'Vital' work on Nottinghamshire's A453 road is shelved

The proposed road would be eight lanes wide in some places

Plans to widen one of Nottinghamshire's busiest roads have been put on hold as part of government cuts designed to save £6.2bn in the next year.

The widening of the A453, costing up to £194m, has been described as vital for economic growth by business leaders. Work was due to start in the autumn.

The plans have been deferred indefinitely, Chancellor George Osborne announced.

The extension of Nottingham's tram network is also under review.

The widening of the A453, which would have seen up to eight lanes in some parts of the road, has been discussed for more than a decade.

An inquiry into the plans finished last year and a decision was expected within weeks.

John Dowson, of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, said delays to making the A453 between Nottingham and the M1 in Leicestershire into a dual carriageway would be a "drag" on the local economy.

The announcement is the first step in the coalition government's attempt to eliminate the bulk of the UK's budget deficit - estimated at £156bn - over the next five years.

The Department for Transport has been hit by some of the biggest cuts.

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Business leaders said the delay will be a "drag" on the economy