Eltham historian Andrew Lemon on the road reservation set aside decades ago in St Helena for a freeway that was never built. Credit:Justin McManus The $100 million will cover the cost of geotechnical investigations, design, environmental and social studies. Mr Andrews said they were "the prerequisites to get this project ready for contracts to be signed in the event that we are re-elected next year". Roads Minister Luke Donnellan said that when the road opens, motorists will be able to drive from Frankston to Altona without passing a set of traffic lights. He said the new link will deliver "absolutely massive time savings" for the freight industry. "Roads like Hoddle Street, Fitzsimons Lane, Rosanna Road, it will substantially reduce the congestion," he said. The RACV's Brian Negus said it was the most crucial road project for Victoria and would alleviate traffic snarls across Melbourne's north-east. It would also provide superior freight connections in Dandenong and agriculture connections in Gippsland headed for the Epping fruit and vegetable market.

"Who can resist the invitation to complete a missing link?" Bumper-to-bumper traffic on Rosanna Road in Heidelberg. Credit:Justin McManus But Green groups questioned the road's claimed benefit. Environment Victoria chief executive Mark Wakeham said there was a risk the tollway would cause an increase in carbon emissions by encouraging more people to drive. Illustration: Matt Golding "The Premier recently legislated a target of net zero climate pollution for Victoria. It's hard to imagine how spending $100 million on a new freeway is consistent with this," he said.

And the Victorian Greens said the road would increase pollution and car dependency. The money was better spent "planning how to shift freight onto rail and starting the process of building new train lines to the airport, Doncaster and Rowville", Prahran MP Sam Hibbins said. RMIT University urban policy professor Jago Dodson said claims by the government that the link would reduce congestion were made without evidence because no traffic modelling had been completed. "We don't have a business case yet, so unless the government has data that has not been released, there is a need for extensive traffic analysis before we know," Professor Dodson said. The Victorian Transport Association represents the freight industry. It wants the link built via a third, longer route through Lilydale on Melbourne's north-eastern fringe. Chief executive Peter Anderson said it was important the North East Link Authority considered a route that did not include tunnels so dangerous goods vehicles could use it. A connection between the ring road and the Eastern Freeway would almost certainly involve tunnelling beneath Heidelberg's Banyule Flats, while the connection to EastLink would likely include a tunnel through Donvale.

Historian Andrew Lemon is an Eltham resident who has long followed the debate about a freeway through his area. He said the government's plan to weigh up three possible routes for the road was "an old method of dividing opposition", and that the least vocal opponent would lose. Dr Lemon said the options going through St Helena and Kangaroo Grounds were "appalling" because of its green value. "Whichever route it takes it's obviously going to be an intrusion." Loading He said the route supported by the VTA through Kangaroo Ground was a "red herring", and that it was clearly a choice between Bulleen and Rosanna or via Research and Warrandyte. He said traffic was a major problem in his area, "but we need to find the least worst option".