Osborne has secured a £2.1 million contract to develop new cycle paths along Eastern England's major A roads.

The contractor will begin building or upgrading 17 cycling path at sites across the region including the A12, A120, A47, and the A5 in the new year.

The project is part of a £100m programme to offer greater accessibility to England's major roads and a more cycle-friendly network.

The schemes being worked on are:

• Two improved routes in Essex: along the A12 from Witham to Marks Tey and at A120 Parkeston Roundabout in Harwich

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• A new and one improved route in Norfolk: at A12 Harfreys Roundabout in Great Yarmouth and along the A47 from Hockering to North Tuddenham

• Significant improvements at several locations along the A12 in Lowestoft, Suffolk

• Bedfordshire: improvements to an existing route on the A5, Dunstable High Street and removal of a section of cycle lane on the A5 at Chalk Hill, which doesn't meet current local authority standards

Cycling Minister Robert Goodwill said: "These new routes will transform cycling journeys along busy routes in the East of England.

"Highways England's improvements on the strategic road network will form part of the government's £300m investment over the next five years to support a cycling revolution across this country."

(LM/CD)