A campaign has been launched to improve one of the region’s most congested roads amid concerns that the gridlock will only increase.

Lengthy tailbacks are a daily feature for long-suffering drivers on the A428, particularly between Caxton Gibbet and St Neots.

Jonathan Djanogly MP, backed by The Hunts Post, is urging people to support calls for an upgrade.

“I need a huge show of people saying this road is not working, backed up by thousands signing an online petition to get the ball rolling,” the MP said.

“Then I can go to the Highways Agency and the Government, have a meeting with the Transport Minister, and say this has got to be dealt with.”

The Highways Agency is promoting £1.5billion plans to provide a new A14 toll road, south of Huntingdon. But crucially, its scheme does not include any improvements to the A428, despite the fact it is included as an official alternative route to the A14.

Mr Djanogly said he was open-minded about what would work best for the A428.

“There are two general options – expand the existing road by dualling or a new road. The existing road could be de-trunked so it becomes a local road and then there could be a new road to the south, which could go directly down to the Black Cat roundabout.”

Doing nothing was not an option, he added. “One thing for sure is I’m now getting more concerns about the A428 than anything else, including tolling. It’s the main issue of concern for people, in St Neots in particular.”

Mr Djanogly said roads were already under strain and warned it would only get worse as more people moved into new housing at Loves Farm and Cambourne.

“Even without the A14, there are capacity issues that need to be addressed.”

Support for the campaign has come from Alistair Burt, North East Bedfordshire MP, who backs any proposed upgrade, along with changes to the Black Cat roundabout, such as an overpass or underpass for A428 traffic.

Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council Councillor Martin Curtis said he supported efforts to improve the route, which he said was part of a crucial corridor for linking Cambridge with Oxford. “We are getting a lot of representations about the A428,” he added.

“We are going to set up an alliance of interested parties to put pressure on the Highways Agency.”

A Highways Agency spokesman said the A428 would be included in a series of “route based strategies” – a review of routes which would be used to prioritise schemes for funding as part of spending reviews, the first of which will be in 2015.

Add your support for an improved A428, visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/a428campaign to sign the petition.