Premier Daniel Andrews will pledge hundreds of millions of dollars for a promised widening of the Tullamarine Freeway in next week’s budget.
And unlike Labor’s promised Melbourne Metro rail project – first announced in 2008 but not due to start until 2018 – the road widening’s construction will start this year.
The project was first promised by former premier Denis Napthine and Prime Minister Tony Abbott during last year’s state election campaign.
In its Project 10,000 election document, which outlined Labor’s transport promises, it also said it would upgrade the Tullamarine Freeway to six lanes from the CBD to Melbourne Airport. It costed the plan at $250 million.
The former Napthine government pledged to upgrade CityLink and the Tullamarine Freeway from the West Gate Freeway to Melbourne Airport, to increase the road’s capacity by up to 30 per cent.
Under that pledge, the Tullamarine Freeway was to be widened between Melrose Drive and the airport, cutting peak travel times by 20 minutes.
The announcement is expected to involve a $200 million contribution from the Abbott government.
It is unclear whether this is being diverted from the $1.5 billion of Commonwealth money previously set aside for the now-defunct East West Link plan.
The government is expected to announce the plan on Thursday.
– With Josh Gordon
