End of an era

By Paul Fahy

" Peter Tobin watches as the last of Wollongong's concrete bus shelters is demolished at Bellambi.

IT was over in a matter of seconds.

The last of Wollongong's concrete bus shelters reduced to a pile of rubble.

The demolition of the final shelter in Sellers Crescent at Bellambi last Friday marked the end of an extended decommissioning program.

Wollongong City Council has removed 76 of the structures due to an identified safety risk.

The council's geotechnical engineer Peter Tobin said the old bus shelters posed a serious risk of collapsing if struck in a car accident.

"There was one incident where a vehicle just brushed a shelter and it came crashing down," he said.

"Thankfully there was nobody inside."

Mr Tobin said a risk analysis conducted by the council found that the constant exposure to salt air had aged the concrete and steel inside the shelters.

The old shelters are being replaced with either new $8500 plate steel structures or aluminium shelters recycled' back into service as an interim measure until new shelters become available.

Two of the concrete structures have not been replaced as a result of changes in bus routes.

To be allocated to busier routes, the replacement shelters are designed to comply with guidelines for both the visually and sight impaired.

While the new structures are modern and more functional, Mr Tobin said it was still somewhat bittersweet watching the last concrete shelter bite the dust.

"They have served well for 30 to 40 years," he said.