Business leaders and politicians from across Suffolk are in London today to try to persuade Transport Secretary Chris Grayling to go ahead with major improvements to the A14 in the county.

They are travelling to Parliament as a delegation on behalf of the “No More A14 Delays” campaign run by the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce to try to ensure that finance to upgrade the road is included in the next major programme of trunk road investment by Highways England.

The campaigners looking to secure government investment at seven pinch points along the A14 and are travelling down to London make the next big push for the £150m investment that will unlock significant economic growth, jobs and housing.

Over the last two years, the campaign has been building the business case – and wider public support – for what is seen by most commentators as “Britain’s Premier Trade Route” because of the amount of goods running along it to and from the Port of Felixstowe.

The campaign received a major boost last year when Highways England designated the highway as a “current, planned and potential expressway.”

Expressways are motorway-grade two-lane highways and their designation requires that all junctions off and onto them are enhanced.

Since then the campaign has contributed compelling evidence to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) consultation into the Highways England report to ensure that the A14 – and other Suffolk projects – are included in the final Roads Investment Strategy (RIS) 2.

Those improvements would be brought in during the early 2020s.

They will be at a House of Commons reception today hosted by South Suffolk MP James Cartlidge and Mark Pendlington, chair of the A14 Strategy Board at the Chamber. Mr Grayling has been invited and is expected to attend.