
The site of Wollongong’s new permanent bus layover on Atchison Street. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
An eight-week construction project to relocate Wollongong’s bus layover facilities from Marine Drive to Atchison Street will begin on Monday 7 July.
The new facility is expected to be complete in time for the World Triathlon Championship to be held in Wollongong in October.
The project will provide dedicated amenities for drivers and safer parking arrangements for up to 11 buses, including toilets exclusively for bus drivers, a lunchroom, new lighting and a public pathway linking Atchison and Auburn streets.
It will also result in an extra 70 car parking spaces near City Beach.
As part of the project, two existing disabled parking spaces in the Atchison Street carpark will be relocated 15 metres southeast onto Atchison Street and converted to two longer mobility accessible spaces.
Transport and bus operators have coordinated efforts to reduce the effect on existing services, and new schedules will be communicated in the coming weeks.
Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said the bus layover relocation was decades overdue.
“The relocation … has been a long time coming and is a win for drivers, passengers and the CBD,” he said.
“This change provides drivers with modern, permanent facilities for breaks, and will help to improve bus services in Wollongong.
“I’m pleased that Transport for NSW has been able to strike the right balance between parking availability and public transport needs, working closely with Wollongong City Council, Illawarra bus operators and the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU) on the relocation.
“This change will also allow more than 70 car parking spaces to be opened up near City Beach and the WIN Stadium and Entertainment Centre – some of the most popular places to visit in the city but also some of the most challenging when it comes to finding parking.”