Overview

We’ll be connecting an upgraded Eastern Freeway to the new 6.5km North East Link from Bulleen to Watsonia. The new tunnels and freeway upgrades will link Melbourne’s east up to the M80 Ring Road in Greensborough, cutting travel times by 35 minutes and taking 15,000 trucks off local roads a day.

The Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Hoddle Street to Springvale Road will be delivered in 3 stages, starting from Burke to Tram roads.

Changed traffic conditions

From November this year, drivers will start to notice reduced speed limits and changes to travel on the Eastern Freeway as we begin to set up work sites between Burke and Doncaster roads and get ready to start the vital upgrades in 2024. Read the latest construction update to find out more.

The design for the Eastern Freeway/North East Link tunnels interchange was exhibited in the Urban Design and Landscape Plan for the North East Link tunnels in May 2022 and approved in February 2023, ready for major works to get underway in early 2024.

An Urban Design and Landscape Plan (UDLP) for the remaining section of the Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Burke Road to Tram Road was exhibited for comment in October 2023. In response to community feedback, the plan includes:

  • noise walls designed to meet Victoria’s toughest 63 decibel traffic noise standard, plus a new, quieter 58 decibel standard at night – a first for a road project in Victoria
  • extensive reinstatement to rebuild and reimagine parklands, wetlands and waterways and return improved open spaces in areas where it is needed to support construction
  • 10 km of new and upgraded walking and cycling paths including upgrades to Koonung Creek Trail and new paths through Koonung Creek Reserve and Valda Wetlands
  • an improved freeway design at Valda Wetlands in Mont Albert North and a better design for the new Heyington Avenue walking and cycle bridge
  • a better design for the Estelle Street walking and cycle bridge in Bulleen – keeping the existing bridge open while the new one is built
  • improved walking and cycling connections including better underpass designs for Koonung Creek Trail at Doncaster Road.

UDLPs for the remaining stages of the Eastern Freeway Upgrades will be on exhibition starting from 2024.

Project design

Explore the project design for the first stage of the Eastern Freeway Upgrades from Burke Road to Tram Road.

Find out more

* The design for the Eastern Freeway/North East Link tunnels interchange in Bulleen was on exhibition for public comment from 11 to 31 May 2022, in the North East Link tunnels Urban Design and Landscape Plan.