Stage one will include civil works between Harfleur St and Wood St, covering drainage, new kerb and gutter, footpaths and driveway upgrades, landscaping, signage and line marking along.
    
                  
                                                                
                  
                                            
                              
        Stage two - for Wood St and Ochtertyre St - will be tendered later in 2026.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        Both will complement a major road reconstruction of Hardinge St delivered in partnership with Transport for NSW, which includes new concrete median strips and turning lanes, a new road surface and new kerbing and guttering.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        There will also be new marked parking bays established in safe places on the road, pedestrian crossings introduced for safer foot traffic and landscaping.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        Edward River Council Mayor Ashley Hall said calling for tenders is a major milestone in delivering long-planned safety and access improvements for the town’s busiest precinct.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        “This is the step that gets boots on the ground for the main civil works,” Cr Hall said.
    
                  
                                                                
                  
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        “By progressing stage one we’re getting on with safer turning movements, better drainage, upgraded footpaths and driveways, and the foundations for a smoother, more efficient road through our commercial heart.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        “The community has told us how important Hardinge St is for daily life and local business.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        “We’re pleased to see this milestone reached, and we thank everyone for their patience as we move into construction.”
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        The tender covers the first stage of civil works along the section of road between Harfleur and Wood Sts, and follows the installation of a new water main in that area.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        It will include:
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        • New stormwater drainage
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        • New kerb and gutter
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        • Upgrade of some footpaths and property driveways, where needed
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        • Landscaping and streetscape improvements
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        • New road signage and line marking, where applicable
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        • Procurement and delivery timeline
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        Tenders close 4pm, Tuesday, November 25.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        Council anticipates awarding the tender by December 9, so that work can take place between February and June 2026.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        By the time the Hardinge St project is completed, a 936m stretch of Hardinge St will have been upgrades to “improve safety, access and amenity for residents, businesses and all road users”.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        Before the road construction phase of the project begins, local stakeholders are urging Transport for NSW to give more consideration to the placement of some islands and the impact on traffic flow - especially surrounding the Hardinge St shopping complex.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        Those in the freight and agricultural sectors have also raised concerns about lane widths after the implementation of all the new median strips, and whether wide loads and ag machinery will be able to navigate them.
    
                  
                                                                                                                                                                                    
                              
        For project information and updates, visit council’s project hub at https://www.haveyoursay.edwardriver.nsw.gov.au/hardinge-street-road-reconstruction-project.