Victorian Labor government commits $10b to build 'missing' North East Link freeway

Victoria's Labor government has committed to building the $10 billion North East Link freeway if retains power in the next state election in 2018.

The so-called "missing link" would complete the Metropolitan Ring Road by connecting the ring road to either the Eastern Freeway or EastLink.

Some $35 million will be spent developing a business plan and selecting a route over the next two years.

But the Andrews Labor government has refused to sign-off any contracts before the November 2018 election.

"When we build the missing link that completes the ring road you'll be able to drive from Ringwood to Tullamarine without stopping at a single traffic light," Premier Daniel Andrews said in a statement.

The project would take 10 years to complete and create up to 5000 jobs, the government said.

It would be funded by a mixture of government contributions and tolls.

The preliminary work will be led by a new North East Link Authority.

Labor scrapped the former coalition government's plans to build a controversial East West Link tunnel under the city's inner-north after it won the 2014 election.

The failed project has cost Victorian taxpayers $1.2 billion to date.