Four route options have been unveiled for what has been called Victoria's highest-priority road project, Melbourne's missing North East Link, and all include expensive tunnelling and would require property acquisitions, the State Government says.

Key points: Four possible routes for North East Link released

Four possible routes for North East Link released Favoured option is a road and tunnel from Bulleen Road at the Eastern Freeway to Greensborough

Favoured option is a road and tunnel from Bulleen Road at the Eastern Freeway to Greensborough Construction of any road expected to take five to seven years

The North East Link Authority expects the new link — a tolled roadway between Melbourne's Metropolitan Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway, or EastLink — would carry 100,000 vehicles a day.

Some of the route options cut through the marginal Labor held seats of Ivanhoe and Eltham, as well as Opposition Leader Matthew Guy's electorate of Bulleen.

The Government says the link is needed because Melbourne does not have a completed orbital road, which is constraining economic growth.

Twenty per cent of freight in Melbourne goes between the city's north and south-east, clogging Rosanna Road as a result.

Of the four options, Corridor A — an 11-kilometre road and tunnel from Bulleen Road at the Eastern Freeway to Greensborough — has the most positive attributes, according to the authority's early work.

The option is also favoured by the Liberal-National Opposition, though it said its priority was the East West Link road project that was dumped after Labor won the 2014 election.

Corridor A would run north through and under Bulleen to the Greensborough Road corridor.

An 11-kilometre road and tunnel from Bulleen Road to Greensborough has been identified as the preferred option. ( Supplied )

The other options are:

Corridor B: a 24-kilometre link from Greensborough east under Templestowe, Donvale and Eltham, joining EastLink at Ringwood

a 24-kilometre link from Greensborough east under Templestowe, Donvale and Eltham, joining EastLink at Ringwood Corridor C: a 26-kilometre route through Eltham and Warrandyte joining EastLink at Ringwood

a 26-kilometre route through Eltham and Warrandyte joining EastLink at Ringwood Corridor D: a 40-kilometre link running east from Greensborough through Kangaroo Ground, and using parts of the land reserved for the Healesville Freeway, with a road coming into Melbourne's outer east joining EastLink south of Ringwood

The authority said an above-ground road would cost $200–$300 million per kilometre, and tunnel cost between $800 million–$1 billion per kilometre.

Other corridor options include a 40-kilometre outer loop, and tunnels under Templestowe joining at EastLink.

The designs for the project in each corridor are yet to be finalised but the construction of any road is expected to take five to seven years.

Property acquisitions will be minimised but will occur, the authority said.

Option B would go from Greensborough's east, under Templestowe, Donvale and Eltham, to EastLink at Ringwood. ( North East Link Authority )

'Talked about for too long'

The Andrews Government has already allocated $100 million to plan for the project and the authority has to choose a preferred corridor by the end of 2017.

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In the lead up to the 2014 state election, Daniel Andrews, as opposition leader, told the local Heidelberg Leader newspaper that Labor would not build the road.

Since becoming Premier, Mr Andrews has backed the proposal but promised the Government would not sign any contracts before next year's election.

Mr Andrews said his Government expected to build the link for about $10 billion, but he was unable to say how much each corridor option would cost.

He stressed that the announcement was just to highlight the corridor options.

"You have to think about what the cost is of us not building this," he said.

"It has been talked about for too long."

Mail-outs to residents, forums and a website will be set up to explain the four options, the Government said.

Option C is a 26-kilometre route through Eltham and Warrandyte joining EastLink at Ringwood. ( North East Link Authority )

Opposition warns of 'north-east car park'

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said, if he won the 2018 election, he would prioritise the East West Link roadway proposal over the North East Link.

Mr Guy reminded voters that Labor spent more than $1 billion to not build the East West Link — an 18-kilometre tollway to connect the Eastern Freeway to the Western Ring Road.

"There is no use building a North East Link if you don't have an answer for the end of the Eastern Freeway. You will just create a north-east car park,'' Mr Guy said.

He said the [North East] Link would dump more cars onto the Eastern Freeway and motorists would have longer commutes.

But he did not rule out the project, saying a connection between the Eastern Freeway and the Ring Road was needed.

The Coalition described Corridor A as the most sensible option.

Option D runs east from Greensborough through Kangaroo Ground and joins EastLink south of Ringwood. ( North East Link Authority )

Nillumbik Shire Mayor Peter Clarke said the Government should immediately dismiss option C and D because they were too expensive and environmentally damaging.

"It is really just environmental vandalism," he said.

"It is the green wedge of Melbourne, the lungs of Melbourne."

Ivanhoe MP Anthony Carbines said Rosanna Rd was congested between 5:00am–7:00pm, and that it was a "Berlin Wall" through his community.

"The community are going to support the option that lets them reclaim their streets," Mr Carbines said.

Eltham MP Vicki Ward agreed that the project was about helping the local communities.

"The north-east commutes are too long," Yan Yean MP Danielle Green said.

Victorian Greens transport spokeswoman and Eastern Metropolitan MP Samantha Dunn said the Government should dump the proposal in favour of better public transport.

"Building more toll roads creates more congestion. If the Government actually asked the voters, they'd say invest in public transport, like the Doncaster rail line," Ms Dunn said.