The drive to Melbourne Airport along the Tullamarine Freeway and CityLink is set to be reduced by up to 16 minutes once an $850 million upgrade and expansion of the road is completed.

Transurban, who will fund the project, will upgrade CityLink between the West Gate Freeway and Essendon Airport on the Tullamarine Freeway to boost the road’s capacity by 30 per cent.

The two-year project will begin next year, with a freeze on car toll increases to offset the impact of construction.

To fund the project there will be an extra year of tolls on CityLink, with a one-year extension of the CityLink Concession for Transurban, taking their operation of the road to 2035.

The project will add extra lanes covering 33 kilometres between the Bolte Bridge and Tullamarine Freeway, north of English Street. There will also be extra lanes on the Bolte Bridge.