11 July 2025

The North East Link will take 15,000 trucks off local roads every day and reduce travel times by up to 35 minutes.

With thousands of road tunnels operating safely throughout the world, there are well-established ways to design ventilation systems to ensure there are no negative effects on local air quality.

The ventilation system for the 6.5km tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen will include two ventilation structures.

Construction is now underway on the Northern Ventilation Structure, located near Blamey Road and Greensborough Road in Watsonia.

The ventilation system has been designed to meet strict environmental standards and works by drawing in fresh air and pushing it through the tunnel, where it is then released high into the atmosphere. This ensures air is safe for road users and the surrounding community.

Construction

Over the next 12 months, the Northern Ventilation Structure will take shape, progressively reaching a height of 49 metres when complete.

The structure will be built in stages, with foundations already in place.

We will continue to work closely with residents and share regular updates about the construction of the ventilation structure.

What you will see

The ventilation structure will start to take shape in 2025, reaching more than 40m by the end of the year.

There will be large equipment and machinery to assist with the construction of the structure, including a tower crane and three large concrete pumps.

For the first 12 months of construction, the ventilation structure will be solid concrete. In early 2026, the cladding panels will be added to complete the final urban design elements.

Once complete, the lower section of the Northern Ventilation Structure will be lined with trees and plants to complement the surrounding area.

Environment and community

Assessments completed as part of North East Link's comprehensive Environment Effects Statement process found that there would be no significant or measurable impacts on the health of the community as a result of the ventilation system.

The operation of the ventilation system will comply with strict Environmental Performance Requirements (EPRs) for North East Link and an operating license recently awarded by the Environmental Protection Authority.

Air quality will be monitored both inside and outside the tunnels once North East Link opens to traffic. Results from our air quality monitoring will be published in accordance with the project's EPRs.

We will continue to work closely with the local community to inform you as construction on North East Link continues.

If you feel you are experiencing excessive impacts from construction, we encourage you to contact the project team on 1800 105 105.

Download fact sheet

Northern Ventilation Structure fact sheet (PDF 1.0 MB)