Statistics:
- Length:
- 136 km
- Termini:
- Northern: Bruce Hwy (M1), Cooroy
- Southern: D'Aguilar Hwy (SR85), Woodford
- Miscellaneous:
- Route taken: Peachester Rd, Steve Irwin Way, Caloundra Rd, Nicklin Way, Brisbane Rd, Walan St, Venning St, Mooloolaba Esp, Alexandra Pde, Aerodrome Rd, Horton Pde, Beach Rd, Duport Av, Bradman Av, David Low Way, Suncoast Blvd, David Low Way, Ocean View, Coolum Esp, David Low Way, Heathland Dr, Eenie Creek Rd, Eumundi Rd, Beckmans Rd, Jack Hassett Dr, Tewantin Rd, Diamond St, Elm St and Myall St
- Suburbs, Towns & Localities Along Route:
- Woodford, Stanmore, Cedarton, Peachester, Beerwah, Landsborough, Glenview, Meridan Plains, Little Mountain, Caloundra West, Caloundra, Aroona, Currimundi, Wurtulla, Bokarina, Warana, Buddina, Minyama, Mooloolaba, Alexandra Headland, Maroochydore, Diddillabah, Bli Bli, Pacific Paradise, Marcoola, Mount Coolum, Yaroomba, Point Arkwright, Coolum Beach, Peregian Beach, Marcus Beach, Castaways Beach, Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach, Noosa Heads, Noosaville, Tewantin, Tinbeerwah, Lake McDonald and Cooroy
Route Numbering:
- Current: 6
- Multiplexed with: 24
- Former: 53 1
- Road Authority Internal Classification: 1
- 492 (Woodford to Beerwah)
- 490 (Beerwah to Glenview)
- 132 (Glenview to Caloundra)
- 153 (Caloundra to Minyama)
- 135 (Mooloolaba to Maroochydore)
- 133 (Maroochydore to Pacific Paradise and Marcoola to Peregian Beach)
- 915 (Pacific Paradise to Marcoola)
- 142 (Tewantin to Cooroy)
- 145 (Cooroy)
General Information:
State Route 6 is an arterial route linking the Sunshine Coast hinterland with the coast. It's a mix of rural and suburban roadway, passing through farmland, bushland, rural, residential, commercial and light industrial areas. The route follows a circuitous path and is not always the most direct connection between towns.
The section between Beerwah and Glenview is a former alignment of Bruce Highway (NR1).
The UBD Refidex 33rd Brisbane, Sunshine Coast & Gold Coast street directory, published in 1989, references a State Route 8 duplex that runs between Maroochydore Road (SR8) in Maroochydore and Buderim Avenue (formerly SR8) in Alexandra Headland.
The same street directory also reports Alternative State Route 6 was signposted along the former State Route 6 through Currimundi, Dicky Beach, Moffat Beach, and Caloundra. This route includes Buderim Street, Cooroy Street, Beerburrum Street, Elizabeth Street, Buccleugh Street, Maltman Street North, Regent Street, Bowman Road, and Caloundra Road.
Multiplexes along the route include:
- Tourist Drive 24, for 15 km, between Beerwah and Glenview.
History:
- June 1923: Construction of a timber bridge over Six Mile Creek on Cooroy-Noosa Road at Tinbeerwah. It was 3.7 m wide and 30 m long and lasted for 44 years. It was also the first bridge constructed by the Main Roads Board. 2
- June 1962: Landsborough by-pass opened to traffic. 3
- 1967: The bridge over Six Mile Creek on Cooroy-Noosa Road at Tinbeerwah was replaced by a wider and higher level concrete structure. 2
- September 1995: Duplication of Caloundra Road to four lanes (Parklands Boulevard to Nicklin Way). 4
- May 1998: Reconstruction and widening between Mooloolah Connection Road and Caloundra Road. 4
- May 2001: Upgrade of Kilcoy-Beerwah Road throughout Beerwah township and at Steve Irwin Way. 4
- March 2006: Work begins on widening Caloundra Road to 4 lanes. Work also included construction of a roundabout at the Caloundra-Mooloolaba Road intersection, an overpass at Racecourse Road and an overbridge near Jordan Street for local traffic, pedestrians, horse riders and fauna crossings for wildlife. 5
- 27 September 2006: Glass House Mountains Road renamed Steve Irwin Way as a tribute to the late conservationist. 6 The road runs in front of Irwin's hugely popular wildlife park, Australia Zoo. Steve Irwin died, aged 44, in September 2006 after being stabbed in the chest by a stingray's poisonous barb while filming a documentary on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. 7
- December 2006: Installation of Steve Irwin Way signage. 8
- February 2008: Work begins on widening Nicklin Way between Kawana Island Boulevard and Lutana Street. 9
- September 2008: Works begin for upgrade of section of Steve Irwin Way, between Mooloolah Connection Road and the Caloundra Road interchange. 10
- 2009: Completion of duplication of a 3.3 kilometre section of Steve Irwin Way, between Mooloolah Connection Road and the Caloundra Road interchange. 11 Widening works along Cooroy-Noosa Road, between Swift Drive and Hayward Road West at Lake MacDonald. 12
- April 2009: Completion of the widening to Caloundra Road. 13
- 31 October 2009: Opening of Southern Beerwah Bypass (Kilcoy-Beerwah Road), including new railway overpass (official opening celebration was held on 1 November 2009). 4
- July 2011: A gully near the Beerwah township officially named. The gully located on Peachester Road, about three kilometres west of the Beerwah township was named Waldrons Gully, in honour of Francis Waldron who immigrated to Australia in 1882. The gully runs through the properties that Mr Waldron purchased and owned until his death in 1928. 14
- September 2011: Intersection upgrade commences on Cooroy-Noosa Road at the junction with Sunrise Road at Tinbeerwah. Work included installation of dedicated left and right-turn lanes and a pedestrian refuge at the intersection, installation of street lighting to improve visibility at night, road resurfacing to improve friction and assist vehicles travelling on the steep section of the road, reducing the length of the overtaking lane to ensure westbound motorists can merge prior to approaching the intersection and a reduced speed limit of 80 km/h. 15
- January 2012: Reconstruction commences on Kilcoy-Beerwah Road at the Peachester Range. Works included reconstructing the road by excavating the uphill side and moving the road three metres away from the downhill slope after a landslip damaged the existing road. 16
1 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland state-controlled roads and region maps, North Coast Region, November 2022.
2 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Queensland Roads, Edition No 5, Timber Bridge Heritage, March 2008.
3 Nambour Chronicle.
4 Tyler Bullock.
5 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Energex relocations pave way for Caloundra Road upgrade, 23 March 2006.
6 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Glass House Mountains Road to be Renamed in Honour of Steve Irwin, 27 September 2006.
7 The Star Online, Australian road named for adventurer Steve Irwin, 2 January 2007.
8 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Roadside sign honours wildlife warrior, 18 April 2008.
9 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Upgrade to improve traffic flow on Nicklin Way, 15 February 2008.
10 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Preliminary works begin for upgrade of section of Steve Irwin Way, 26 August 2008.
11 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Steve Irwin Way upgrade on track for mid-2010 completion, 24 December 2009.
12 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Bligh Government to upgrade Cooroy-Noosa Road, 22 January 2009.
13 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Caloundra Road upgrade Bruce Highway to Pierce Avenue.
14 QLD Government, Environment and Resource Management, Media Releases, Pioneering immigrant honoured in gully naming, 29 July 2011.
15 QLD Government, Department of Transport and Main Roads, Projects, Tinbeerwah intersection upgrade.
16 QLD Government, Ministerial Media Statements, Moving mountains to reconstruct Kilcoy-Beerwah Road, 18 January 2012.