IS THIS the path the controversial east-west road tunnel will cut through the inner city?

In an application to Melbourne City Council the Baillieu government is requesting approval for 13 test drilling sites in Royal Park and surrounding suburbs to plan for the multibillion-dollar project.

In an indication of its preferred route for the tunnel, maps show the drill sites run in a direct line from Alexandra Parade under the Melbourne Cemetery and Royal Park.

At the back of the indicative route the drill sites split, suggesting locations for inbound and outbound connections to CityLink in Royal Park and nearby neighbourhoods.

The government says the project will ease traffic congestion on Melbourne’s roads and create an alternative cross-city route for cars and trucks. Since it was first proposed under the previous state government the tunnel has faced heated local opposition over tolls and concerns over its impact on the inner city and parkland.

The project received a boost earlier this month when Opposition Leader Tony Abbott committed $1.5 billion to help build it. It has been reported federal Labor could also commit funding later this year.

The application to Melbourne City Council notes previous comments by state Transport Minister Terry Mulder that ”drilling in a particular area did not necessarily mean that the east-west link would be situated or have an impact on that location”.

A spokeswoman for the state government said yesterday it was committed to the future of the east-west link. She said the tunnel would comprise a new 18-kilometre inner-urban freeway connecting the Eastern Freeway and the Western Ring Road, with key intermediate connections including the Tullamarine Freeway, Port of Melbourne and Geelong Road.

”The government is seeking approval from City of Melbourne to continue its geotechnical drilling program, which is being undertaken to determine the best connection points on a cost-benefit basis,” she said.

According to the application, a 10-centimetre borehole will be drilled at each site to a depth of 50 to 65 metres to test soil and rock conditions. A device will also be inserted to test the water table and the borehole will then be backfilled with sand and capped. Each test drill will take four to five days to complete.

The tunnel project has emerged as one of the major issues in the upcoming by-election for the state seat of Melbourne being fought between Labor and the Greens.

Deputy Labor leader Transport Minister said last night that Ted Baillieu ”can play charades all he likes but the simple facts are he is proposing to drill holes on an unfunded project that is unlikely to ever be built, while road congestion in Melbourne worsens”.

Greens leader Greg Barber said Labor’s opposition to the tunnel was expedient and for the cost of the project Melbourne could have a ”dream public transport system”.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/drill-sites-give-clue-to-future-path-of-road-tunnel-20120708-21pjp.html#ixzz2JztCdABo

A TUNNEL from the Eastern Freeway to the Tullamarine Freeway will be considered by the Baillieu government as part of an infrastructure plan ordered by Treasurer Kim Wells, following widespread criticism that Victoria is not planning major projects.

Mr Wells has ordered his department to urgently get to work on an infrastructure plan for Victoria after being warned the state is at risk of losing billions of dollars of investment and thousands of skilled workers to New South Wales and Queensland.

The Age believes the government will reconsider a range of transport projects flagged by the previous government, including an east-west road tunnel from the Eastern Freeway to the Tullamarine Freeway, a metro rail tunnel from Footscray to St Kilda Road, and a ”missing link” connection between the Metropolitan Ring Road and the Eastern Freeway.

Infrastructure Australia chief Sir Rod Eddington is believed to have recently told the Baillieu government to consider following the NSW government’s lead, which has announced a new body headed by former premier Nick Greiner called Infrastructure NSW to aggressively pursue major projects.

It is unclear when the major new plan will be released or how it will be funded, but the department is working with the Department of Transport and other agencies to develop it.

“My view is that we need to make this body as efficient as possible and at the moment I’m satisfied that the Department of Treasury and Finance are the right people to be pulling it together,” Mr Wells told The Age.

”We have spoken to nearly every single very large contractor in this state but the message is very clear: this is about targeting the investment in tough economic times to make sure that we are able to boost productivity.”

The decision represents a belated acknowledgement by the government that Victoria is in danger of losing its reputation as an innovative state when it comes to procuring major projects.

The Age has spoken to senior Melbourne business figures who are worried about the lack of action, warning they are now looking to NSW, Queensland, Western Australia and Asia because of the long lead times associated with major projects.

“People are nervous about what happens next,” a Melbourne-based business figure closely involved with high-profile major projects told The Age.

“Six months, 12 months, 18 months, I don’t know. It’s a pain in the arse sitting here waiting for a whole lot of work that we were doing before and we don’t know whether it is going ahead or not going ahead.”

Mr Wells said he was determined to make rigorous decisions to avoid mistakes of the former Brumby government. But he refused to be drawn on when or if the plan would be released.

“When I talk to the contractors in Melbourne, they are looking for certainty,” he said.

“The issue of the pipeline is an important part of addressing their concerns and we believe this will be an incredibly positive step forward for the state and to give certainty to those large contractors.”Business and transport lobby groups are also getting tetchy.

RACV general manager Brian Negus said Melbourne needed a long-term transport plan to address the ”frustration” being felt by road and public transport users. Victorian Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Mark Stone said he understood the government’s immediate priority was implementing election promises, but a long-term blueprint for Victoria was needed.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/wells-plans-to-fix-projects-dilemma-20110626-1gltm.html#ixzz2JzrvwCHY