A14 Cambridgeshire widening scheme to take eight months

Work to reduce congestion on part of the A14 in Cambridgeshire has started.

The £17m scheme includes an additional lane in each direction between Girton and Histon and improvements to access roads, the Highways Agency said.

Work is expected to take eight months and is part of the government's £317m "pinch point" programme targeting congested routes to "boost growth".

The current two lanes will be narrowed during the work and the speed limit reduced to 50mph (80km/h).

The stretch of road carries about 62,000 vehicles a day, according to the Highways Agency.

The scheme near Girton is separate to a £1.5bn A14 improvement programme expected to begin in 2016.