Catthorpe interchange improvement scheme to get £150m

The Catthorpe interchange is where the M1, M6 and A14 meet

A scheme to improve a motorway junction on the Warwickshire/Leicestershire border to reduce delays and accidents is to receive £150m government funding.

The Catthorpe interchange is where the M1, M6 and A14 meet. It has been the site of a number of crashes.

The project is part of a wider programme of £1bn of investment to boost the Highways Agency's roads programme over the next three years.

A public inquiry into the scheme must be held before work can begin.

Pinch point

Roads Minister Mike Penning, who visited the site on Tuesday, said: "The Chancellor's Autumn Statement confirmed how important an efficient transport network is to driving economic growth in this country - whether by getting staff to work, suppliers to business, or goods to market.

"I wanted to visit the region today to see first hand where some of the new £1bn investment for the Highways Agency's roads programme will be spent over the next three years."

He said the project would tackle a key "pinch point" on the road.

He added that the Highways Agency was working on a detailed programme for the scheme including a start date.