A major project to cut congestion and increase the capacity of the A38 in Derby is not expected to start until 2030. The £600m scheme to create flyovers and underpasses at the Little Eaton, Markeaton and Kingsway roundabouts, as well as widened roads, was approved by the government in July, says the BBC.

However it has been branded “a waste of money” by a local campaign group which says the funding would be better spent on “infrastructure that reduces car dependency and protects nature”.

The government said the expansion would provide “smoother and safer journeys” for motorists, while local council leaders said it was a “vital boost for Derby’s economy”.

The scheme is part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) £27bn road investment strategy for highways improvements across England.

The project has been designed to cut congestion on the stretch of the A38 where local traffic meets vehicles travelling between Birmingham and the M1.

A public consultation on how to improve the road started in 2001, but the project has been repeatedly paused, leading to the plans being redesigned and then challenged in court by campaigners.

The DfT has now told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that there was a confirmed time frame for when works are set to start.

It said it was expected to begin during the second part of the next phase of road improvements, which will run from 2030 to 2031.

According to National Highways, construction is expected to last four years.

(Picture: National Highways)