North East Link tunnels

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

In response to community feedback, we’re building:

longer 6.5km tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen
simpler interchanges at Lower Plenty Road, Manningham Road and Eastern Freeway
5 MCGs of parklands along Banyule Creek at Borlase Reserve
a new 2km tree-lined boulevard for Greensborough Road
a 2 hectare Yarra Link green bridge over Bulleen Road
3 new wetlands along the Yarra River and Koonung Creek in Bulleen and Balwyn North.

Read the fact sheets and updates below to find out more:

In response to community feedback through the project's planning approvals, we're building longer tunnels to Watsonia – tunnelling an extra 1.9km using tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to keep more works underground.

The TBMs will travel further south under Manningham Road, avoiding the need for construction work at Banksia Park.

If you live around Watsonia, Macleod and Rosanna and want to use North East Link, ramps in Watsonia will connect you to the M80 Ring Road. Ramps in Yallambie will connect you to the Eastern Freeway.

The Manningham Road interchange will shift 14,700 vehicles a day off Bulleen Road and into the North East Link Tunnels. The interchange has been carefully designed to avoid the historic River Red Gum tree on Bridge Street, keep Bulleen Art & Garden open for business, and create land that can be used for future development opportunities.

If you live in the local area and want to use North East Link, ramps at Manningham Road will connect you to the Eastern Freeway. Ramps at Thompsons Road will connect you to the M80 Ring Road.

Existing connections between the Eastern Freeway, Thompsons Road and Bulleen Road will be kept. New ramps will connect the Eastern Freeway to North East Link.

A 2-hectare green bridge over Bulleen Road will link Koonung Creek Trail to Bulleen Park for the first time. The bridge will be planted with indigenous trees, grasses and shrubs. Pockets of open space will provide a bike and walking trail, fitness station and places to stop, rest and enjoy views of the Yarra River.

New wetlands will be created and connected with paths and trails including:

an expansive new 1,800m2 wetland along the Yarra River in Bulleen, re-establishing a significant cultural landscape for the Wurundjeri people and creating an Indigenous knowledge-sharing precinct for Melbourne
new wetlands and paths along Koonung Creek in Bulleen.

As part of the Lower Plenty Road interchange design we're building 5 MCGs of new parklands along Banyule Creek, including a major expansion of Borlase Reserve to the north with space to:

revitalise 1.2km of Banyule Creek as a nature and habitat corridor with wetlands, paths and boardwalks
build pockets of new open space, a nature playground, BBQ areas, a half basketball court, drinking fountains, public toilets, bicycle parking and seats
plant more than 100 different species of indigenous trees, grasses, shrubs and flowers, including from seeds collected in the local area
a wildlife crossing under Lower Plenty Road will connect Borlase Reserve to Banyule Flats.

The design for the ventilation structure is inspired by traditional Wurundjeri eel traps and surrounded by new trees and plants. Solar panels on the sides will help power the tunnels below.

With less trucks and congestion, Greensborough Road will be a better road for local trips and to live on. We’re using space created by the longer tunnels to:

rebuild 2km as a tree-lined boulevard with avenues of eucalyptus trees and a 10m-wide median
create a new, 5m-wide service road for safer and easier access to homes, more space for walking and cycling paths and on-street parking for residents and visitors.

We’re also delivering the better east-west access people asked for with:

upgraded intersections at Erskine Road and Yallambie Road
new intersections at Finlayson Street and Fairlie Avenue/Blamey Road
an extra lane in each direction to reduce queuing at lights.

Urban Design and Landscape Plan

From 11 May to 31 May 2022, we exhibited an Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP) for the North East Link tunnels and asked people to comment on the look and feel of the design for their area. The plan also included the design for the interchange to connect the Eastern Freeway Upgrades to the new North East Link tunnels.

In response to your comments on the UDLP, we made some further changes to the design including:

improved walking and cycling connections
more opportunities for more trees and plants
a new wildlife crossing under Lower Plenty Road between Borlase Reserve and Banyule Flats
more privacy and better views for residents in Yallambie, Bulleen and Balwyn North.

The UDLP was approved by the Minister for Planning on 3 February 2023.

Read the approved UDLP and the Community Consultation Report.