A SECTION of the A31 dual carriageway at Ringwood will be increased to three lanes, government road chiefs announced today.

Transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin and chief secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander outlined the improvements, as part of a £15billion plan to invest in more than 100 new road schemes across the country.

Welcoming the inclusion of the A31 in the nationwide programme, described by the Department for Transport as the biggest roads upgrade for a generation, New Forest councillor and Ringwood deputy mayor Michael Thierry said it was “tremendous news.”

Cllr Thierry, who has long campaigned for improvements along the dual carriageway, added: “I think this is probably going to be the best Christmas present ever for Ringwood motorists.

“We can only hope that the plan doesn’t fall by the wayside or for varying reasons it doesn’t quite get itself into the melting pot.

“As a councillor and a campaigner on the A31 for many, many years I have been seeking lots of these improvements, and certainly the three lanes proposal will be welcomed by drivers.

“One of the issues is the volume of traffic on the A31, the road can no longer support and suck up all the vehicles that want to use it.”

Safety concerns on the A31 intensified after the death of 16-year-old Jade Clark, who was knocked off her moped by hit-and-run driver Brian Hampton at the Ringwood junction in February last year.

The A31 widening project, which the Department for Transport has pledged to deliver over the next parliament, will also include junction improvements, changes to nearby roads and pedestrian safety upgrades.

Improvements to the M3 slip roads at junctions 10, 11, 12, 13 & 14 are also included in the project, along with upgrades to junctions 5 & 8 of the M27.

Calling the whole initiative the biggest, boldest and most far-reaching roads programme for decades, Mr McLoughlin added: “It will dramatically improve our road network and unlock Britain’s economic potential.

“Roads are key to our nation’s prosperity. For too long they have suffered from under-investment.”

Meanwhile, Mr Alexander said: “World class infrastructure is vital if we are to build a stronger economy, but it matters in other ways too. It invigorates communities and gives people more opportunities to get on in life.”