Transurban yet to talk cash for Vic road

Transurban wants $1.8 billion for a Melbourne toll road but six months after announcing the plan, still hasn't spoken to the federal government.

Chief executive Scott Charlton says he hasn't talked to the Turnbull government about the $5.5 billion Western Distributor.

"It's not our place to discuss with the commonwealth government state funding," Mr Charlton told a Victorian parliamentary committee on Wednesday.

"Obviously, the Commonwealth has made money available for roads, depending on which road it was but that was really up to the state and the Commonwealth."

In October, the Turnbull government agreed to unlock the $1.5 billion originally earmarked for Melbourne's East West Link for other transport projects.

Transurban operates the city's toll roads and wants to build the $5.5 billion Western Distributor, which would connect the West Gate and CityLink freeways.

It has proposed to cover two-thirds of the project cost by extending tolls on CityLink by 10 to 15 years, in addition to the toll revenue from the new road.

Committee chair Liberal MP Joshua Morris asked Mr Charlton if it was fair to charge CityLink users for a road they were unlikely to use.

Mr Charlton said none of Transurban's roads operated in isolation and the Western Distributor would ease congestion on the West Gate, Monash Freeway and CityLink.

"So the beneficiaries of the Western Distributor include those people who use the City Link," he said.