Victoria’s ‘super highway’ Building the East West Link and North East Link

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has today announced that a Liberal Government will build the East West Link and North East Link if it is elected at the forthcoming State Election in November.

State Liberal Member for Eildon Cindy McLeish MP said both projects will see real benefits for residents of the Eildon electorate.

“Whether it be for people who commute to Melbourne daily from the Yarra Valley or for exporters sending their product to the port from Mansfield, we need an East West Link and a North East Link. Only a Liberal government will deliver both congestion busting projects.”

Under the Liberals’ plan, both an East West Link and a North East Link would be developed in tandem.

Construction on an East West Link will commence in 2020-21 following final determination of the route in consultation with the Office of Projects Victoria. Construction on the first stages of a North East Link will commence by the end of 2020.

It is intended that an East West Link and a North East Link will be fully completed by around 2026 and 2027 respectively.

Ms McLeish said the decision of the Andrews Labor Government to not build the East West Link was a wasted opportunity.

“Daniel Andrews and Labor don’t support an East West Link and wasted $1.3 billion of taxpayers’ money when he tore up the contract after promising voters it wasn’t worth the paper it was written on.”

“If the East West Link project went ahead it would now be almost complete and ready for a North East Link to connect to the Eastern Freeway,” Ms McLeish said.

Ms McLeish said that tolls on existing roads will not be introduced to pay for construction of the new road projects.

“Unlike Daniel Andrews and Labor, we will not introduce or increase tolls on any existing roads, including the Eastern Freeway, to fund the construction of this Super Highway.”