Caloundra Rd roundabout lights 'halving traffic': DTMR
Subscriber only
FED-UP motorists say bumper to bumper traffic along Caloundra Rd is at breaking point, and fear there's no end in sight.
Kings Beach resident Greg Mercer drives about 150km a day all around Caloundra for work and says it's getting "ridiculous".
He said the lights at the Caloundra Rd and Nicklin Way roundabout had only exacerbated problems since their installation earlier this year.
"It's getting to the point where it's just ridiculous being on the road," Mr Mercer said.
"School times in the morning and afternoon especially and during holidays.
"The traffic can be blocked all the way up Caloundra Rd and onto the Bellvista roundabout."
DTMR findings
The average travel times in 2017 between 3pm and 5pm, before signal installation, were as follows:
- westbound vehicles 10 minutes
- eastbound vehicles 1.5 minutes
- southbound vehicles 2.2 minutes
- northbound vehicles minimal delays
The average travel times since the start of school term 2019, between 3pm and 5pm, after installation, are as follows:
- westbound vehicles 5.3 minutes
- eastbound vehicles 2.7 minutes
- southbound vehicles 2.6 minutes
- northbound vehicles minimal delays.
Caloundra MP Mark McArdle has long called for a slip road at the "disaster" roundabout.
He said the lights had only created more problems than good.
Reader poll
Are the Caloundra roundabout lights working well?
This poll ended on 03 September 2019.
Current Results
No, traffic is buggery
84%
We have bigger problems to worry about
9%
Yes, I think they're fine
6%
This is not a scientific poll. The results reflect only the opinions of those who chose to participate.
"Caloundra Rd is the longest carpark on the Sunshine Coast and the lights are a farce, they do not work," Mr McArdle said.
"You travel down there in the morning and traffic is banked up along Bowman Rd into the intersection.
"The lights are childish, they don't solve anything.
" It's worse than it's ever been, and it's going to get worse.
"Slip lanes are a starter, but the whole road needs a detailed study."
Golden Beach resident Mitchell Mack said morning traffic westbound on Caloundra Rd was a "nightmare".
Mr Mercer also criticised the timing sequence of the traffic lights at the roundabout and questioned the need for them.
"Earlier this week I was stopped at the lights with no one on the roundabout at all," he said.
"But by the time it went green it was full.
"Why haven't they put a slip lane in?"
A Transport and Main Roads spokeswoman argued the average travel times for westbound vehicles had nearly halved, when compared to 2017, since the signals were installed.
"The metering signals at Caloundra Rd, Nicklin Way and Pelican Waters Blvd roundabout were introduced as an interim measure to balance traffic flow at the intersection," the spokeswoman said.
"The signals only operate when traffic builds up at the roundabout.
"When they are not in use, normal roundabout rules apply.
"The signals have balanced delays at the approaches, reduced excessive queuing and improved safety during peak traffic."
She said planning had started to address long-term capacity needs at the intersection.
"It involves future upgrades to replace the existing Caloundra Rd, Nicklin Way and Pelican Waters Blvd roundabout with a signalised intersection and extending the nearby Third Avenue to Nicklin Way, as part of a longer-term solution."
