Yes. North East Link will be funded by a combination of government contributions and tolls. North East Link will be tolled but there will be no new tolls on existing routes. This includes no tolls to use the Eastern Freeway, Greensborough Highway/Bypass and the M80 Ring Road.
Tolling points and prices for North East Link have not yet been finalised. Prices are expected to be in line with other tolls around metropolitan Melbourne.
Property acquisition is an important but difficult part of major projects.
We worked hard to minimise acquisition as much as possible, but with limited road reserve some land was needed.
After almost 2 years of planning work, in 2019 the program managed to almost halve the number of homes that will be acquired from 75 to 36 homes.
Up to 100 businesses, many in the Bulleen Industrial Zone, have been acquired to enable the tunnelling construction for North East Link.
Our landowner team worked closely with affected owners and businesses through this process and acquisition is now complete.
While strict requirements are in place to manage impacts a Voluntary Purchase Scheme (VPS) has been developed for property owners who will be most affected, either through construction and/or the final design (built form).
We are currently working through VPS with eligible residents closest to tunnelling works. We’ll be out speaking to residents with properties near M80 Ring Road completion works and the Eastern Freeway Upgrades as these projects progress.
The VPS gives eligible property owners the option to sell their home to the Victorian Government, if they choose.
Traffic modelling shows that there will be no increase in traffic in the Hoddle Street grid as a result of North East Link.
A small number of vehicles are predicted to use North East Link to access the city, but these won’t be new trips. They would be vehicles already using arterial roads (such as Lower Heidelberg Road) to get to the city that would redistribute onto North East Link and an upgraded Eastern Freeway to take advantage of faster travel times.
All main traffic lanes will be 100km/h. The speed limit in the tunnels will be 80km/h.
North East Link will apply a noise standard of 63dB(A), which is consistent with the toughest standard used in Victoria. A strict lower night time noise standard of 58dB(A) also applies. To meet the program noise standard, existing noise walls will need to be upgraded and new noise walls built in most areas along the project.
Noise walls will be designed to meet the program’s Urban Design Strategy and there will be opportunities for the community to comment when urban design and landscape plans are on exhibition.
An Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP) for the North East Link tunnels from Watsonia to Bulleen and a section of connecting Eastern Freeway Upgrades was on exhibition for community feedback from 11 to 31 May 2022.
The UDLP was approved by the Minister for Planning on 3 February 2023. View the approved UDLP and Community Consultation Report.
UDLPs for the Ring Road Completion and the first stage of the Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Burke Road to Tram Road were exhibited from 9 October 2023 to 29 October 2023 at Engage Victoria. We’ll consider all written comments and submissions received, then finalise the UDLP and submit it to the Minister for Planning for approval.
UDLPs for the remaining stages of the Eastern Freeway Upgrades, from Hoddle Street to Burke Road, and from Tram Road to Springvale Road, will be on exhibition from 2024.