However, local MP and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Barnaby Joyce, who promised to deliver the money in his 2016 election says everything is on track from the project to begin in the second half of 2018.

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said the state government had almost finished designing the project.

“Barnaby Joyce, now that he’s back on the job and back on the tools, we’ll get him to sign off on that as soon as possible,” Mr Anderson said.

“He’s well aware of what’s needed, to cough up with the funds, so we’ll be talking to Barnaby as we always do, about projects right around Tamworth, like we did with Appleby Lane and a number of other road projects.

“So Barnaby’s acutely aware, you might say, to get the funding over.”

A spokesperson for Mr Joyce said the funding would be released once “the project is approved and agreed project milestones are met”.

“Funding of $3.5 million was committed in the 2017-18 budget and the project proposal is now under assessment,” they said.