The Pokiok-Longs Creek section had been independently contracted by the provincial government and opened in November 2006. However, the provincial government sought to construct the remaining gap as part of a complete "design-build-finance-operate-maintain-rehabilitate" plan which would see large private sector consortia bid for the right to design and construct the 98 km of new highway for Route 2, as well as to operate the entire section of Route 2 between Longs Creek, where it abuts the hidden-toll highway section built and operated by Maritime Road Development Corporation, and the Quebec–New Brunswick border as well as all of Route 95.