Plans for a future bypass of Hexham and Heatherbrae have taken a step forward, with the awarding of a tender to complete the concept design.
Jacobs Australia will carry out detailed traffic and environmental studies, as it fine-tunes the plan for the missing link between the M1 and the Pacific Highway.
The 15-kilometre stretch will include dual carriageway and a new crossing over the Hunter River.
Planning should be completed by 2017.
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