An $80 million pledge towards the $2.1 billion project, seeing 15 kilometers of the dual carriageway extended between Black Hill and Raymond Terrace, made at the end of 2021 brings the federal government's contribution to $1.68 billion, which it is capped at.

On the banks of the Hunter River at Hexham on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce confirmed the $80m investment which he said "reinforces our commitment to delivering the infrastructure the Hunter region needs".

"Our government is committed to delivering this transformational project, which will bust congestion to provide more reliable travel times for commuters," he said. "It's going to be a real game-changer for motorists, delivering a 15km extension of the M1 Pacific Motorway with two lanes in each direction from Black Hill to Raymond Terrace.

"This will remove more than 25,000 vehicles a day from key congestion and merge points between Newcastle and Maitland. The project will also deliver an important economic boost to the Hunter region, supporting around 2700 jobs during construction and creating opportunities for local businesses."

The extension project, which is still in the planning stages but has firm state ($420m) and federal ($1.68b) funding, is due to begin mid-2023 and open to traffic by mid-2028.

In addition to extending the dual carriageway, the project's works will include the construction of a 2.6km bridge over the New England Highway and Hunter River, upgrades to the surrounding road network, and widening the Hexham Straight.

The Hexham Straight Widening project is currently in the planning approval processes. This project includes the widening of about 6km of the Pacific Highway/Maitland Road between the Newcastle Inner City Bypass at Sandgate and the New England Highway at Hexham Bridge to three lanes in each direction.

Mr Joyce was joined on Monday by local MPs and Paterson candidate Brooke Vitnell.

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