Project
North East Link
Status
Primary Package – Contract Let
Department or agency
Major Transport Infrastructure Authority
Description
North East Link (NEL) is the largest investment in a road project in Victoria’s history. It will complete the missing link in Melbourne’s orbital freeway between an upgraded Eastern Freeway and the M80 Ring Road.
NEL will improve traffic flow, reduce travel times, remove non-local traffic from local roads and increase reliability for road users with up to 135,000 vehicles using the freeway daily. NEL will take up to 15,000 trucks off local roads resulting in reduced travel times for freight and associated industries. NEL is expected to reduce travel times by up to 35 minutes across the project corridor.
The $11.1 billion Primary Package was procured and will be delivered as an ‘availability-based’ Public Private Partnership with an Incentivised Target Cost (ITC) regime that applies in respect of costs incurred during the design and construction phase of the project.
The contract for the Primary Package has been awarded to the Spark consortium, with Financial Close occurring on 28 October 2021.
The Spark consortium comprises WeBuild, GS Engineering and Construction, CPB Contractors, China Construction Oceania, Ventia, Capella Capital, John Laing Investments, DIF and Pacific Partnerships.
The Primary Package scope includes:
- twin, three-lane tunnels
- split interchange at Lower Plenty Road and Manningham Road, and an upgrade on the existing interchange South of Bulleen Road to accommodate the tunnel on-ramp and a new interchange west of Thompsons Road to service the new Bulleen Park & Ride and accommodate the tunnel off- and on-ramps
- new and upgraded green land bridges, development of extensive shared user paths and walking and cycling infrastructure, to form a new North East Trail network
- high quality outcomes in open space, noise walls design and maximising tree canopy replacement.
The other remaining project elements of NEL will delivered under separate packages, including:
- upgrades to sections of the M80 Ring Road and Eastern Freeway, including interchange upgrades
- delivery of a new Bulleen Park & Ride, and upgrades to the existing Doncaster Park & Ride
- design, construction and maintenance of the NEL Tolling Collection Capability, including tolling services, systems, communications and structures.
The new link will be tolled, with the State retaining toll revenues initially, while the Eastern Freeway and the M80 Ring Road will remain toll free. In a Victorian first, a State-owned company (State Tolling Corporation) has been established to collect tolls for NEL with toll revenue going towards the cost of building and maintaining the project.
Contact information
Website: North East Link
Phone: 1800 105 105
Email: community@northeastlink.vic.gov.au
Related information
Buying for Victoria: Contract – North East Link Primary Package