Minister urged to prioritise A5 dual carriageway work in Shropshire
New transport minister John Hayes has been asked to make the dualling of part of the A5 through Shropshire a top priority.
North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson has invited Mr Hayes to see for himself why dualling the A5 from Nesscliffe to Oswestry should be a high priority.
Mr Hayes was appointed transport minister in the wake of Prime Minister Theresa May's changes to the government.
Mr Paterson also wants to put forward the case for bypassing Pant and Llanymynech on the A483.
This invitation comes only three months after Under Secretary for Transport Andrew Jones travelled the 22 miles of the single carriageway A5 between Montford Bridge and the Welsh border by car with the North Shropshire MP to view the road himself.
Mr Paterson said: "I really must emphasise that death and injuries affect my constituents and motorists who use that stretch of the A5 disproportionately and it is imperative that this road is brought up to today's modern standards and needs,
"It's wholly inadequate and unacceptable for the volume of traffic travelling on that road. It is a cause of frequent congestion and danger. There has to be a long term strategy for dualling the road."
He added: "I look forward to John's visit, he's an ally who understands rural areas, and it is important he sees these problems for himself."
Meanwhile, Mr Paterson confirmed he had also met with newly appointed secretary of state for transport Chris Grayling to discuss extending the rail service from Shrewsbury to Gobowen, Wrexham and Chester.
