Running against Denis Napthine and his East West Link in 2014, Daniel Andrews did all he could to paint himself as the "transformational" public transport premier-in-waiting.

"Yes, we need better local roads," he said the week he won government.

"But the transformational infrastructure is a better public transport system. One where you don't need a timetable, one where you can comfortably and optimistically leave the car at home."

Optimistically leave the car at home? On Friday, with one year to go before the next state election, he wasn't exactly helping achieve this, committing Victorians to a new toll road - a road which, once built, Victorians will have to pay for the privilege of using - that will cost a staggering $16.5 billion.

He's also poised to sign a deal with Transurban for a road in the west for $5.5 billion. It has the added bonus of locking us into an extra decade of CityLink tolls.

Meanwhile, the Opposition is promising to resurrect the East West Link - a road Victorians voted comprehensively to dump - and also grade separating 55 road intersections.

No-one disputes that a road dealing with the congestion in Melbourne's north-east is needed.

But at what point do we as a community ask: has this state's spending on roads spun out of control?

To put Friday's costings for the North East Link into perspective, go back to the Snowy Mountains hydro scheme.

Recently, a freedom of information request to the NSW government by Age economics editor Peter Martin unearthed that the hydro scheme - 16 major dams, seven power stations, two pumping stations and 225 kilometres of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts built between 1949 and 1974 - cost $5.2 billion in 2013 dollars.

Times have changed; no lives will likely be lost building the North East Link, while 121 people died on the Snowy hydro.

But how did costs ever spiral so out of control that $16.5 billion is an acceptable announcement for a premier to make, when not a decade earlier his treasurer said it would cost around $6 billion?

Mr Andrews is building the $11 billion Metro Tunnel, and taking the train line to Mernda.

Labor opened the Regional Rail Link, which carries almost half the passengers on the Geelong line. He's not standing still on public transport.

How many outer-suburban residents of Melbourne though will now go without the benefit of a railway line or proper bus service because this road will soak up so much money?

For $16.5 billion, the Rowville rail the Baillieu government costed at $3 billion could be built. Doncaster rail? That was to cost $3 billion to $5 billion. Airport rail? Floated at around $3 billion.

In 2014, Mr Andrews told Channel Ten he wanted to "make sure we build the best possible public transport system. I simply won't ask Victorians to get out of their car and into a second-class public transport system."

With the amount Mr Andrews plans to spend on expanding our roads, second class is what Victorians can expect.