Rockvale Road will be boosted as a northern regional link from Armidale, with work starting next week to improve traffic safety by sealing a 1.4-kilometre section at the northern end of the road.
The $1.2 million project is the second of two stages to upgrade and seal the final 3.5 kilometres near the Inverell to Ebor Road intersection.
Council's Interim Administrator, Viv May, said the initial works in 2018/19 and the second stage are targetting a section which can be particularly hazardous during wet weather, especially for heavy vehicles.
"There are some steep gradients and cambers and the unsealed surface can become very slippery," Mr May said.
"Rockvale Road is an important part of our region's road network. It is a regular route for many residents and commercial operators and can be a particularly valuable regional link at times when the New England Highway is closed."
He said the steep gradients also leave those sections highly prone to erosion of the road's surfaces and edges.
Site preparations get underway this Monday, with construction set to begin on Monday 30 November.
The upgrade is scheduled to be completed by the end of March and, while the road will remain open to traffic during the project, some traffic restrictions will be in place from the end of November.
The project has been funded through the Federal Government's Stronger Regions Fund and Roads to Recovery program.
