GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade works are progressing in central Maroochydore, with the Sunshine Coast contractor delivering a $27.8 million transformation of the important connection between the emerging city centre, Ocean Street, Cotton Tree and the waterfront.

GRC Civil was appointed by Sunshine Coast Council following a public tender process undertaken in 2025. Major construction started in February 2026 and is expected to continue into 2027, subject to weather and site conditions.

The project will transform First Avenue between Aerodrome Road and the Cornmeal Creek bridge through underground service works, road and intersection upgrades, wider pedestrian areas, active-transport infrastructure, new landscaping and traffic-calming measures.

The $27.8 million project is jointly funded, with the Australian Government contributing $11.9 million through the Growing Regions Program and Sunshine Coast Council providing the remaining $15.9 million.

The $27.8 million figure refers to the overall project budget. Public project information reviewed by Bowen Basin Index does not separately identify the exact value of GRC Civil’s construction contract.

GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade moves through active construction

The GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade is now in active delivery following preliminary investigations, planning, consultation and procurement.

The work is intended to create a safer, greener and more accessible urban connection through central Maroochydore. First Avenue links the developing Maroochydore City Centre with established commercial, entertainment and waterfront areas around Duporth Avenue, Ocean Street and Cotton Tree.

Sunshine Coast Council describes the project as a critical missing connection in the city-centre network.

Construction began in mid-February 2026 and will continue in stages to allow access to local businesses, residences and surrounding streets to be maintained where possible.

Current information and construction updates are available through the official Sunshine Coast Council First Avenue project page.

What the $27.8 million First Avenue project will deliver

The GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade combines road, utility, public-realm, landscaping and active-transport works within a constrained urban corridor.

The published project scope includes:

• upgrading First Avenue between Aerodrome Road and the Cornmeal Creek bridge;
• relocating and upgrading underground services;
• improving pedestrian crossings;
• constructing wider shared pathways;
• introducing traffic-calming measures;
• improving cycling access;
• upgrading road pavement, kerbs and drainage;
• installing new street lighting and urban furniture;
• creating a new scramble crossing at the First Avenue, Duporth Avenue and The Esplanade intersection;
• planting approximately 70 new trees;
• installing more than 2,000 plants;
• creating shaded resting and public spaces; and
• improving access between the CBD, Ocean Street, Cotton Tree and the waterfront.

The works are intended to shift First Avenue from a vehicle-dominated corridor towards a more balanced urban street supporting motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, businesses and public activity.

First Avenue to connect the CBD with the waterfront

The strategic importance of the project comes from its location between the new Maroochydore City Centre and the established waterfront and entertainment precincts.

First Avenue provides a direct route between the developing CBD and destinations including:

• Duporth Avenue;
• Ocean Street;
• Cotton Tree;
• The Esplanade;
• the Maroochy River waterfront; and
• existing retail, hospitality and commercial businesses.

As the city centre develops, the number of people moving between these areas is expected to increase. The upgrade is intended to improve the quality, safety and accessibility of that connection.

Rather than treating First Avenue solely as a traffic route, the project aims to make it a more attractive public place where people can walk, cycle, access businesses and move between the CBD and the waterfront.

New scramble crossing at Duporth Avenue

A prominent feature of the GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade is a new scramble crossing at the intersection of First Avenue, Duporth Avenue and The Esplanade.

A scramble crossing temporarily stops vehicle movements in every direction, allowing pedestrians to cross directly or diagonally through an intersection during a dedicated pedestrian phase.

The treatment is intended to improve access between the First Avenue corridor, Ocean Street, Duporth Avenue and waterfront areas.

The final arrangement will need to integrate:

• traffic signals;
• pedestrian detection and controls;
• road markings;
• accessible kerb ramps;
• cycling movements;
• street lighting;
• drainage; and
• connections with surrounding footpaths and businesses.

The intersection work is likely to require carefully staged traffic management because it sits within an active commercial and entertainment precinct.

Wider shared paths and improved accessibility

The project will create wider shared paths, including sections measuring up to approximately seven metres along the western side of First Avenue.

The wider public area is intended to provide more room for:

• pedestrians;
• cyclists;
• families and prams;
• seniors;
• people using mobility devices;
• street furniture;
• landscaping; and
• outdoor activity linked to surrounding businesses.

Accessibility is an important part of the project. Crossings, paths and kerb interfaces must accommodate people with different levels of mobility while connecting safely with businesses, carparks and adjoining streets.

Wider and better-shaded routes may also encourage more people to walk between the city centre and the established commercial and waterfront areas.

Approximately 70 trees and more than 2,000 plants

Landscaping is a major component of the First Avenue transformation.

The completed streetscape is expected to include approximately 70 new trees and more than 2,000 plants.

The landscaping is intended to:

• provide shade;
• reduce heat across paved urban areas;
• improve visual amenity;
• create more comfortable pedestrian spaces;
• support the identity of the city centre;
• encourage people to remain in the precinct longer; and
• improve the connection between the CBD and waterfront.

Urban planting within a road corridor requires coordination with underground services, sight distances, drainage, lighting, pavement structures and maintenance access.

The selected trees and plants must also be suitable for Sunshine Coast conditions and the constraints of a busy urban environment.

Underground service relocations form a major early workstream

Before visible streetscape elements can be completed, GRC Civil must manage underground service relocations and upgrades.

Existing urban corridors can contain multiple utility systems, including:

• water mains;
• sewer infrastructure;
• stormwater drainage;
• electrical services;
• telecommunications;
• street-lighting supplies; and
• private connections serving businesses and properties.

Utility work is often one of the most complex parts of an urban streetscape project because records may not fully reflect actual service locations and condition.

Construction teams may need to undertake service locating, potholing, temporary diversions, protection, relocation and staged reconnection while limiting disruption to nearby businesses and residents.

Road and drainage construction in a constrained CBD environment

The GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade involves road pavement, kerb, drainage and intersection work within an active urban area.

Unlike a greenfield road project, the contractor must work around:

• existing businesses;
• residential properties;
• pedestrian access;
• traffic movements;
• public transport and deliveries;
• existing utilities;
• limited construction-storage areas; and
• noise and working-hour restrictions.

Construction staging will therefore be central to delivery.

Individual sections may need to be excavated and reconstructed while temporary pedestrian routes and traffic arrangements are maintained around the active work zone.

Drainage must also be integrated with the revised road profile, landscaped areas and surrounding property connections.

Traffic calming and safer urban movement

The project will introduce traffic-calming measures intended to reduce vehicle speeds and make the corridor safer and more comfortable for people walking and cycling.

Traffic calming may involve changes to:

• lane widths;
• intersection geometry;
• crossing locations;
• kerb alignments;
• surface treatments;
• signage;
• road markings; and
• landscaping arrangements.

The objective is not necessarily to prevent vehicles from using First Avenue, but to create an environment where motorists travel at speeds appropriate for a developing CBD and pedestrian precinct.

The works complement traffic-calming measures previously completed along Duporth Avenue.

Federal and council funding supports the project

The $27.8 million First Avenue project is jointly funded by the Australian Government and Sunshine Coast Council.

The funding breakdown is:

• Australian Government: $11.9 million through the Growing Regions Program; and
• Sunshine Coast Council: $15.9 million.

The Growing Regions Program supports community and economic infrastructure projects across regional Australia.

The First Avenue funding was awarded to help create a stronger connection through central Maroochydore and support the continued development of the city centre.

The Australian Government contribution should not be described as the full project value, and the overall $27.8 million budget should not automatically be described as the exact value of GRC Civil’s contract.

Potential local employment and business benefits

The project has been reported as supporting approximately 70 local workers and contractors during delivery.

Construction expenditure may flow through several areas of the Sunshine Coast economy, including:

• civil construction employment;
• local subcontractors;
• plant and equipment suppliers;
• quarry and construction materials;
• traffic-management businesses;
• electrical contractors;
• landscaping suppliers;
• professional consultants; and
• local accommodation, fuel and business services.

Once complete, the streetscape is also intended to improve access and pedestrian activity around nearby businesses.

Wider paths, increased shade and a more attractive public environment may encourage visitors to move more easily between the CBD, Ocean Street and the waterfront.

Supply-chain opportunities from the GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade

The GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade contains several construction disciplines relevant to Queensland subcontractors and suppliers.

Potential areas of participation may include:

• service locating and vacuum excavation;
• underground utility relocation;
• stormwater drainage;
• earthworks and excavation;
• road pavement construction;
• kerb and concrete works;
• asphalt and road surfacing;
• traffic-signal installation;
• electrical and street-lighting works;
• traffic management;
• line marking and signage;
• surveying and construction set-out;
• landscaping and irrigation;
• tree and plant supply;
• street furniture;
• plant and equipment hire;
• construction materials;
• environmental controls;
• site security; and
• construction logistics.

These are potential work areas only. The announcement does not confirm that subcontract packages remain open, and GRC Civil may already have established delivery arrangements in place.

Businesses should monitor the contractor’s official supplier processes and approach the company with project-relevant capability information rather than assuming packages are available.

GRC Civil’s Sunshine Coast delivery role

GRC Civil is a Sunshine Coast-based civil infrastructure contractor delivering road, drainage, utility and development projects.

Its appointment provides a local contractor with responsibility for one of central Maroochydore’s most visible public-infrastructure projects.

The work requires coordination across traditional civil construction and detailed urban public-realm delivery.

Key contractor responsibilities are likely to include:

• construction programming;
• stakeholder coordination;
• temporary traffic management;
• utility interfaces;
• quality control;
• environmental management;
• pedestrian and business access;
• subcontractor coordination;
• public safety around work zones; and
• staged handover of completed areas.

Construction expected to continue into 2027

Construction began in February 2026 and is expected to continue into 2027, weather and site conditions permitting.

Sunshine Coast Council has advised that local businesses and residents will continue to receive community updates as work progresses.

Temporary impacts may include:

• reduced traffic speeds;
• lane restrictions;
• temporary detours;
• changes to pedestrian routes;
• construction noise;
• temporary access arrangements; and
• staged changes around intersections.

Maintaining access to shops, offices and residences will be an important part of construction planning throughout the program.

Why the GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade matters

The GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade is significant because it links the new Maroochydore City Centre with established commercial, entertainment and waterfront precincts.

The project combines:

• a named Sunshine Coast contractor;
• a confirmed $27.8 million project value;
• active construction;
• federal and local-government funding;
• substantial utility and civil works;
• visible urban transformation;
• local workforce involvement; and
• commercial benefits for the surrounding CBD.

The story should therefore be framed as more than a beautification program.

GRC Civil is delivering a major urban infrastructure connection that will influence how people move between Maroochydore’s emerging CBD and its established waterfront and entertainment areas.

Bowen Basin Index readers can follow further Queensland civil and urban-infrastructure developments through the Project Watch civil engineering category, the construction category, the transport category and the broader Project Watch news hub.

GRC Civil First Avenue upgrade summary

GRC Civil is delivering Sunshine Coast Council’s $27.8 million First Avenue upgrade in central Maroochydore.

The project will create a greener, safer and more accessible connection between the emerging CBD, Ocean Street, Cotton Tree and the waterfront.

Major works include underground service relocations, road and drainage construction, wider shared paths, improved crossings, a new scramble crossing, street lighting and extensive landscaping.

Construction started in February 2026 and is expected to continue into 2027.