Consultation period is now closed

Council invited the community to provide feedback on the proposed upgrade between 18 August and 15 September 2023.

Project summary

With Maroochydore continuing to grow, more workers, residents and visitors are travelling to and from the heart of the Sunshine Coast.

Sugar Road and Maud Street are key access routes with the number of vehicles, pedestrians and riders forecast to increase in the coming decade.

Both Sugar Road and Maud Street are heavily congested during peak hours, with users experiencing long traffic queues and delays. There’s also a lack of safe, off-road walking and riding paths.

Improving road safety for buses private vehicles, freight and emergency vehicles, reducing congestion and providing safer and more accessible walking and riding paths along this important transit route are top priorities for Sunshine Coast Council.

Council also wants to provide a safe and inclusive environment for walkers, riders and all mobility needs, to improve the area’s connectivity and accessibility.

That’s why the design includes new separated two-way cycle tracks, improved pedestrian paths, an extra two traffic lanes, intersection upgrades, landscaping, safe crossing options and street lighting.

Revamping Sugar Road and Maud Street will also create a healthier, user-friendly environment.

Plans to improve the Sugar Road and Maud Street corridor have been in place for more than 20 years.

Although construction isn’t expected to begin before 2026, community feedback was sought on the project’s draft concept designs.

Project scope

The planned upgrades include:

  • constructing two-way cycle tracks that are separated from the road
  • reinstating and improving pedestrian pathways
  • landscaping both roads
  • installing better street lighting to improve safety
  • widening Sugar Road from two to four lanes between Wises Road and Dalton Drive
  • widening Maud Street from two to four lanes between Dalton Drive and Bungama Street
  • upgrading key intersections
  • installing pedestrian and riding crossings

Benefits

  • Sugar Road is one of the Sunshine Coast’s busiest Council-owned roads and carries up to 25,000 vehicles a day, well over its design capacity of 15,000.
  • Both roads are heavily congested during peak hours with queues regularly stretching south to Mooloolaba Road.
  • Congestion impacts bus services and the movement of people and goods to local businesses along the route and travelling to destinations in the centre of Maroochydore and beyond.
  • Motorists turning out of side streets also often struggle to find a space in the traffic.
  • There are no dedicated riding facilities and only two signalised crossings for pedestrians and bike riders.
  • Conditions will only worsen as the Sunshine Coast and Maroochydore continues to grow.

Sunshine Coast Council’s ‘Strong Community’ goal encourages a healthy and active community through planning and delivery of the transport network to support more walking and riding.

We also aim to increase riding, especially on designated routes.

The Sugar Road and Maud Street corridor upgrade will deliver two-way cycle tracks (separated from the road), better pedestrian pathways and more crossings for walkers and riders.

Reducing congestion and improving travel times on Sugar Road and Maud Street will also make catching the bus more attractive.

Land will be required to widen the roads to deliver this important transport infrastructure.

Council initially seeks to acquire properties by negotiation and endeavours to give impacted property owners as much notice as possible, which is why road projects are planned years in advance.

In recent years Council purchased properties on Sugar Road and Maud Street as they came to market and is now seeking to buy the remaining properties required.

All directly impacted property owners have been advised.

Sugar Road passes beneath the Sunshine Motorway between two nearby motorway interchanges – Maroochy Boulevard and Buderim–Mooloolaba Road.

The Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads is currently planning an upgrade of the motorway between the two interchanges through the Buderim–Mooloolaba Interchange to Maroochy Boulevard (BMI2MB) project. For more information on that project visit the Department of Transport and Main Roads.

The upgrade layout of the Sugar Road and Wises Road intersection is subject to Queensland Government planning. Council and the Queensland Government are working together as planning progresses to ensure these projects are integrated and that the roads controlled by different levels of government function as ‘one network’.

Video

Artist impressions

Community engagement

Between Friday 18 August until Friday 15 September 2023, Council sought input from people who use Sugar Road or Maud Street, residents and workers who live or work nearby, local business owners and their customers, and the broader Sunshine Coast community.

Where to from here

We are reviewing community ideas and input provided through this Have Your Say engagement. Council will now finalise the concept design for the Sugar Road and Maud Street upgrades, which will be published in 2024.

Explore the concept design in 3D

Take a virtual tour of the concept design

  • Click on the map to explore the concept design.
  • Click on the orange aerial buttons to move to different sections of the map.
  • Click on the blue location markers to see 360 degree views at each location.

Sugar Road

Maud Street

Timeline

  • Timeline item 1 - complete

    2000

    Maroochy plan 2000 classified the corridor as an arterial road and the need to provide greater future capacity identified

  • Timeline item 2 - complete

    2014

    Upgrade works listed Council’s Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme Local Government Infrastructure Plan

  • Timeline item 3 - complete

    2016

    Council started acquiring properties on Maud Street

  • Timeline item 4 - complete

    2018

    Sugar Rd and Maud St upgrades again listed in the Sunshine Coast Planning Scheme Local Government Infrastucture Plan which underwent public consultation.

  • Timeline item 5 - complete

    2019

    Council started acquiring properties on Sugar Road

  • Timeline item 6 - complete

    Late 2022

    Council approves progression of Transport Planning for Sugar Road and Maud Street

  • Timeline item 7 - complete

    Mid 2023

    Consultants appointed, and draft design progressed

  • Timeline item 8 - complete

    Friday, 18 August - Friday, 15 September 2023

    Community Feedback sought on draft Concept design

  • Timeline item 9 - complete

    September 2023

    Public Consultation closes

  • Timeline item 10 - incomplete

    Mid 2024

    Final Concept design scheduled for release

  • Timeline item 11 - incomplete

    Late 2024

    Detailed Design proposed to be undertaken

  • Timeline item 12 - incomplete

    2026 and beyond

    Construction expected to commence from late 2026. The project will be constructed in stages over several years.

Keep up to date with the project

The project team will continue to keep the community informed as this vital piece of transport infrastructure is progressed.

  • Visit the project webpage on Council’s website (search for Sugar Road and Maud Street Upgrade).
  • Contact the project team or register to receive project updates on the email below.

Contact Us

Have questions or want to learn more about this project, contact us below:

Name Sugar Rd/ Maud St Upgrade Project Team
Phone (07) 5475 7272
Email SugarMaudUpgrade@sunshinecoast.qld.gov.au
In writing

Att: Sugar Rd/ Maud St Upgrade Project Team

Strategic Infrastructure Planning and Policy

Locked Bag 72 Sunshine Coast Mail Centre Qld 4560