Eastlink - are you using it?

If you do a search, heaps of people are using it, and there are bunch of topics on the subject:

http://www.streetadvisor.com.au/victoria/forums/search/eastlink

I use it all the time to get to Frankston, I have some clients out there. The artwork is very interesting as well. Come are fun, some are weird. I wouldn't use it everyday though, too expensive.

I see that Eastlink has reported a huge loss - its not hard to work out, you pay money to get stuck in a traffic jam for 2.5 kms when you reach Frankston! The traffic jam cuts any time savings made up on the journey.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/comments/0,22023,24683071-2862,00.html

oh my god, some very angry people on that news thread JVS. I can't believe that something so new to Melbourne Infrastructure was so poorly thought out. What's the proposed solution to the problem though? More tolls?

AJ

Fix the bypass at Frankston. Must be a hassle free drive all the way. Simple.

when working i go to melbourne often (i admit i love driving) anyway eastlink does save a lot of time depending on certain times of the day

Aren't there proposals to extend the Frankston freeway further up the coast?

AJ

Aj, I work in the construction industry & form what I hear, they plan to start work on the Frankston bypass in April 2009. By the way DO NOT get a eastlink account, because since day 1, I have had nothing but trouble with them!!

What sort of problems have you experienced?

Hi Brian, to start with the tag didn't beep three times when the account was under $10 (like it stated that it would in the contract i signed up to), the SMS top up i registered for doesn't work, the statements that you should recieve in the post are 3 months behind, and just a few days ago, they took money out of my credit card when they should not have done it!!! Every time something happens I have to waste my time (min of 30 min) on the phone to them!! A few months ago I had enough and didn't top the account up but kept using the road. Then I recieved a letter in the mail saying I owe them money and have got 2 weeks to pay. They will send me a letter like that instantly but cant send me my account statements on time!!!!!! Its an absolute JOKE!!

If you are taking Eastlink to go to the Mornington Peninsula, best to turn off at Thompsons Road exit, then go left until you hit the Hastings/Frankston road (extension of the Monash). Take this road all the way down to the Baxter/Tooradin Road.

You then bypass all of the traffic at Frankston, which can cost you the time savings made on Eastlink.

Peninsula Link is the name of the approved Frankston Bypass. It will bypass Frankston and the 8 or so roundabouts that slow everything down. Will save about 30 minutes off the route. The road will start before Frankston and join the Mornington Peninsula freeway around the Dromana Estate winery just before the drivein.

You will be able to drive from Melbourne CBD to Rosebud without hitting a traffic light or roundabout!

Here's a map if you interested: http://www.seita.com.au/pages/interactive-maps-1.asp

thanks JVS, very helpful!

I love the new EastLink. I went down to the beach on the weekend just gone, and all the way down EastLink, no traffic, was fast a joy to use.

AJ

I don't drive this way often but it sounds like this will make getting to the Mornington Peninsula much quicker and easier!

I bought a tag and have used Eastlink a few times and have found it a very efficient and pleasant experience

Eastlink is great! Saves heaps of time to get from the city to the outer East. May be a little further to drive but when we take into account the stop-starts on the some of the other options, not entirely sure if it consumes more fuel. The time saving and breezy drive is worth paying for.

I think after a while people understand that it is there to help people and traffic, and also people realise that if you don't like to pay, you don't have to use it.

Once again, I got to use eastlink all the way down to Frankston, and then of course Portsea. It makes the trip sooo much easier. The best part about it is that it connects both the eastern AND M1 so it doesn't matter what freeway I start on, they all end on the same place. LOVE IT!

Any update on when Peninsula link comes in and we can bypass Frankston? Its going to mean non-stop travel from the city to Mount Martha.

Before Frankstonites start flaming me, I dont have anything against Frankston, just dont like the traffic jam at the end of Eastlink.