Video transcript
CEO Duncan Elliott Explains the New North East Link
Hi, I'm Duncan Elliot from North East Link Authority, and for the last 12 months I've been working with a team of people looking at how we can fix one of Melbourne's biggest traffic problems. People have been talking about the missing link for a long time. We've been tasked with finding the best solution for connecting Melbourne's freeways to the North and East and getting trucks off local roads.
We've been doing a lot of planning and technical work with some of the best minds in the business, looking at where the traffic is currently travelling to and from and what connections we're going to need into the future. We've looked at underground conditions because we know we're going to need tunnels and we've also looked at how to make a new freeway connect from an engineering perspective. We've also shared some of our early findings and potential options to better understand community needs and concerns.
This is a big and complex project. There's no easy way to fit a new freeway into existing built up and environmentally sensitive areas. So we've had to weigh up the pros and cons of each option and work out which one gives us the transport solution we need while reducing impacts on the surrounding area.
Taking all that into account, we're progressing with a solution that connects a new look Eastern Freeway from Springvale Road in Nunawading all the way through to the M80 Ring Road at Greensborough. The new North East Link will almost double the size of the existing Eastern Freeway by adding up to seven new lanes in some sections, typically an extra three lanes in each direction.
The latest technology will also be introduced along the full length of the Eastern Freeway to improve safety and traffic flow. We're bringing the Eastern up to modern standards by creating dedicated express lanes, so you no longer have to contend with traffic merging and weaving to get on and off.
An interchange at Bulleen Road will connect into the new six lane tunnel, with local connections and access to Banksia St and Manningham Road. The tunnel will continue for at least five kilometres beneath the Yarra River and Banyule Flats to protect homes and environmentally sensitive areas. A connection at Lower Plenty Road will take trucks and cars off local streets. The road will then travel alongside the existing Greensborough Highway, which will be kept open for local traffic. It will run under Grimshaw St, where there'll be an interchange, before connecting with the M80 Ring Road and the Greensborough Bypass.
We know projects like this mean changes to the surrounding area. We know there will be impacts. That's why we're investing in at least five kilometres of new underground tunnels and making use of the space alongside the Eastern Freeway.
We're also starting a detailed planning process that'll look at all the possible effects of the project and how we're going to manage them. This work kicks off in the new year and will involve extensive community consultation and detailed environmental studies. The detailed planning work will also help us understand which properties, businesses and other facilities might be affected by the project. We can't avoid every property, but we're working hard to reduce the impacts wherever possible, and we'll be talking to landowners every step of the way.
People often ask us why not go out further through areas like Eltham or Warrandyte to create a true ring road. Well the answer to that is simple. We are building a ring road, but we're taking a more direct route and building it where people live, work and travel. We're building a brand-new freeway connection all the way from Nunawading to Greensborough, and more people will use this route than any others we looked at.
Our traffic data shows that this is by far the best solution for dealing with congestion and getting trucks off local roads, like Rosanna Road, Bulleen Road and Fitzsimons Lane. The solution we've developed will help solve current problems and provide for future needs. It will also make travel smoother for over 100,000 Eastern Freeway commuters every day.
Once built, you'll be able to take a more direct route from the East to Melbourne Airport without hitting a traffic light or having to battle traffic on Alexandra Parade or Bell Street. The new link will provide faster trips between Melbourne's North and South-East, slashing travel times by up to 30 minutes and taking up to 15,000 trucks off residential roads every day.
Detailed planning and design will now get underway, with full environmental approvals and a tender process commencing in 2018, before we select a builder in 2019.
We know there will be tolls on the new North East Link to help fund the project, but the Eastern Freeway will remain toll free. No matter which way you look at it, this is a big project. There's a lot of work to to do. But our team is getting on with all the necessary planning and approval work to get this link built.
I'm excited by the opportunities of the North East Link and I really look forward to working with you as we deliver this massive project for Melbourne and Victoria.