New Vic $15.8b toll road
MELBOURNE’S $15.8 billion North East Link will have twin, three-lane tunnels stretching more than 5km, plus 1.2km of lowered roads, according to new detailed plans.
The reference design for the toll road was released yesterday and community information sessions will be held over several weeks on the “missing link” to connect the Eastern Freeway in Bulleen to the M80 ring road in Greensborough.
“The tunnel section is now out to over 5km, there are a series of green bridges — parkland that partially covers the open section of the road — there’s 25km worth of bicycle paths and walking tracks,” Premier Daniel Andrews said.
Vent stacks have also been moved further from houses, a stronger noise standard of 63 decibels will be imposed and about 15,000 trucks will be taken off the road.
Mr Andrews said if his government was re-elected at the November state election, within its first 100 days it would put the North East Link out to market for construction to start in 2020 with completion due by 2027.
“This is about refining the corridor that we had already chosen some time ago, and it’s all about listening to the local community,” he said.
“This road is so important, we’ve got to get this done.” DEMAND for homes in East Geelong’s blue-chip neighbourhood between Ormond Rd and Ryrie St continues to push up prices.
Two more properties in the neighbourhood sold at the weekend as Melbourne buyers scrambled to break in to the leafy suburb on the city fringe.
A big crowd lined the median strip in Denman St to watch Hayeswinckle East Geelong auctioneer Daniel Hayes call for bids on the 1930s Art Deco house at No. 6.
The property, the first to sell in the street in two years, set the street’s biggest price when knocked down for $752,000 — more than $90,000 above its reserve price.
Mr Hayes said capitalising on the unrenovated house that had been with one owner for 47 years would put its value on a par with neighbouring twostorey California bungalows.
“You’re surrounded by two million-dollar homes on either side,” Mr Hayes said. “You’re in a wide, tree-lined street with old character homes.
“Location is everything. You can change the home but location is forever.
“It looks a little bit like grandma’s home at the mo-