East West Link to be ressurected if Opposition Leader Matthew Guy wins 2018 state election

THE $7 billion East West Link project will be resurrected if Opposition Leader Matthew Guy wins next year’s state election as community concerns about Labor’s North East Link route options start to erupt.

THE East West Link will be resurrected if Opposition Leader Matthew Guy wins next year’s state election.

The $7 billion tollway will be brought back to life by a Guy government and would be given priority ahead of the urgently needed North East Link.

The 6.6km tunnel and road project was controversially axed by Premier Daniel Andrews, leaving taxpayers with a $1.2 billion bill for nothing.

EAST WEST LINK DECISION RETURNS TO HAUNT VICTORIAN PREMIER DANIEL ANDREWS

EAST WEST LINK MUST BE BUILT: SIR ROD EDDINGTON

TOP TRANSPORT EXPERT’S EAST WEST LINK BUILD CALL DISMISSED BY PREMIER

An artist impression of the Western Portal on the East West Link preject.

Setting the scene for an explosive new roads battle, Mr Guy has told residents and businesses in his seat of Bulleen “the East West Link must be constructed before any North East Link option”.

The Herald Sun has learnt that the Opposition, which supports both tollways, is seriously considering a radical “super road” policy that could effectively combine them into one tender.

Discussions have been held with industry and business leaders about the possibility of building the two multi-billion dollar roads.

Both are viewed as part of Melbourne’s long-term transport needs — as one project.

Opposition leader Matthew Guy. Picture: Nicole Garmston

This would enable the party to tell voters in marginal eastern and northeast seats that a coalition government would give them two congestion-busting options, while Labor would give only one.

The Andrews Government is currently holding consultations on four North East Link route options costing between $8 billion and $16 billion, and which would connect the M80 Ring Road to either the Eastern Freeway or EastLink.

Construction wouldn’t start until at least 2019, which is after the next election.

Community concerns about the North East Link route options are already starting to erupt. The three routes viewed as most viable are:

AN 11km link from the M80 to the Eastern Freeway via Bulleen Rd;

A 24KM road joining the M80 to EastLink via the Ringwood Bypass, Manningham Rd and Lower Plenty Rd; and

A 26KM route from the M80 to EastLink via Reynolds Rd.

In a letter to residents Mr Guy said: “Given the North East Link will funnel 100,000 extra vehicle movements per day on to the Eastern Freeway, the East West Link must be constructed before any North East Link option.”

Senior Liberals confirmed the party was locked into building East West Link.

The first stage of the East West Link was to cost $6.8 billion, for a tunnel linking Parkville to Clifton Hill. Con­struction was due to start in 2015 and finish in 2019. The second stage was to cost another $10 billion and complete the 18km cross-city connection from the Eastern Freeway to the Western Ring Road.

Labor has argued the North East Link, combined with its $5.5 billion West Gate Tunnel for which contracts should be signed this year, would create a cross-city transport option without the East West Link.

LOCALS FRUSTRATED BY LACK OF DETAIL ON THE NORTH EAST LINK DESIGNS

MELBOURNE residents are “frustrated” over the lack of detail for the proposed North East Link toll road, despite largely giving the project a tick of approval.

Residents and businesses flagged the project was long overdue and gave overwhelming support for the plan to build a link between the M80 to the Eastern Fwy or EastLink, during the latest public consultations.

However, many participants expressed anxiety over the Andrews Government failing to announce more information about routes proposed.

Mechanic Michael Moran, who runs family business John Moran Motors in Bulleen, said “no one is disputing the fact that we need a road”.

Michael (Mick) Moran is worried about proposed North East Link coming through his patch but says everyone recognises a new road is needed. Picture: Mark Stewart

“A lot of businesses around here are handcuffed because of the traffic,” he said.

Mr Moran said he wouldn’t stand in the way of “progress”, but there were growing concerns about the favoured Bulleen that could decimate the local area and force businesses to close.

“We’ve been here since the 60s, I would hate to leave,” he said.

In March, the government unveiled four possible toll roads, including the short 11km link from the M80 to the Eastern Freeway via Bulleen Rd, and longer road and tunnel options between the M80 and EastLink.

NORTH EAST LINK AUTHORITY SPENDS $3M ON CONSULTANTS IN THREE MONTHS

Thousands of residents have been contacted by the North East Link Authority, and many warned the government against simply choosing the “cheapest option”.
The routes are estimated to cost between about $8 billion and $16 billion.

Improved travel times and getting trucks off local streets were the top reasons behind people backing the project.

The Andrews Government kick started the project earlier this year with $100 million and says it will pick a route by the end of this year and begin construction in 2019.

Minister Luke Donnellan said the government was listening to the community.

Minister Luke Donnellan says the government is listening to the community.

“There are no easy answers — there is no road reserve for this project — so we’re doing more community consultation, earlier in the development of the design of the project to make sure we get this right,” he said.

“We said that we’d leave no stone unturned to find the best possible route for North East Link, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

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