Victorian Roads Minister Terry Mulder has opened an industry briefing attended by over 100 financiers and construction representatives to gain input into the development of a business case for Melbourne’s East West Link.

 

The proposed 18 kilometre cross city connection will run between Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway and Western Ring Road,  with the eastern section providing a link between the Eastern and Tullamarine Freeways and then onto the Port area. The business case being developed for the project is due to be completed in early 2013.

 

"It's a sign of the interest in the East West Link that we have local, interstate and international industry representatives ready to talk with us about how best to plan, engineer, procure and fund this landmark project in the future," Mr Mulder said

 

"This is one of the most complex projects likely to be constructed in Victoria, and we are doing our due diligence to ensure we consider the latest innovations in developing, delivering and funding projects given the challenging financial environment.

 

Mr Mulder said the industry briefing was the first in a series of discussions to be held with leading industry players to gather input about the range of funding options available for the project.

 

"A number of one-on-one meetings will be held over the coming months to ensure that we gather the most up-to-date innovations and ideas from the market to inform the development of a robust business case,” Mr Mulder said.

 

Geotechnical drilling for the project is currently underway, with Infrastructure Australia having backed the project for development funding.