North East Link
North East Link | |
|---|---|
| Interactive map showing the main route of the North East Link, connecting the M80 Ring Road (north end) to the Eastern Freeway (south end). | |
| General information | |
| Type | Expressway (Under construction) |
| Length | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Opened | Late 2028 (scheduled) |
| Major junctions | |
| North end | Metropolitan Ring Road Greensborough, Melbourne |
| |
| South end | Eastern Freeway Bulleen, Melbourne |
| Highway system | |
The North East Link is an under construction 10–kilometre tolled highway scheme in Melbourne, Australia. It will connect the Metropolitan Ring Road at Greensborough with the Eastern Freeway at Bulleen, which will be upgraded from Hoddle Street to Springvale Road at Nunawading.
Other components of the project include the construction of a new dedicated busway along the Eastern Freeway to serve the Doncaster area, and park and ride car parking facilities. The Eastern Freeway will be widened from nine lanes to 20 in some parts.
In December 2016, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews announced that a re-elected Labor government would build the North East Link at a cost of $10 billion. Early works began in 2020 and tunnelling commenced in mid 2024, with an expected completion in late 2028.
In 2021, the length of the tunnelled portion was increased by 1.9 km to 6.5 km, and the cost of the main construction contract, to be delivered through a public-private partnership, rose to $11.1 billion. The overall long-term budget for the project was set at $16.5 billion in 2017, but this increased to $26.1 billion as of 2023.