout in Coolum Beach.
Ninderry MP Dan Purdie said he was excited to see machinery and demountables move into Barnes Lane in Coolum last week, ahead of the start of work to replace the roundabout at Yandina Coolum Road, School Road and South Coolum Road with a signalled intersection.
“For years the Coolum community and I have been advocating for this upgrade, which is part of our bigger campaign to bust congestion and improve safety,” Mr Purdie said.
“Locals have consistently told me this is their top priority, and while it’s been a long journey and millions of dollars to get to this point, we are starting to see some real progress.”
Mr Purdie said the work will complement the recent upgrades to Coolum State School’s Stop, Drop and Go zone, which was relocated further away from the roundabout in an effort to ease congestion.
“This is a critical stage of the long-term plan, which includes the duplication of the Motorway and a new interchange at Coolum,” Mr Purdie said.
The duplication is currently the subject of a $3million business case, including upgrading the local road network to link South Coolum Road and Suncoast Beach Drive and installing new on and off ramps to connect with West Coolum Road.
“I’ve already met with the new Mayor and Division 8 Councillor to progress these local upgrades, and I hope they will see the merit in getting this important link done sooner rather than later.”
Coolum Business and Tourism President Mark Cameron said the business community was delighted to see the work finally begin.
“This is just the first step towards receiving the upgrades badly needed to make Coolum and our rapidly developing industrial estate more accessible and adequate for a growing region,” Mr Cameron said.
The intersection works are expected to take approximately four months, weather conditions permitting, and although there will be traffic disruptions, Mr Purdie said he encouraged motorists and pedestrians to be patient.
“This is one of the biggest infrastructure projects we’ve seen in Coolum for decades, and once completed, it will be a game-changer.”
Key features of the new intersection will include
*Three signalised pedestrian crossing points.
*A new concrete footpath to connect the school drop-off on Barnes Ln to School Rd. *New dedicated right and left turn lanes from Yandina Coolum Rd into South Coolum Rd and School Rd.
*A new dedicated through-lane on Yandina Coolum Road.
*On-road bike lanes.