A decision on whether the government will pump millions of pounds into the controversial Norwich Western Link will be made "in the very near future", the roads minister has said.
But Richard Holden also hinted at tension between his Department for Transport and the Treasury over whether the road, to connect the A47 to the Norwich Northern Distributor Road, will get the go-ahead.
Norfolk County Council has long been waiting to hear if the government will back its outline business case for the 3.9-mile road - and provide 85pc of the price tag, which was last estimated at £205m.
READ MORE: A47 change sparks questions over future of Norwich Western Link contractor
On a visit to Norfolk to mark the completion of work on the A11, Mr Holden said Norfolk MPs and Norfolk County Council had repeatedly made the case for the road to him.
He said: "I want to support it. It is something ministers will make a decision on in the very near future.
"We have got MPs who are banging the drum and I talked to members of the county council about it when I visited the Third River Crossing at Great Yarmouth."
Asked if he could be more precise about when a decision might be forthcoming, Mr Holden said: "If it was my decision alone I would be able to say, but my colleagues in the Treasury need to go through the figures too."
In June, the county council paused development work on the road due to the delay in a decision.
Critics say the scheme, which they say will harm the environment, should be ditched amid rising construction costs.
Mr Holden's visit coincided with the completion of work by National Highways and construction company Morgan Sindall to upgrade almost 10 miles of dual carriageway on the A11.
The £65m project, which started in May 2022, involved the resurfacing of the road between Spooner Row and the Tuttles Interchange at Wymondham.
He said: "The upgrade will improve connections and grow the economy in this region, whilst providing smoother, quieter and safer journeys for all road users.
"This is just one of many projects National Highways will be completing across the country to keep our roads up to their world-leading standard."
A11 BY NUMBERS
National Highways, the government company responsible for the project, said the work on the A11 included:
Removing and recycling 60,000 cubic metres of concrete, which is enough to fill 24 Olympic sized swimming pools.
Laying 147,000 tonnes of new asphalt, the equivalent weight of 786 Boeing 747 planes.
Installing 27,000 metres of new drainage, the same length as 257 Premier League football pitches back-to-back.
Putting 13,000 metres of new safety barrier in place.
Painting 41,000 metres of road marking and laying 3,600 road studs.
Installing 60 new traffic signs.
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