Upper Hunter Shire Council will immediately start discussions with the successful contractor to start working on rebuilding the road between Merriwa and Willow Tree.
The $50-million-dollar MR358 project was awarded to Daracon six months ago but was only just announced following the signing of a funding agreement with the State and Federal Governments.
The road, a vital transport route, has been closed since the last repairs failed and resulted in the section completely collapsing.
Mayor Maurice Collison said the build time is around 19 months… weather permitting.
Councillor Collison said the council has made a significant saving by locking in the contractor for the MR358 rebuild six months ago.
He said there are some penalties to be paid by keeping Daracon on hold since the middle of the year but the cost of going to tender now would be significantly higher.
