The WA government has approved $3 billion worth of infrastructure spending in Perth.

Authorities hope two new mega-projects will take transportation infrastructure to a new level for the eastern part of the city.

The green light has been given to the $2 billion ‘Forrestfield Airport Link’; digging a tunnel between the suburbs of Bayswater and Forrestfield to improve traffic for Western Australia’s central air traffic hub.

Additionally, about $1 billion will spent at the ‘Gateway WA’ project to set up a new transportation conduit between Perth’s eastern suburbs and other key parts of the city.

The Airport Link will see an eight-kilometre long tunnel sunk about 15 metres underground, featuring twin tunnels each measuring 6.2 metres in diameter.

Western Australian Transport Minister Dean Nalder says the tunnels will cut aboveground airport-related traffic, and its impact on adjacent homes and businesses.

He expects this will cause more residents to move out to Perth’s eastern suburbs.

“Tunnels save space and reduce the impact on existing residential and business areas,” said Nalder.

“In the same way the Mandurah and Joondalup lines have underpinned urban developments along the south and north of Perth, the Forrestfield Airport Link will drive growth and open new opportunities to the east.”

A Design and Build tender for the airport project will go to market next year, with hopes that construction will commence by 2016.

Work has already begun on the$1 billion Gateway WA project, and is slated to conclude in 2017.

The project will see the addition of 45km of new roads across Perth’s network, including 11 new bridges.

The project also seeks to bring Perth’s eastern suburbs into the metropolitan fold by putting it within reach of the CBD, the city’s industrial zones and ports.

According to Mr Nalder, the $3 billion spent on the two projects will have a transformative effect on the neglected eastern suburbs.