Plans to expand two busy A-roads in eastern England have been scrapped due to funding shortfalls, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has confirmed. The proposed widening of the A12 near Chelmsford and a new dual carriageway on the A47 between Wansford and Sutton will no longer proceed, as the government shifts its infrastructure priorities.

The A12 upgrade, a £1.2 billion initiative, aimed to improve a 15-mile stretch between Chelmsford and Marks Tey, used by around 90,000 vehicles daily. Originally approved under Rishi Sunak’s government in early 2024, the project has now been shelved, with Alexander citing its high cost and lack of financial planning. She criticised the previous administration for announcing projects without securing funding, stating her department would only back schemes that are affordable and deliver taxpayer value.

Local leaders have expressed disappointment. Essex County Council’s Deputy Leader, Louise McKinlay, labelled the cancellation “hugely disappointing,” stressing the road’s urgent need for improvement and describing the route as “unfit for purpose.”

The A47 project, which planned to dual a 1.6-mile section of road in Cambridgeshire, was also axed. Alexander noted that £500 million is already being spent on other A47 improvements and said future investment would be redirected to underfunded regions in the North and Midlands to better balance national infrastructure spending.