Twin tunnels will run for six kilometres under houses in Heidelberg and Viewbank and the Yarra River, Banyule Flats and Warringal Parklands. Two 12-storey ventilation stacks will be built at either end of the tunnels. One of the stacks will be at the tunnel's northern end near the Simpson Army Barracks, while the other will be at the southern end near where Bulleen Road meets the Eastern Freeway. Construction is due to start next year, with the road is set to open by 2027. Thirty-six homes in the Banyule and Manningham council areas, including properties on Kay Court and Borlase Street in Yallambie, will be acquired to make way for the road. "Relocation of residents is likely to disrupt people’s lifestyles, pose demands on individual and family time and cause worry due to uncertainty," the documents state.

"People may also experience a loss of their social and community ties." More than 100 businesses will also be acquired. This will include about 80 out of the 110 businesses in the Bulleen industrial precinct, which will affect about 830 jobs. "Relocation of these businesses would potentially disrupt their supply chains, customer relationships, employment bases and ability to retain staff," the documents warn. Up to 26,000 trees will be removed to build the road, while open spaces including Watsonia Road Reserve, Borlase Reserve, Watsonia Station Carpark Reserve, Koonung Creek Reserve and Koonung Reserve will be lost.

Parts of the Boroondara Tennis Centre, Freeway Public Golf Course and Bulleen Park will also be acquired, and the Bulleen Swim Centre will go. Transport Infrastructure Minister Jacinta Allan said the government had reduced the acquisitions from 75 homes and 140 businesses, following consultation with the local community. "It's important when you consider a project of this size and scale – the biggest-ever in Victorian history – is being developed in a highly urban area where there are properties, businesses, homes and sporting clubs. "We have to very carefully work through the range of potential impacts and challenges through the construction and delivery phase with the local community." Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video

The North East Link tunnels will stretch from the Eastern Freeway to Yallambie, where the toll road will continue in a trench before reaching surface level just north of Watsonia train station. The government plans to build five green bridges over the massive trench to create more park space. The project is tipped to save motorists up to 35 minutes between the M80 Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway and will feature a new dedicated busway on the freeway, between Doncaster Road and Hoddle Street. Infrastructure Victoria says the project is a priority because it will take trucks out of the city centre and improve congestion in the north-east, where traffic moves 16 per cent slower than in the rest of Melbourne. By 2036, congested Rosanna Road will have 12,000 fewer cars on it per day, and there will be 19,000 fewer cars on Greensborough Road.

However, the documents warn of significant traffic increases on some roads, with 95,000 extra vehicles expected to use the widened Eastern Freeway by 2036. This will lead to a "slight" increase in traffic between Hoddle Street and Chandler Highway, but will not drive up traffic to the city, the documents say. The M80, which will also be widened, will carry an extra 72,000 vehicles per day, up from the 160,000 vehicles that currently use it on a daily basis. During construction, some lanes on the Eastern Freeway will likely close, Hurstbridge trains will be down for around six weeks at a time, and at least half of the car parks at Watsonia station will be relocated for up to three years. Among the thousands of trees set for the chop is a 300-year-old river red gum on Bridge Street in Bulleen, which is listed in the National Trust of Australia Significant Tree Register and is the subject of a local council heritage overlay. It will be removed to construct the Manningham Road interchange.

Photos will be taken of the tree before it is removed and an extra 30,000 trees planted. Nearly 160 buildings will experience a noticeable rise in traffic noise after the freeway is built. Houses abutting the North East Link will be overshadowed by noise walls, blocking direct sunlight from yards and windows. "These potential impacts may mean that residents experience a reduced sense of pride in their properties, particularly outdoor spaces," the report says.