State leaders signed the contracts at 4.45pm on Monday afternoon, posing for photographs with the hefty document at the Linking Melbourne Authority city office.

While the full contract would be available to view by the media, Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said the project's business case remained "shrouded in secrecy".

"The government has consistently refused to show the business case for the project, they have no mandate for it," she said.

"People I have talked to in Bendigo believe $8 billion could be much better spent on public transport.

"I don't think the government realises how bad public transport has become, I am consistently told about problems on the Bendigo line."

The government signed off on the western section of the project to link the Eastern Freeway through to the Western Ring Road.

Earlier this month the Labor Party said it would support two metropolitan councils' Supreme Court case against the project if elected. A successful case would allow the East West Link to be unenforceable.

Liberal Party candidate for Bendigo East Greg Bickley said the East West Link would open Bendigo up to Melbourne and Victoria's south east.

"Having operated my own transport business, I know first hand the benefits of this sort of project to a range of Bendigo business," he said.

"Farmers, hay and grain traders, construction and freight companies and other businesses will have much better access to Melbourne, their staff will be able to get back home to Bendigo by a reasonable hour.

"Arguably, it will lead to much greater productivity for business."

The decision to sign the contracts on Monday came after a Brunswick resident lost a High Court challenge, which sought to delay the signing of the contracts.