Thiess Pty Ltd, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Hyder Consulting will partner the Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) to build the eastern section of the $1.7billion expressway.

Work on this section will begin early next year.

Meanwhile AbiGroup Contrac-tors, Leighton Contractors/BMD Constructions and Thiess have been invited to participate in the next stage of the tender selection process to build the western end of the Expressway.

This shortlist will be scrutinised and assessed and the final tender will be awarded to one of the companies by the middle of next year.

Work is expected to start on the 26km western section in late 2010.

Announcing the decisions, Federal Minister for Infrastrucutre, Transport, Reg-ional Development and Local Government Anthony Albanese said the Federal and State Government were working together to deliver the road infrastructure as quickly as possible.

He said the project would support up to 800 jobs in the short term while building the infrastructure needed to underpin Australian’s longer term economic prosperity.

Once completed in 2013, the Hunter Expressway will provide a faster east-west connection between Newcastle and the

Lower Hunter and will cut

travel times over this distance

by a massive 28 minutes.

There is a number of property acquisitions needed to be completed and relocation of utilities in order for the work to begin.

The dual carriageway freeway will cover a distance of 40km and includes 53 bridges at 21 sites.

The relocation of utilities will cost $20million alone and include the relocation of overhead and underground 11,000, 66,000 and 132,000 volt power poles and lines, as well as low voltage service wires supplying homes and businesses.

All up, energy Australia has 41 separate projects involved in the work and 180 poles to be removed or replaced.

The work also requires a one kilometre of railway reconstruction including a new railway bridge.

The Expressway is forecast to deliver traffic reductions in the Thornton, Maitland and Rutherford area of 15,000 to 30,000 vehicles per day down from the current level of 60,000 vehicles.

When discussing the infrastructure with The Singleton Argus last month, Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon said the work was of such magnitude that it would provide a job for anyone who wanted one.

Jobseekers should keep an eye out in the positions vacant in The Singleton Argus or check the successful companies websites.