Transport secretary cancels A12 widening scheme

Heidi Alexander said the Conservative government promised infrastructure projects with "no plan to pay for them"

A scheme to widen an A-road used by about 90,000 vehicles a day will no longer go ahead due to a lack of funds, the government has announced.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander cancelled the works planned for the A12 near Chelmsford, Essex, as well as a plan to create a dual carriageway on the A47 between Wansford and Sutton in Cambridgeshire.

Alexander accused the previous Conservative government of promising infrastructure projects with "no plan to pay for them".

Louise McKinlay, the deputy leader of Essex County Council, said scrapping the A12 plan was "hugely disappointing".

The project was pitched as a £1.2bn project that would widen a 15-mile (24km) stretch of the road from Chelmsford to the A120 at Marks Tey.

Rishi Sunak's government approved it in January 2024.

But Alexander said the scheme had to be cancelled because it was one of the most expensive upcoming projects.

"Only those projects that are fully costed, affordable and will deliver a return on taxpayers' money will be given the green light under my watch," she added.

About 90,000 vehicles use the section of the A12 that had works planned on a daily basis

McKinlay, a Conservative councillor, said the earmarked stretch of the A12 was "widely acknowledged as being unfit for purpose".

"It is frankly essential that improvements to this vitally important corridor are made," she said.

In her announcement on Tuesday, Alexander also said the A47 Wansford to Sutton scheme would not continue.

National Highways planned to make a 1.6-mile (2.5km) section of the major Cambridgeshire route into a dual carriageway.

Alexander said: "We are already investing over £500m on improvements to the A47 corridor, with work to dual sections in Norfolk already under way.

"But it's just not feasible to support further investment at this time."

She said more money was going to be invested into roads in the north of England and the Midlands.

"I understand some communities will feel frustrated, but by taking this decision we are rebalancing funds towards those areas that for too long haven't had the infrastructure investment they have deserved," Alexander added.