Catthorpe interchange improvement scheme to get 拢150m

Image caption, The Catthorpe interchange is where the M1, M6 and A14 meet

A scheme to improve a motorway junction on the Warwickshire/Leicestershire border to reduce delays and accidents is to receive 拢150m government funding.

The Catthorpe interchange is where the M1, M6 and A14 meet. It has been the site of a number of crashes.

The project is part of a wider programme of 拢1bn of investment to boost the Highways Agency's roads programme over the next three years.

A public inquiry into the scheme must be held before work can begin.

Pinch point

Roads Minister Mike Penning, who visited the site on Tuesday, said: "The Chancellor's Autumn Statement confirmed how important an efficient transport network is to driving economic growth in this country - whether by getting staff to work, suppliers to business, or goods to market.

"I wanted to visit the region today to see first hand where some of the new 拢1bn investment for the Highways Agency's roads programme will be spent over the next three years."

He said the project would tackle a key "pinch point" on the road.

He added that the Highways Agency was working on a detailed programme for the scheme including a start date.