Although construction is not expected to start until late 2014 at the earliest, the county council is begun the search for a contractor, with a contract notice published in the EU Official Journal.
The 3.8km road scheme will link the A1 to the A197 in the southeast of the county. By taking traffic out of Morpeth, opportunities for development open up at key sites, according to planners.
The council opted for the ECI route as the best way to keep costs under control, allowing the winning contractor to start its own detailed design work ahead of construction.
The deadline for receipt of pre-qualification questionnaires is Monday 8 April, 2013.
For further details, see our Contract Leads section.
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