A14 road: Campaigners call for upgrades on 12 sites

Initial government plans for a toll on the road were scrapped

Campaigners calling for improvements to the A14 have listed 12 sites they say are in need of improvement.

The Suffolk Chamber of Commerce said the work could help boost the county's economy by more than £350m a year.

In 2013, the government announced a £1.5bn upgrade of the Cambridgeshire section of the road, ruling out initial plans for a toll.

Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey said the road was currently "not delivering" a "quick and efficient" route.

"Businesses rely on goods coming into the port of Felixstowe being transported in a quick and efficient manner, something the road is not currently delivering on," said the Conservative MP.

Extra lanes

The twelve sites identified stretch from Exning to Felixstowe, and include the Copdock Interchange.

The areas named in a document called No More A14 Delays also includes junctions in Exning, Bury St Edmunds, Ipswich and the Orwell Bridge.

It calls for various improvements, such as extra capacity at junctions, better links with other roads, improved parking facilities for lorry drivers, extra lanes and reduced speed limits on the Orwell Bridge.

The document states: "An end to congestion on the A14 in Suffolk could generate up to £362m of extra gross value added (GVA) per year, saving the A14 user an average 13 minutes per day in travel time, and creating an additional 7,000 jobs."

Jo Churchill, Conservative MP for Bury St Edmunds, said the route was crucial as "nearly 30% of all the UK's container trade passes through Needham Market, Stowmarket and Bury St Edmunds along the A14".

Nick Burfield, policy director at Suffolk Chamber, said: "The chamber and our partners are very concerned that, following the success of the 'No Toll Tax on Suffolk' campaign and the proposed Cambridge to Huntingdon improvements, the government may now regard the A14 as 'done'.

"This is far from the case."

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "The government is committed to regularly reviewing the needs of England's strategic road network.

"We will be outlining plans for developing the next Road Investment Strategy later in the year, and we want every community affected by heavy traffic to have their chance to get involved."