The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has promised that continue to push the government to support plans to improvements to the A47 near to Peterborough.

Paul Bristow has pledging to put the case for investment in the increasingly congested route firmly back on the agenda after being reaffirmed as Chair of the A47 Alliance.

Proposed £100m improvements to a 1.6 mile stretch of the road between Wansford and Sutton were scrapped earlier this year after government officials decided that the works ‘did not represent value for money.’

Following the A47 Alliance’s full meeting on Thursday (October 29), partners have discussed the future direction of the Alliance and its priorities, with a focus on securing the transport infrastructure needed to support growth across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and the wider East of England.

Dualling the A47 has been put back on the agenda.

placeholder image — Dualling the A47 has been put back on the agenda.

The group has raised concerns about increasing congestion and a lack of capacity risk holding back the region’s ambitions. They have said that dualling would help improve connectivity, support more reliable journeys and strengthen links between people, jobs and essential services.

Mayor Paul Bristow said: “The A47 is a vital road for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and for the wider East of England, but it is increasingly congested and we cannot expect our region to grow without the transport capacity to support it.

“People travelling to work, taking their children to school or getting to hospital are losing too much time sitting in queues. Businesses need reliable connections, to maintain and grow. Better transport infrastructure is about making everyday life easier, improving access to opportunity and giving our economy the foundations it needs to grow.

“Our Local Growth Plan sets out how we can grow the regional economy substantially. But ambition alone is not enough. We need the infrastructure to make it happen, and the A47 has to be part of that conversation.

“The Government wants us to grow, and my job is to make sure that growth works for local people. That means making sure our communities have the roads, connections and opportunities they need to benefit from that growth.

"For Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, improvements between Peterborough and Wisbech are particularly significant. Better connections could support economic development in the Fens, improve access to employment and services, and help ensure communities beyond the main urban centres share in the benefits of regional growth.”