NSW Deputy Premier and Nationals Leader John Barilaro revealed at a press conference in Muswellbrook on Thursday, that the Gladys Berejiklian government would inject $266 million to have construction started by 2022.

However, he admitted this was dependent on the coalition winning the state election next month.

The election promise would be a huge win for the community if it materialises, as the bypass has been spoken about within the town for more than three decades.

Mr Barilaro said the government had made the decision to act now after growing tired of a lack of compromise at federal level.

The state had previously been prepared to put just $68 million into the infrastructure plan and called on the Gillard-Rudd and Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison governments for support, but have now decided to take matters into their own hands.

"We've made some tough decisions over the past eight years,” he said.

“We’ve got the budget in the black and we've got the ability to actually build the infrastructure on our own.”

Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnsen was quick to point out the positives of taking control of the situation themselves.

“By the state making the decision to take over full responsibility of the bypass, it actually cuts out a whole bureaucratic layer,” he said.

“We share the frustration from a local point of view of what it's been like to get to this particular point.

“I know business is frustrated, I know the community is frustrated.

“But, because of good economic management we can take full responsibility and that's exactly what we're going to do.”

The new timeline is set to advance completion by anywhere between one to three years, with planning and construction taking three years each, which would theoretically see it finished by 2025.

Mr Barilaro admitted that being such a large project, there was no definitive date and acknowledged that plenty of issues could get in the way.

“You can’t guarantee anything in life,” he said.

“I hope it rains for the next three years so we get rid of the drought and, if it rains, you’re not going to get much work done.”

He did put his full faith into Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to make quick and direct actions regarding the project now they had the money.

“For the RMS, it’s almost been like ‘here you go, do the work in relation to the bypass but we can’t guarantee funding beyond the $68 million because we’re waiting for the feds’,” Mr Barilaro said.

“The reality today is we’re saying we want to own this, we want to give RMS the ability to deliver the road as soon as possible.”

The next steps of the project include concept design, environment assessment and negotiating land acquisitions with landholders.

The 9.1km bypass would begin about 1km south of the New England Highway intersection at Muscle Creek Road, and reconnect to the existing highway about 1.2km north of Sandy Creek Road. It will have a speed limit of 100km an hour.

It is the largest funding announcement ever made in regards to the Muswellbrook Bypass and, if it is to be followed through upon, it would be a major victory for the community who has been waiting for far too long.