North East Link: Motorists to pay tolls for 50 years

Tolling documents reveal how many years the Andrews government will slug motorists to help pay off the $15.8 billion road.

The Andrews government is expected to slug motorists who use the North East Link for half a century to help pay off the $15.8 billion road.

Tolling documents were released on Tuesday, and show the final expiry date is 50 years from when tolling begins.

The document says the deed could be terminated earlier if the government chose to pull the pin.

The new road planned for completion in 2028, will connect the M80 in Greensborough to the Eastern Freeway in Bulleen, and will see its tunnels lengthened by 1.9km, adding an extra $2.1 billion to the cost.

High productivity freight vehicles will be charged a toll 4.5 times that of a car, heavy commercial vehicles three times, light commercial vehicles 1.6 times, and motorcycles half a car’s toll.

The document says tolls must be set at a reasonable rate that won’t detract from usage of the road.

The final expiry date is 50 years from when tolling begins.

The North East Link corridor means the freeway connecting the Metropolitan Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway, and includes the interchanges at the Metropolitan Ring Road, Grimshaw St, Yallambie Rd, Greensborough Rd, Manningham Rd and the Eastern Freeway.

But the contract says tolls will only apply to the tunnels.

“Tolls will not apply for travel along any part of the Eastern Freeway that does not form part of the tollway,” the document says.

It comes after the Herald Sun revealed tolls on the North East Link will be collected by the state government, in a Victorian first that will help pay for the biggest road project in the state’s history amid protracted disputes over the West Gate Tunnel.

A government spokeswoman said: “A state‐owned company will collect the tolls on North East Link when the project opens, with revenue retained by the state – not a private company.”

Opposition Transport Infrastructure spokeswoman Louise Staley said a baby born in 2052 would still be paying off the North East Link once getting their licence.

“This government can’t manage projects, they all go over budget and so they’ve got to set up a framework that will tax Victorians for generations to cover their mismanagement,” Ms Staley said.

“It’s not good enough, it’s outrageous.”