The Victorian Government has unveiled the four potential corridor options for the North East Link, which will complete the missing link in Melbourne’s road network. This project is expected to create more than 5,000 new jobs during its delivery.
“For too long local roads in the north-east have become default freeways. North East Link will fix that – carrying 100,000 vehicles a day and creating 5,000 jobs,” Minister for Roads Luke Donnellan said.
About the North East Link
The North East link will be connecting Melbourne’s freeway network – between the M80 Ring Road at Greensborough and the Eastern Freeway – which will slash congestion in the north east as well as halt rat-runs and remove trucks from local roads.
“For decades the North East Link has been put in the too hard basket – this is the missing link Melbourne desperately needs to slash congestion and stop the rat runs in the north east.
“We said we would look at all options and that’s exactly what we’ve done. This is about making sure we get this project right,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
Four possible corridor options have been identified through extensive works that spanned the entire north-east. Works include geo-technical investigations, traffic modelling, environment studies and discussions with community groups as well as businesses and local residents.
The four corridor options are:
- Corridor A: An 11-kilometre corridor which follows the Greensborough Highway south, using the existing freeway reserve and will connect with the Eastern Freeway near Bulleen Road.
- Corridor B: This 24-kilometre corridor will be providing a direct connection from the M80 to EastLink, without having to upgrade the Eastern Freeway.
- Corridor C: The 26-kilometre corridor is going to be similar to Corridor B, which will connect to EastLink and will not require upgrade works to the Eastern Freeway.
- Corridor D: A 40-kilometre corridor that will connect with EastLink south of Ringwood and will continue east using part of the proposed Healseville Freeway Reserve.
Each one of these options will begin at the Ring Road in Greensborough and will connect to the Eastern Freeway or to EastLink. All the options will also involve tunnels, new surface roads and bridges.
The first $100 million has been provided, through the Victorian Budget 2017/18, for the design, planning and pre-construction works to push through ahead of contracts being signed in 2019 as well as the beginning of construction in 2020.
For more information about the North East Link project, you can visit its official web page here.
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Source: Premier of Victoria and North East Link Project
