Galway County Council has advertised for archaeological specialists to carry out an archaeological dig along the route of the proposed Ballinasloe to Athlone dual-carriageway.
The contract, covering a distance of 20km, is expected to uncover a rich vein of artefacts given the proximity of the Shannon and its historically-important crossing points around Athlone.
Tendering information published on the Government's e-tendering website this week said the total value of the contract "will vary depending on the number and type of archaeological sites discovered".
The route of the dual-carriageway will be from the western end of the Athlone bypass to Tulrush, southeast of Ballinasloe.
In addition to the dual-carriageway there are to be 4km of realigned local roads, 12km of accommodation access routes, 14 new bridges and a major new junction at the Ballinasloe end.
The road is part of the M6/N6 route from Kinnegad to Galway, and is being undertaken by Galway County Council on behalf of Roscommon County Council. The road will link into the N6 Galway to east Ballinasloe project which is being developed as a Public Private Partnership.
Meanwhile, the National Roads Authority (NRA) has said the Loughrea bypass is also expected to open ahead of schedule in mid-November.
The bypass will remove one of the worst blackspots for traffic congestion on the Dublin to Galway road.
