The Prime Minister, on the other hand, has declared the Andrews government "dead" following a $420 million deal to end the East West Link contract, vowing not to abandon the controversial road.

Mr Abbott said $3 billion stumped up for both sections of the project by the Commonwealth would remain in a "locked box" for a future government to build.

"My pledge for the people of Melbourne, and Victoria, is that the $3 billion of Commonwealth dollars pledged to East West Link will remain in a locked box for the first Victorian government that is prepared to build this absolutely necessary piece of infrastructure," Mr Abbott said.

"I think the Andrews government might be dead but I think the East West Link project is necessary," Mr Abbott said. "Absolutely necessary because Melbourne needs a second crossing."

Half of the $3 billion contribution has already been handed over to Victoria. Mr Abbott did not say whether the Commonwealth would attempt to claw back the cash, or how this might occur. But his comments suggest at least $1.5 billion of Commonwealth money could remain in limbo years if Mr Abbott remains Prime Minister.

Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has not committed to revisit the project if he wins in 2018.

In a high stakes gambit, Mr Andrews has staked much of his political capital on a pledge to begin "substantial" work on the Melbourne Metro Rail project before the 2018 state election.

The consensus is that the project, likely to cost at least $11 billion, will require costs to be evenly shared between the state government, the Commonwealth and the private sector.

Mr Andrews foreshadowed a substantial contribution from Victoria in the upcoming May 5 state budget, but funding commitments from the Commonwealth and private sector for the project do not exist.

Mr Andrews revealed he will no longer be pressing the prime minister – who says he will only fund roads not commuter rail projects – to stump up.

"The current federal government have made it clear that they will not be a partner in this, and I see no purpose quite frankly in continuing that argument with the current federal government," Mr Andrews said.

"I remain hopeful that maybe a different federal government at a different time will have a different set of priorities."

Mr Abbott said the decision to dump the road project was "absolutely crazy", although he promised not to "dud" Victorians by denying the state funding for other projects.

"The last thing I want to do ... is dud the people of Victoria. Daniel Andrews dudded the people of Victoria yesterday by not going ahead with this vital piece of infrastructure. I'm happy to keep talking to the Victorian government about other infrastructure projects of national significance but the problem with the only one he has mentioned so far [the Metro Rail Project] is that it won't start for three years."

Announcing a preferred route for the Melbourne Metro Rail project on Thursday morning, Mr Andrews revealed he had a "very productive" phone conversation with Mr Abbott about alternative infrastructure projects, saying he was "really confident" he would get a good outcome from the Prime Minister.

"Mr Abbott says he wants to be an infrastructure prime minister, well we've got lots of things we want to build and let's get on with," Mr Andrews said.

Mr Abbott said motorists stuck in traffic around Melbourne would also refuse to accept the project is dead.

"I say to the people who are stuck in traffic jams every morning, every evening, most weekends in Hoddle Street, Flemington Road, Alexandra Parade, do you think East West Link is dead? Of course you don't because you know that all vehicles need to get moving and the only way to get your vehicles moving to save you time, to cut out 23 sets of traffic lights, to save you 20 minutes – that's just with stage one of East West Link, is to get this road built."

Labor announced it would not go ahead with the East West Link in September last year, several weeks before the Coalition attempted to lock in the deal by guaranteeing a large payout for the consortium if the project was dumped.

The Labor government, which has agreed to take over $339 million of costs incurred by the consortium and $81 million worth of fees for a project loan facility, has attempted to sheet blame back to the state opposition, accusing it of introducing a "poison pill" financial clause as an act of political sabotage. It has since highlighted the Coalition's own early analysis showing the project would have returned a loss-making 45¢ for every $1 invested.