Drivers on the A46 and M40 in Warwickshire are to benefit from a £76.8m scheme, to be built with £70.9m of Government funding, to ease congestion and improve safety, Transport Minister Tom Harris has announced.

The scheme will create a new 1.8 mile dual carriageway to allow the A46 to bypass junction 15 of the M40. Currently A46 traffic must pass through junction 15 leading to delays on both roads, creating the potential for accidents and causing drivers to divert to other roads.

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Tom Harris said: "The A46 is a vital North-South route for the region, connecting Coventry with Stratford upon Avon and linking towns across Warwickshire to the M40, which in turn provides a vital link to the South-East.

"By cutting congestion and improving road safety this £70m of Government investment to will bring benefits to regional businesses and to both local drivers and those on longer journeys."

The improvement is expected to start in spring 2008 with construction expected to take around 30 months.

(GK)