TMR earthworks ramp up at Mooloolah River interchange upgrade

Large-scale earthworks and embankment work are now underway at the Mooloolah River Interchange Upgrade (MRIU) on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, between Mountain Creek and Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast News reported on 29 October 2026. The project is delivered by Transport and Main Roads (TMR), a Queensland Government department, so no private developer sits on the build.

A TMR spokesperson told the outlet the project had reached “a major construction milestone,” the outlet reported.

Site establishment, service relocations and environmental works began in late 2025 and are continuing across the project area, TMR told the outlet. The outlet reported the current earthworks are preparing the site for major construction activity in 2027.

Why it matters

For Sunshine Coast builders and civil contractors, the shift from site clearing to large-scale earthworks is the first visible sign that the interchange is moving toward its construction phase rather than sitting in planning. Stage 1 delivers new road links between Nicklin Way, Brisbane Road and Karawatha Drive, along with a new signalised intersection, the outlet reported.

The MRIU is also set to support the future delivery of The Wave, a planned public transport scheme for the region, the outlet reported. That gives the current earthworks a role beyond the interchange itself, tying road works to a transit project still to come. For other reported Queensland construction-start activity, see the Hamilton Grove precinct in Brisbane.

TMR did not give the outlet a figure when asked about the project’s likely cost, Sunshine Coast News reported. No total project cost is confirmed, and none should be assumed from the scale of earthworks now visible on site.

The numbers

Stage 1’s scope, as reported by the outlet, covers three named roads, Nicklin Way, Brisbane Road and Karawatha Drive, feeding into one new signalised intersection. Stage 1 also includes a two-way service road and new walking and cycling links, the outlet reported. Early works started in late 2025 and are still running alongside the earthworks.

What’s next

Future stages could include a Mooloolah River crossing to Kawana Way, extra motorway lanes and duplication of part of the Sunshine Motorway, the outlet reported. Major construction activity is due to begin in 2027, with the current earthworks and embankment phase continuing in the meantime, the outlet reported. Until TMR answers the outlet’s cost question, the project’s budget remains unstated.