PUBLIC support is needed for a £250 million solution to the worst traffic spot in the South West.

The government will set out its future road schemes at the end of March and Gloucestershire County Council is spearheading a campaign to see the missing link solution – the A417 loop - added to the list.

The missing link is a 5km stretch of single carriageway on the A417 trunk road with the remaining route between the M4 at Swindon and M5 at Gloucester being dual carriageway.

It is a significant bottleneck and has the worst average vehicle delay of all strategic routes in the South West.

The A417 loop is a new road made up of a short bypass of Nettleton Bottom, widening of Birdlip Bypass, a new junction at Birdlip, a new junction replacing the Air Balloon roundabout and construction of an additional two lane carriageway down Crickley Hill.

The result will be an uninterrupted dual carriageway all the way from the M5 at Gloucester to the M4 at Swindon.

Now people across Gloucestershire are being asked to show their support for the A417 loop by signing up and pledging their backing on www.a417missinglink.co.uk.

Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council, said: “This is our one chance to show the government how important this scheme is to our county.

“For more than 20 years people have talked about a possible solution but it’s only ever been talk up to this point, without the money to see it through.

“We know the government will announce its list of schemes at the end of March and this is our opportunity to put our case forward and get the cash we need.”

The missing link is a 5km stretch of single carriageway on the A417 trunk road with the remaining route between the M4 at Swindon and M5 at Gloucester being dual carriageway.

The A417 loop follows the existing path as much as possible and has been judged as the most environmentally friendly by the Environment Agency.

Other solutions, including a tunnel which would cost £1billion, have been ruled out on cost and environmental grounds.

To back the campaign go to www.a417missinglink.co.uk.