EastLink is a tolled section of the M3 freeway linking a large area through the eastern and south-eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

The freeway has been a contentious issue, amid concerns over environmental damage and the possibility it would lead to a 'complete' metropolitan ring road.

In October 1999, the incoming Bracks Government announced that the freeway (which Labor had not promised at the election) had been scrapped.

[5] However, in a "major policy about-face", the Bracks Government announced in August 2000 that it would seek federal funding for the freeway.

[7] In 2001, University of Melbourne academic Paul Mees launched legal action in the Federal Court seeking an injunction, under section 475 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999, to prevent Transport Minister Peter Batchelor and the Roads Corporation (VicRoads) from "taking any further action relating to the construction of the Scoresby freeway or the Eastern Ring Road".

[3] In October 2004, SEITA awarded the contract for the design, construction, and operation of EastLink to ConnectEast, a company that was publicly listed on the ASX in November 2004.

[11] On average 270,868 cars, trucks and motorbikes travelled on the road every day until the tolling was introduced on 23 July.

On 23 March 2005, with the beginning of construction on the project, then Premier Steve Bracks announced that the road would be called EastLink, at a ceremony in Rowville.

[28] The concession period held by ConnectEast is due to end on 30 November 2043,[29] after which the ownership of the road will be transferred to the state.

The cheapest toll points are located between Maroondah Highway and High Street Road, with slightly more expensive toll points located in the longer sections near the south of the tollway, and the most expensive one within the tunnel section between Maroondah Highway / Ringwood Bypass and Springvale Road.

In general, it appears as though Eastlink has funnelled large amounts of traffic onto the Eastern Freeway and has attracted an increase in commuters using arterial roads in local areas.

Decreases appear to be on small stretches of local roads where Eastlink provides a quicker alternative.

Using it, cyclists and pedestrians are able to cycle or walk most of the distance of the road, along a 3-metre wide dedicated concrete path.

After a medium amount of rain the underpasses flood and trail users must cross over the major roads to continue along the path.

This can prove dangerous and during peak traffic times, trail users are known to have waited up to 20 minutes to safely cross the roads when the underpasses have flooded.

On 18 February 2010, at 3.15 pm, a semi-trailer lost control on the north-bound side of the tollway, 300m from the Wellington Rd exit.

It remained closed until the early hours of the following morning so police could conduct an investigation and ConnectEast could carry out repairs to make the road safe to reopen.

[citation needed][needs update] Many environmental groups in Melbourne's east and south-east objected to the project, due to a number of factors, including vehicle emissions and disruption of habitat (in places such as the Mullum Mullum Valley and Dandenong Valley Wetlands).