VIC's $16.5bn North East Link project fast-tracked towards construction

Monica Gameng   |   April 15, 2018

Construction on Victoria’s North East Link – the State’s largest transport project – is being fast tracked, with the procurement process to begin soon. Approximately $110 million has also been allocated from the Victorian Budget 2018/19 to help fast track the detailed planning and design for this massive project.

This $16.5 billion transport project will remove thousands of trucks off local roads, slashing congestion across Melbourne’s north east region. The North East Link is also expected to support over 10,000 new jobs throughout the construction phase.

The North East Link project will include:

  • Expansion and upgrade of the Eastern Freeway between Springvale Road in Donvale and Bulleen Road in Bulleen, with up to six new dedicated lanes.
  • Express lanes at major interchanges that will reduce merging and weaving that can possibly cause traffic congestion
  • Three-lane twin tunnels – Victoria’s longest tunnel – that will span 5 kilometres beneath Bulleen Road as well as residential and sensitive environmental areas including Bolin Bolin Billabong, Banyule Flats and the Yarra River
  • New interchanges at Bulleen Road, Manningham Road, Lower Plenty Road, Grimshaw Street and the M80 Ring Road with local, toll-free connections

Once this project is completed, travel times between Melbourne’s north and south will be cut by approximately 30 minutes in each direction and it will also save time for people travelling to Melbourne Airport from the south and east.

Community consultation and planning studies for this massive project is well underway and the full reference design is expected to be released later this year.

“This project has been talked about for decades and is independently assessed as Victoria’s most needed transport infrastructure project,” Minister for Roads and Road Safety Luke Donnellan said.

Receive the latest industry news and project updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to Felix Project News today.

Source: Premier of Victoria, North East Link Project

Monica Gameng
As Felix's Marketing Assistant since 2015, Monica is responsible for researching and sharing new and progressing projects within the construction and mining sectors in Australia. It's no surprise that Monica has her finger on the pulse of Australian major projects given she has produced more than 1,000 posts. She truly is an industry expert.
Follow me:

Related Articles

Projects
$1bn funding boost to deliver major transport projects in VIC

More than $1 billion in funding is being invested by the Australian and Victorian Governments towards the delivery of road safety improvements and congestion-busting projects across the State.

Projects
VIC Gap Road level crossing removal fast-tracked towards construction

The Victorian Government is fast-tracking the removal of the Gap Road level crossing along the Sunbury Line years ahead of its initial schedule with the announcement of a preferred design that will help preserve heritage buildings and ease traffic around the Sunbury community. 

Projects
EOIs called for VIC's $15.8bn North East Link project

Victoria’s $15.8 billion North East Link is moving forward, with the project already put out to market to find builders that will deliver the State’s largest road project.

Get the latest project news

Formerly known as the PlantMiner blog, Felix Project News is Australia's top 10 Construction blog. Join thousands of construction and mining pros getting the best content right in their inbox.
  • updates on Australia's pipeline of state and federal projects
  • fresh contract awards from major contractors and builders

If you're looking to contact us about other matters, please contact us.