July 25th, 2026Dig Done On North East Link
Tunnelling is complete on the federal and state governments’ North East Link – a major milestone for Victoria’s biggest road project.
Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) Gillian broke through today at Bulleen, completing excavation of the southbound tunnel after the northbound tunnel excavation was finished in May this year.
Set to open to traffic in 2028, the twin 6.5-kilometre tunnels will fix the missing link in Melbourne’s freeway network and are creating more than 12,000 jobs during construction.
Victoria’s largest road tunnel will take up to 15,000 trucks a day off local roads and cut up to 35 minutes off trips between Melbourne’s north and east.
The TBMs removed 2.5 million tonnes of rock and dirt and installed nearly 43,000 pre-cast tunnel segments, on schedule.
Crews now move onto the fit-out phase, installing:
- 700,000 tonnes of road surface
- 3,300 kilometres of cabling for lighting and signage, and
- 51 emergency passages that connect to the twin tunnels.
Works are also progressing on above-ground works, including building tunnel interchange ramps, the motorway control centre and a tree-lined Greensborough Road boulevard.
In addition to the new North East Link tunnels, upgrades to the Eastern Freeway and M80 Ring Road continue to progress.
North East Link is jointly funded by the Australian Government and the Victorian Government.
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said finishing the dig on Victoria’s biggest road tunnel was a huge achievement.
“The North East Link is nation-building infrastructure that will improve how people get around Melbourne’s northeast.”
