Residents have hit back over the quiet removal of the pedestrian bridge on the Mt Ousley interchange.
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There was also disquiet about replacing two roundabouts with traffic lights due to concerns over increased truck noise.
But a Transport for NSW spokesperson said the bridge was removed so as not to restrict the height limit for trucks.
Last week Transport for NSW Regional Director South, Cassandra Ffrench announced the changes, saying they would deliver "value for money".
The pedestrian bridge over Mt Ousley Road was removed without an alternative being offered; Ms Ffrench said "other improvements to cycle and pedestrian connections" would be planned, the community seeing them "in the coming months".
Illawarra Bike Users Group president Ed Birt said the interchange needed to make sure pedestrians and cyclists could travel between the suburbs and the University of Wollongong
"We've got to get it right - it's an opportunity," Mr Birt said.
"It cannot be an afterthought, it has to be front and centre in the thinking about the design. Why would you be looking for cost efficiencies that just create bottlenecks within a few years?"
He predicted that in the next few years, more and more people over 60 will have an ebike - while others looking for cost savings in the household budget may not not bother buying a car.
"Let's wake up to it and get a healthier city, a healthier community, reduce congestion," he said.
"Get the design right at the design phase, it's not something you can do afterwards."
Greens candidate for Wollongong Lord Mayor Jess Whittaker said the removal of the bridge was a sign Transport for NSW was "quitting on the cyclists".
"The pedestrian bridge was a small ask from the community," Ms Whittaker said.
"It was provided in the feedback Transport for NSW received during consultation. It should not be the first thing to be cut when they tighten the budget for this $390 million project.
"We can't sacrifice the benefits of walking and cycling and our good quality lives in Wollongong so we can have an impassable major traffic thoroughfare through the heart of Wollongong."
The Keiraville Residents Action Group has called for the bridge to be returned to the interchange plans.
"An active transport crossing over the busy Mt Ousley Rd, providing a much needed connection to the north, will materially relieve the parking and traffic congestion in the suburban areas near the university," a group spokesperson said.
The Transport for NSW spokesperson said all aspects of the project had been reviewed as the costs increased.
"After receiving tenders for detailed design and major construction, Transport for NSW was required to carry out a value for money review," the spokesperson said.
"Due to rising construction costs all aspects of the project scope were considered for inclusion or removal. We were able to retain the majority of the project scope.
The spokesperson said the bridge was removed for a number of reasons including the impact on over-height freight vehicle access from the port.
"The demand for over-height vehicles will continue to increase in the coming years to transport components for renewable energy projects in the future," the spokesperson said.
Instead of the bridge, pedestrian and cyclist would include a shared path along the new bridge over the motorway, "a new pedestrian bridge over the southbound access road and an upgrade and extension of the existing pedestrian bridge across the motorway to Northfields Avenue".
Another change saw the removal of two roundabouts on the overpass, replacing them with traffic lights. One of those are at the end of the southbound heavy vehicle off ramp, which Towradgi resident Ian Young said will create noise issues for locals as trucks are forced to slow down, stop and them speed up again.
Instead, Mr Young said, a slip lane leading straight onto Mt Ousley Road would counteract that.
"Sound barriers are not as effective as not producing the noise in the first place," Mr Young said.
"The impact on traffic movement with the trucks having to make the left-hand turn does not appear to have been considered. Even if the lights are in favour of the trucks, the accumulative impact on the need for the trucks to slow down to almost stop, then start up again, to make the left hand turn needs to be modelled especially when there is a high level of through traffic on the interchange bridge."
The Transport for NSW spokesperson said there would be new noise walls installed at this location and existing walls extended to deal with the effects of noise.
The spokesperson noted noise would be a factor with both roundabouts and traffic lights.
"Trucks would be required to stop or significantly slow down at the intersection with either a roundabout or traffic lights," they said.
"Traffic lights will improve efficiency for traffic moving between the M1, Wollongong and the University of Wollongong and allow Transport for NSW to manage traffic flows during peak and off-peak periods."
