The ACT government has shortlisted two construction companies in its search for a builder for the new northside hospital.
Multiplex and CPB Contractors have been asked to tender to construct the new hospital with the contract for the build expected to be completed in early 2025.
The detailed design work for the hospital was initially due to be completed by June 2025 but health authorities have scrapped this date and not released a new timetable.
The information was outlined in an answer to a question-on-notice from recent estimates hearings.
But Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith confirmed the project would be roughly on the same timeline.
"We are very clearly working towards commencement of construction mid-decade," she said.
"The project board met [on Tuesday] and ran through the whole timeline and how to get there."
The hospital will be built on the existing North Canberra Hospital site.
The new hospital was given as one of the main reasons for the government's compulsory acquisition of the former Calvary Bruce Public Hospital.
It is expected to cost more than $1 billion to construct. The final cost will be announced when the government finalises a contract with the preferred tenderer.
Ms Stephen-Smith said the shortlisted tenderers were chosen due to their experiences in delivering major health projects. She said bringing a contractor on from the design stage meant they could have oversight on the project from the very beginning.
"One of the advantages of this very early contractor involvement process is that we get the advantage of a major construction partner that has significant experience in building complex hospital facilities and they can bring that experience into the detailed design process," she said.
"So if they see something in the design process that's going to impact on the constructability of the facility they can feed that in early to the design and reduce the amount of resign that might have to be done."
Multiplex built the Canberra Hospital expansion which was opened over the weekend. CPB Contractors is also working on the light rail project.
The location of the new hospital has largely been determined. The existing hospital will remain in operation while the new one is being built but some facilities will have to move, like the child and adolescent mental health services cottage, Arcadia House and the child care centre.
"We need to rebuild those facilities or relocate those facilities before we can remove those buildings," Ms Stephen-Smith said.
The tender process is being run by Major Projects Canberra, the government agency established to oversee large infrastructure projects.
Major Projects Canberra director-general Gillian Geraghty said during this stage in the tender process both companies would need to provide information about their returnable schedules, their capability and capacity, how they would approach the project, their experience and what they will do for the local region.
"We're really interested in how we make sure these contractors are working with the local industry," she said.
"It's not just about bringing in a workforce from elsewhere.
"[It's] making sure that we deliver this facility with a workforce that's representative of the community that it's going to serve."
