Residents and business owners in Noosa are furious after a major upgrade to the Doonella Lake Bridge — a critical link between Tewantin and Noosaville — turned routine five-minute commutes into ordeals lasting more than 40 minutes, just one day after work began on Tuesday, July 7.
The bridge, which carries an estimated 20,000 vehicles a day, is undergoing repairs expected to last six months. Noosa Shire Council gave affected residents and businesses less than two weeks' notice before the works commenced, a timeline many in the community say was woefully inadequate.
How the diversions are hitting locals and commuters
During the upgrade, the bridge is operating as a one-way, eastbound-only route, allowing traffic to move from Tewantin toward Noosa. Motorists travelling in the opposite direction — from Noosaville to Tewantin — are being diverted via Beckmans Road and Cooroy-Noosa Road, pushing thousands of additional vehicles onto roads already under pressure.
Tewantin resident Sam Lloyd described the immediate impact as untenable. What was once a five-minute drive took her more than 40 minutes on the first day of the works. "If this is the next six months … I can't see how this can work," she said.
Ms Lloyd acknowledged the ageing bridge — now 58 years old — was in genuine need of attention, but took aim at the council's communication, describing an automated phone message urging commuters to use public transport or ride a bike as deeply out of touch. "Would love to see all the tradies with their push bikes, with all their tools," she said.
Businesses fear 'devastating' economic blow
The disruption has struck at a particularly sensitive time: the current school holiday period is typically one of the busiest trading periods for businesses along this stretch of the Sunshine Coast hinterland. Instead, many are reporting near-empty car parks and a sharp drop in foot traffic.
Noosa Marina general manager Warren Smith said the closure would have a "devastating impact on all businesses" in the area and warned the situation defied logic. "The fact people can't travel from Noosaville towards Tewantin … it's mind-boggling," he said, predicting the diversion would effectively turn Tewantin into a "desert zone."
Mr Smith confirmed businesses received just 10 days' notice from the council before works started, and said an impromptu meeting held with council representatives on Tuesday evening left business owners frustrated. "They didn't present any solutions, but said they'll go away overnight and come back with an answer," he said.
He also raised alarm about what lies ahead, noting the current delays of around 45 minutes were occurring during school holidays when traffic volumes are lower than normal. "Don't forget we're in school holidays, so there's no school traffic," he said, warning congestion would worsen significantly once the new school term begins next week.
Kim Visser, manager of the Marina Bar at Tewantin, said the fallout had been immediate and stark. "It's quiet. The parking is empty. There's hardly any people walking around. We're scared for the business," she said. "In an economy where we're already struggling with an economical crisis … this is going to be the final straw. They didn't consider us at all."
Council concedes congestion worse than expected — review under way
Council infrastructure services director Shaun Walsh acknowledged publicly that the traffic situation had proven "challenging" and more severe than the council had anticipated going into the project.
Following Tuesday evening's meeting with affected business operators, the council committed to reviewing its traffic management plan. Residents and business owners are hoping that review will deliver meaningful changes before school resumes and congestion intensifies further — though as of Wednesday no concrete alternative solutions had been put forward.
The upgrade is projected to continue for the next six months, meaning the community faces a prolonged period of disruption unless the council can find a workable alternative to the current diversion arrangement.
