Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has scrapped plans for the £1.3bn A12 widening near Chelmsford and a £100m A47 dualling in Cambridgeshire in a major reset of the Government’s strategic roads programme.

She told Parliament yesterday the two costly schemes had been ditched under budget pressure, warning that only fully costed and affordable projects would go ahead from now on.

The cancellations came as the Department for Transport confirmed full details of which 50 road and rail upgrades would still progress, with Alexander warning many remaining schemes in the pipeline are now under review.

She told Parliament: “Only those projects that are fully costed, affordable and deliver a return on taxpayers’ money will be given the green light under my watch.

“That means no more black holes, no more busted budgets, and no more promising the moon on a stick — those days are over.”

The decision to axe the A12 upgrade was made alongside a choice to press ahead with the A66 Northern Trans-Pennine dualling – both among the most expensive road projects in the pipeline.

Alexander also pulled the plug on the A47 Wansford to Sutton dualling, noting that more than £500m of other investment along the A47 corridor is already under way.

She said: “It is just not feasible to support further investment at this time.”

Instead, the focus is shifting to the north and Midlands, which she said had been overlooked for too long.

“The north and Midlands will now get a higher proportion of strategic road spend than we have seen in the past five years. I believe that is the right and fair thing to do.”

Alexander said councils have been contacted about 28 projects that will get the go-ahead, but many others are now being reviewed.

“My officials will work with councils on which schemes to prioritise,” she said, “and I will update the House on next steps once those discussions have taken place.”