EastLink
Overview
EastLink is Melbourne's second fully-electronic tollway, comprising about 39km of freeway-standard road connecting the city's eastern and south-eastern suburbs. It is a major commuter road and a key intracity arterial route.
The motorway saves drivers valuable time, providing the fast-growing eastern and southern regions of Melbourne with a more efficient and accessible transport network. EastLink also delivered the Ringwood Bypass and Dandenong Bypass as untolled additions to the road network as well as more than 35 km of bicycle and walking paths for local residents.
EastLink makes a substantial contribution to urban design and the cultural life of the local community. There has been significant investment in design and landscape works including the construction of wetlands, installation of a shared use path and revegetation of open space areas and parkland.
EastLink is Australia’s largest road development to date. The project was delivered by the private sector under the Victorian Government’s Partnerships Victoria framework.
With a construction cost of A$2.5 billion, the total project is valued at A$3.8 billion, comprising A$2.1 billion in bank debt and A$1.7 billion in equity funding.
Major construction began in early 2005 and the road opened to traffic on Sunday 29 June 2008, five months ahead of the scheduled opening date.