FRESH talks have taken place over trying to secure a £63 million cash injection to dual Carrington Bridge - with a delegation from Worcestershire heading to the capital to press the case.

All three south Worcestershire MPs held private talks at the Department for Transport's London HQ yesterday afternoon with roads minister Robert Goodwill to push for funding on the congested route.

A high-level delegation included Clare Marchant, chief executive of Worcestershire County Council, John Hobbs, one of her directors, and Councillor Adrian Hardman, the leader, who lobbied the minister hard.

After the meeting the county delegation insisted they were confident it would happen "sooner rather than later".

The meeting follows a one-on-one briefing to Chancellor George Osborne by Worcester MP Robin Walker before Christmas, which the city's Labour Party labelled "a failure" after no funds were forthcoming.

The county council has already committed to dualling the entire A4440 Southern Link Road, but the Carrington Bridge will stay as it is unless the cash is secured.

Bosses at County Hall have revealed that £7 million has been put aside towards the estimated £70 million costs of dualling the bridge, with workers currently doing exploratory work on the site.

Your Worcester News has been told the intense lobbying session, which went into detail just how badly congested south Worcester can get, was well received.

Mr Goodwill told them he understood the business case for getting it done.

Harriett Baldwin, MP for West Worcestershire and one of those present, said: "The Southern Link Road is a vital artery from the motorway to the world class businesses in West Worcestershire.

"It’s been well over capacity for years and it is great to see that the section to the Ketch roundabout will be doubled this year.

"However, we are clearly going to need to add more capacity to the stretch from the Ketch to the Powick roundabout and all south Worcestershire MPs need to speak with the same voice on this to Government in order to win the funding required."

Worcestershire's Local Enterprise Partnership has already made a bid for £63 million towards the bridge from an annual Government kitty known as the Local Growth Fund.

Worcester MP Robin Walker said: "It was really useful to be able to press the case with the minister and I'm grateful for his advice and engagement on this.

"There can be no doubt that Worcestershire’s case has been heard and that the Department of Transport now fully appreciates why this road is so important.

"I believe that a combination of the Local Growth Fund and some extra funding from the Department of Transport can make this possible sooner rather than later and I intend to keep pressing for it until it is done."