The first cars in more than two decades will travel the full length of Keira Street on Monday, 29 November, as Wollongong City Council officially opens the Transit Mall to traffic.
The project has been flagged as a key improvement under Council’s City Centre Revitalisation Strategy as it will reduce congestion and make travelling in and around the CBD quicker.
Director of Infrastructure and Works, Peter Kofod, said the Keira Street opening will be a major change for Wollongong’s city centre.
“Drivers will now be allowed to travel north and south through Keira Street, giving motorists easier access to parking stations and making travel around the CBD faster and more convenient,” Mr Kofod said.
“We expect access to the northern suburbs will be simpler as drivers will be able to travel straight through Keira Street. It’s also great for visitors arriving in Wollongong from the north who are currently sent west along Crown Street, away from the heart of the city.”
As part of the opening, Council is asking residents to get familiar with the rules around Bus Lanes.
The city’s first Bus Lanes will be introduced on Crown Street and Keira Street as part of the opening. While some people may have used Bus Lanes in other areas, many locals are not familiar with the rules.
The NSW Road Rules state that cars cannot travel in a Bus Lane. Bus Lanes can only be used by public buses, taxis, motorbikes and bicycles. A car can only drive in a Bus Lane under certain circumstances like emergencies or to avoid an obstruction.
The rules also state you may travel in the Bus Lane to overtake a vehicle that is turning right. This applies to cars traveling south down Keira Street if vehicles are turning right into Crown Street.
There will a number of changes to traffic conditions as part of the Keira Street opening, including points where you can’t turn left or right. Drivers should drive slowly and keep an eye out for new directional signage.
Pedestrians also need to take extra care crossing Keira Street. At the moment pedestrians find it very easy to cross at the lights from the NRMA building to the Mall, however with cars now traveling through Keira Street, pedestrians will need to use the traffic signals and look carefully before crossing.