Kempsey-Armidale Road rebuild awarded $319 million contract

Armidale Regional Council has awarded a $319 million contract to Bielby Holdings Pty Ltd for the extensive reconstruction of the Kempsey-Armidale Road. The project aims to restore the vital connection between the Northern Tablelands and the Mid North Coast, which has suffered significant damage from the 2019 bushfires and subsequent flooding in 2020 and 2022.

The reconstruction will cover 43 kilometres of the Kempsey-Armidale Road and five kilometres of Lower Creek Road between Big Hill and Blackbird Flat. The initiative is being jointly funded by the Australian federal and New South Wales governments under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements.

Mayor Sam Coupland described the project as the largest infrastructure undertaking ever delivered by a local council, noting its critical importance to the regional economy, local farmers, and residents.