The UK Government has agreed to support improvement works on the A421.

As part of the work, 3km of road will be widened and the section linking Milton Keynes to the M1 will be upgraded into a dual carriageway.

The government will provide £22.5m in funding for the project, while Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes councils have committed an additional £4.6m.

Around £1m will be delivered by South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP).

“It will open up more housing and employment growth opportunities in Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.”

The A421 currently sees up to 30,000 vehicles per day, which is significantly higher than normal capacity. The upgrade is expected to reduce congestion in the Milton Keynes region.

UK Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said: “Better transport facilities don’t just help people get around, they help them get on, connecting them to jobs, opportunities and supporting economic growth.

“This important project will complete the dualling of the A421 between the M1 and Milton Keynes, improving journeys for residents and opening up opportunities for businesses, employment, housing and leisure activities in the area.”

SEMLEP acting chief executive Hilary Chipping said: “Dualling the A421 from Eagle Farm in Milton Keynes to Junction 13 on the M1 will improve a key piece of the east-west infrastructure, critical to the Oxford-Milton Keynes-Cambridge Growth Corridor.

“It will open up more housing and employment growth opportunities in Central Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes.”

Scheduled to commence within the next few weeks, the upgrade works are expected to be completed by the second half of next year.