Alexandra Headland Coastal Path Delay Pushes Boardwalk Work Past July

The Alexandra Headland Coastal Path Upgrade has slipped beyond its original July completion target, with council updates pointing to weather delays and a boardwalk material supply issue on one of the Coast's busiest walking and riding links.

Sunshine Coast Council's project page says the work is upgrading the Coastal Pathway at Alex Bluff Foreshore Park to improve accessibility, safety and amenity. The section forms part of the wider 73km Coastal Pathway between Bells Creek and Coolum. Council says the existing 1.8m path is being renewed and widened to a 3.5m shared pathway for walkers, riders, runners, families and wheelchair users.

Sunshine Coast News reported on 29 July that the project was expected to be finished in July but is now moving into August and September for some sections. The most prominent delayed element is the 110m elevated boardwalk just north of Alex Bluff Foreshore Park. The boardwalk is intended to replace a steep and narrow section with an accessible route through the headland, including shaded rest points and ocean views.

Council's own construction update says the coastal path is closed while works continue, with pedestrian detours in place on the adjacent Alexandra Parade path between Mooloolaba and Maroochydore. Beach Access 165 is closed, and Beach Access 167 will remain closed while boardwalk construction continues. Beach Access 166 and the Bluff Viewing Area are available.

The delay matters because the Alex Bluff path is not a minor local shortcut. It is a daily exercise route, a visitor promenade, a commuting link for some bike riders and one of the public places where the Coast's beach identity is most visible. Disruption is therefore felt by locals who walk it every morning, families moving between beaches, visitors staying at Mooloolaba or Alexandra Headland, and businesses that benefit from easy foot traffic along the foreshore.

The upgrade is still significant. The planned features include the wider shared pathway, elevated boardwalk, viewing platform, seating, shade trees, landscaping, wildlife-friendly lighting and design references to the relaxed coastal character of Alex Bluff. Sunshine Coast News reported that new custom seating at the area known locally as The Corner has been designed with references to longboard surf culture and local surfing heritage.

For council, the challenge is keeping the community informed while construction fencing remains visible through winter. The project page says remaining works include the shared pathway, elevated boardwalk, viewing platforms, landscaping and final finishes. Council also says it is trying to shrink the construction site as works progress, while recognising that new landscape areas need time to establish before full public access is restored.

The practical message for users is that the path is improving, but the detour period is not over. If most of the pathway reopens before the boardwalk is complete, the experience may still feel partly unfinished until the accessible headland section is delivered. For a project sold on safety, access and amenity, the final test will be whether the completed route handles mobility users, runners, children, cyclists and visitors more comfortably than the narrow path it replaces.