The Albanese government’s new infrastructure minister says Melbourne’s contentious East West Link project is “dead” and won’t receive any federal funding under Labor.

The confirmation by Ballarat MP Catherine King, who was sworn in on Wednesday, that federal Labor would not put any money into the project is a blow to the Victorian Liberals’ plans to campaign on building the road at the November state election.

The Victorian opposition has vowed to revive the East West Link project, which has been rejected twice in the past.

The former Coalition government had a $4 billion “contingency” in the federal budget for any Victorian government willing to build the road, which would connect the end of the Eastern Freeway in Clifton Hill to the Western Ring Road. But King told Nine News on Thursday there was “no money” for it.

“There’s absolutely no money; it’s a complete fraud,” she said. “It’s dead as a project, frankly, as far as we’re concerned.”

The East West Link has a long and tortuous history. Ted Baillieu’s state Liberal government announced the road in 2011, but Daniel Andrews fulfilled an election promise and refused to build it when he came to power in 2014, tearing up construction contracts.

The Andrews government has refused to revisit the project since, despite repeated funding offers from successive Liberal prime ministers, with the premier casting doubt on whether the so-called “locked box” containing the cash even existed.

The state opposition has continued to support the project, claiming it would become even more crucial following the completion of the new North East Link, which will connect the Metropolitan Ring Road at Greensborough with the Eastern Freeway at Bulleen.

Opposition transport spokesman Matt Bach said King had turned her back on a pre-election pledge to work with Victorian governments of any persuasion on important infrastructure projects.

“It was just a con to win votes in Melbourne’s east, because as one of her first actions … she has ripped out $4 billion in infrastructure funding to support a vital road project,” he said.

The Age reported on Monday that the East West Link was one project the incoming Albanese government was looking to axe to bring the budget under control.

Premier Daniel Andrews is expecting more funding from federal Labor for his Suburban Rail Loop project.Credit:AAP

While funding for the controversial road has been buried, Andrews said on Thursday morning he expected his federal Labor colleagues to pour more cash into the state’s massive Suburban Rail Loop project.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese committed $2.2 billion for the first stage of the orbital rail loop, running from Cheltenham to Box Hill, before the election last month, but Victoria is looking for $9.3 billion more.

The first stage of the project will cost up to $34.5 billion and is set to open in 2035.

“I’ve had a number of conversations with the new PM,” Andrews said at a site in Clayton, in Melbourne’s south-east, marking the start of preparatory work for the project.

“So we look forward to further announcements about that $2.2 billion, and then indeed, further funding beyond that.”

Infrastructure experts have said Albanese would likely wait for a ruling on the project from Infrastructure Australia, after Labor pledged to restore the independent adviser’s role in guiding spending decisions.

Andrews said on Thursday he expected a decision on the project from Infrastructure Australia soon, and that it may have already been finished if not for the caretaker period before the May election.

However, he wouldn’t be drawn on whether Albanese would unlock more funds for the Suburban Rail Loop without a positive assessment from the federal adviser.

“We’ll just wait to see how that process goes. But we’re very confident there’ll be a positive assessment for this project.”

The second proposed section of the Suburban Rail Loop would run from Box Hill to Melbourne Airport and open around 2050, which would be followed by a final link through the western suburbs to Werribee.

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