A DELEGATION of Suffolk MPs will tomorrow meet Roads Minister Mike Penning to discuss proposals to reduce congestion and boost capacity on the A14.

Politicians including Therese Coffey, Peter Aldous, Ben Gummer and Dan Poulter will be talking about the various proposals on investing on the busy dual carriageway stretch between Cambridge and the A1 at Huntingdon.

Suffolk Coastal MP Therese Coffey said: “The A14 is so important to residents and businesses in Suffolk including the Port of Felixstowe and I welcome the progress made so far.

“Significant investment including the widening of parts of the carriageway on the strategic route to Felixstowe is very welcome and much needed.

“It is essential these improvements are made to free up capacity which also involves putting more freight onto rail.”

The talks come after the Department for Transport unveiled plans for investment and improvement along the A14 in July.

Funding for the work, which includes the widening and “enhancing” of 20 miles of the A14 and the building of two new parallel roads immediately north of Cambridge for local traffic, would be provided in part by the introduction of a toll.

Dr Coffey added: “Shortly before the end of recess in July, the Government made some announcements about taking forward the next stage of six options for the A14.

“There was some speculation there would be an early decision so we needed to make sure we got in to have our say on behalf of the Suffolk economy.

“There are six options for the A14, five of which involve a toll road, and we want to talk about the implications.

“We want to ensure that an important artery, that affects Suffolk, is recognised and that Suffolk businesses won’t just be paying for making it easier for Cambridge commuters.”

The exact details of the toll, including what length the tolled section would be, how users pay and what the tariff should be, has not yet been decided.

The work has initially been priced at between �1billion and �1.5bn and could begin by 2018.