Global roads giant Transurban stands to reap $4 billion from a controversial toll extension in return for pouring the same amount into Melbourne's West Gate Tunnel, the Victorian government says.
But Labor's bid to extend tolls on CityLink could be dead before it even reaches parliament.
Transurban is building and investing $4 billion in the $6.7 billion new road, which it will toll from completion in 2022 to 2045, with construction due to start within weeks.
To recoup the money, the government also wants to grant the company a 10-year toll extension - through until 2045 - for CityLink.
The government and Transurban refused to say how much the CityLink extension is worth to the company during the plan's announcement on Tuesday, with Treasurer Tim Pallas saying "the math I'll leave for everybody to work out".
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The opposition is guessing the deal is worth $15 billion to Transurban and demanded answers in parliament on Wednesday.
"Effectively the value of toll revenue in today's dollars would be about $4 billion, which is about the amount that Transurban are investing in the project," Mr Pallas said.
The coalition and Greens say they will block the deal in the upper house, which mean Victorian taxpayers face the prospect of footing the entire bill for the road.
"It's basically going from taxpayers' pockets to Transurban's pockets, that's what this government is proposing to do for a project we know won't work," Greens leader Samantha Ratnam said.
Premier Daniel Andrews said the government doesn't have to introduce the toll extension legislation until 2022 and work is starting no matter what.
"Regardless of the opposition to the project from the Liberals and their very best friends the Greens, this project starts in a couple of weeks," he told reporters.
Drivers using the tunnel during the morning peak will pay an extra access toll to reach the city.
In its message to the Australian Stock Exchange, Transurban said motorists exiting at Footscray Road or Dynon Road would be hit with an extra fee between 7am and 9am.
"Obviously we're encouraging people to use the freeway wisely," Roads Minister Luke Donnellan told reporters.
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy says the new charge "doesn't seem to make a lot of sense".
"You either want people to use your tunnel or you don't," Mr Guy told reporters.
"Who's to know if the city access tax won't suddenly feature on the government's Hoddle Street upgrades, on the Eastern Freeway?"
