User:Lakeyboy/Sandbox/EastLink, Melbourne

 EastLink is a A$2.5 billion tolled freeway located in Melbourne, Australia, which links a large area of it's eastern and south-eastern suburbs. The tolled freeway is a major part of Melbourne's Metropolitan Ring Road project. It was originally proposed as a toll-free road, however the state government later reneged and imposed tolls. The federal government subsequently withdrew their earlier offer of partial funding.

EastLink was first derived from the inclusion of a proposed freeway in the Melway street directory in the late 1960s, and has been slated as a major Melbourne road link ever since. After an intense bidding process in 2004, ConnectEast was awarded the contract to own and operate EastLink for 35 years. Construction commenced in March 2005 and was due to open by November 2008, but was instead opened five months ahead of schedule on June 29 2008. .

EastLink is electronically tolled via overhead gantrys, which eliminates the need for toll booths. Toll charges are recorded through ConnectEast developed tags entitled "Breeze", which are mounted on the windscreens of vehicles, although the system is similar to (and interoperable with) the e-TAG system used on the CityLink freeway. Alternatively, toll charges can also be recorded by still photography and computer processing. A four week toll-free period was put forward shortly before the freeway was to be opened, to allow motorists to experience the freeway before tolling commenced.

EastLink was designed to blend in with it's surrounds. It features 17 interchanges, with 3 major as well as twin 1.6 km tunnels under the Mullum Mullum Valley. Millions of plants have been planted and wetlands developed to enhance the environmental profile of the freeway. Four large public artworks are also located along the freeway. A concrete shared user path named the EastLink Trail was also built alongside the freeway to enhance cyclist facilities along the freeway corridor.

EastLink was constructed by a joint venture of Australian construction companies Thiess and John Holland, with mechanical and electrical work contracted to United Group Infrastructure.

Donvale to Ringwood
Basic description of the driving conditions including the tunnels and the Ringwood Interchange and Ringwood Bypass with link to main article of Ringwood Bypass.

EastLink begins at the end of the Eastern Freeway at Springvale Road in Donvale with a SPUI interchange, before travelling east under Mitcham Road and Park Road with four lane carrageways before being reduced to three lanes when entering the 1.6km tunnels under the environmentally sensitive Mullum Mullum Valley. The westbound tunnel is named "Mullum Mullum" while the eastbound tunnel is named "Melba".

Ringwood to Dandenong
''Basic description of driving conditions including points of interest such as the large golf ball net near Canterbury Road, the pedestrian footbridges and the first piece of art, the "Smarties" (Ellipsoidal Freeway Sculpture). Information about the Monash Freeway (Tom Wills) Interchange will also go here. Info will end with the three levels of road at the Princes Highway.''

Dandenong to Carrum Downs
''Basic description of the driving conditions including the remaining three major pieces of art as well as a brief description of the Dandenong Bypass with a link to main article of Dingley Freeway. Could include mention of the media coined "Dandy Drag Strip" section (Princes Highway - Cheltenham Road).''

Planning history
How the freeway first emerged in the Melway in the mid-sixties, the environmental and traffic effects, the merging of the Eastern Freeway extension with the project, the backflip on tolls by Labor and the bidding process.

Construction history
Info about different construction techniques, the break up of construction into different regions, road diversions, speed limit drops, major milestone events (bridge beams lifted, tunnel breakthrough, construction delays (Lilydale rail line bridge delays), dandy bypass opening, naming of road features etc. etc.) the 2 major public open days.

Operation history
Could include tolling information, safety systems of the road, effects on traffic patterns throughout eastern Melbourne, media attention and reactions, traffic levels pre-tolls (school holidays and no school holidays) and post-tolls, traffic management and incident response, security cameras.

Associated features
This section could include information about the EastLink Trail (this will have it's own main article, as per other Melbourne bike trails), the public artworks, upgrades to existing non-eastlink roads (Boronia Road, Ferntree Gully Road, Wellington Road etc), public transport improvements, wetlands and parklands, EastLink shops and main headquarters etc.