A $7 million road upgrade on the Sunshine Coast is hoped to tempt more students to catch buses
February 8, 2013
A $7 million road upgrade near the University of the Sunshine Coast is hoped to tempt more students to catch buses.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson says the upgrade to Sippy Downs Drive will promote sustainable transport and improve safety.
“The turning lanes, cycle lanes and footpaths will make things easier for buses, cyclists and pedestrians, which will hopefully encourage residents to leave their cars at home,” Jamieson says.
The upgrade along the front boundary of the university included removing a roundabout and installing traffic signals and turning lanes at the Stringybark Road intersection.
Jamieson says the project is the first in a series of road upgrades that will occur in the area as the new Sippy Downs town centre is constructed.
The upgrade also included undergrounding the electricity supply, new pedestrian and street lighting, a landscaped central median, two traffic lanes in each direction, an on road bicycle lane, parallel parking bays and a four metre wide pathway.
More upgrades along the northern side of Sippy Downs Drive will be completed by developers of the Sippy Downs town centre when they commence construction
The Queensland Government contributed $616,000 to the upgrade of the pedestrian and cycling facilities.