Balfour Beatty have been given the green light to start work on the £400m dualling of the A46, which has been brought forward to boost the economy.

The scheme to dual a 17-mile stretch of single carriageway road between Newark and Widmerpool will create 500 construction jobs. So far it is the only major project to emerge from the Government's high-profile £3bn economic stimulus package.

The project has been brought forward three years earlier than planned with the opening of the dual carriageway expected to be 2012.

Transport minister Chris Mole said: “The Department for Transport’s offer in November last year to contribute £174m of additional funding to the Region for the scheme – half the estimated future cost - has allowed construction to be accelerated."