The new Ballarat bus interchange, in the north-east corner of the train station, has jumped from a $5 million commitment in 2018 to a $22 million project.
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Already, almost $14 million has been spent on the works, which will lead to local buses stopping at a purpose-built loop instead of at nearby streets.
The original design called for an asphalt loop between platform two and the new multi-level car park, with 12 shelters for local buses - the loop would be connected to Nolan Street, where a new entrance has been built for the car park, and Lydiard Street through a public plaza.
The state budget for 2021-22 notes the "total estimated investment has increased by $17.393 million due to complex interface issues at the Ballarat station precinct. The estimated completion date has been extended to quarter 1 2021-22".
Early concepts for the precinct upgrade mentioned traffic lights for Nolan Street, which is part of the $17.39 million in extra costs.
This part of the project went out to tender through the City of Ballarat last week, and must be complete in August, tender documents state.
Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said the extra millions of dollars were allocated after the project was rescoped - investigations discovered "100-year-old technical wiring" which needed to be identified and relocated or renewed.
"We have increased the scope, but we will have a better bus interchange as a result of that," he said on Friday.
This work was completed in January this year while the Ballarat Line Upgrade was being completed - the Department of Transport notes this will improve reliability for train services.
A car park for V/Line staff was also added, as well as replacing train stabling facilities, and the relocation of signalling infrastructure.
Maps of the work show the employee car park will be between the bus interchange and the multi-level commuter car park.
The project is still expected to be completed this year.
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The bus interchange is a separate project to the rest of the station precinct upgrade, with $25 million allocated to the new multi-level car park, a new hotel, and the Goods Shed conference and retail space revitalisation.
It's also separate to the Ballarat Line Upgrade, a state and federally-funded project which budget documents note cost $631 million, and preliminary work on the southside master plan project for land south of the station between Lydiard and Peel streets.
Heritage advocates have pointed out the regional bus interchange, on the station's south-west side, will need to be removed by the end of 2022.
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