Opposition backs East West Link over North East Link, leaving Victorians to decide at election
A $16.5 billion plan for the North East Link has been slammed by state Opposition leader Matthew Guy, signalling a showdown over major road projects when Victoria heads to the polls in November.
VIC News
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THE East West Link will be built before the North East Link if the State Opposition is elected later this year.
The November poll is shaping as a showdown over major road projects, with the Coalition again vowing to revive the dumped East West Link.
Leader Matthew Guy tweeted on Thursday that the opposition would fix “the end of the Eastern Fwy by building an East West Link before building a North East Link”.
EAST WEST LINK DECISION RETURNS TO HAUNT DANIEL ANDREWS
NORTH EAST LINK ROUTE CORRIDOR A GETS NOD
Earlier in the day, he criticised the Andrews Government’s plans for the North West Link, which will connect to the M80 and expand sections of the Eastern Freeway to 18 lanes.
Mr Guy labelled the plan as “ridiculous”.
“I don’t like the proposal that’s being discussed by the government,’’ Mr Guy said.
“I have said for a long time that we need to fix the Eastern Freeway before we look at funnelling more cars on to it.”
If re-elected, the Labor government will build a 26km route above and below ground between the M80 in Greensborough and the Eastern Freeway in Bulleen, with works to begin in 2019.
Mr Guy said the Coalition’s plan to remove traffic lights and intersections at congested locations would help ease the clog in the northern suburbs.
He also flagged the move to build the new road would only be done after the traffic jams at Alexander Pde had been fixed.
The State Opposition now firmly pledging to resurrect the $7 billion East West Link — which was controversially axed by Premier Daniel Andrews, leaving taxpayers with a $1.2 billion bill — has set the scene for voters to decide at the November poll.
The most recent policy standoff comes after Mr Andrews committed to begin work on the North East Link with in 100 days of being re-elected.
The pledge has been matched with $110 million in the 2018/19 Budget to pay for planning and design, which is to be completed by the end of the year.
Late last year the government revealed its preferred path for the $16.5 billion toll route after considering four separate routes.
The price tag was significantly higher than the $10 billion previously forecast by infrastructure bodies to complete Melbourne’s Ring Road.
Mr Guy’s commitment comes after homes acquired to build the canned East West Link have already begun being sold back to the community in Parkville and Collingwood.
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