Major road schemes across Norfolk face an uncertain future as the shadow chancellor says funding is not guaranteed. 

Rachel Reeves was unwilling to pledge that projects such as the Western Link and the dualling of the A47 would receive financial support from a Labour government. 

The shadow chancellor said that although existing government commitments to roadworks would be honoured, any remaining funding gaps may not be plugged.

She added: "I'm not going to make any funding commitments unless we can say where the money is going to come from. People are fed up with broken promises.

"Our economic inheritance is going to be the worst any government has had since the Second World War and the scale of the challenge of tackling this cost of living crisis is going to be immense.

"We will have to see what is affordable within the terrible inheritance we are facing."

Some of Norfolk's biggest road projects have not been awarded full funding, including the controversial Norwich Western Link, a 3.9-mile road to connect the Northern Distributor Road to the A47.

Eastern Daily Press: A visualisation of the Norwich Western Link roadA visualisation of the Norwich Western Link road (Image: Norfolk County Council)READ MORE: Labour backs controversial Norfolk pylon scheme

Council leaders are expecting the Department for Transport to increase its agreed contribution to the bill from £213m to £251m, but months have passed since that possibility was mooted.

Inflation has also pushed the estimated cost of the project to £274m, meaning the county council may still have to borrow cash or dip into reserves to make up the shortfall.

The future of another three major projects - the revamp of Thickthorn junction, plus dualling of the A47 from Easton to North Tuddenham and Blofield to North Burlingham - also remains uncertain.

Eastern Daily Press: Preparatory work is underway ahead of the dualling of the A47Preparatory work is underway ahead of the dualling of the A47 (Image: Mike Page)The road was awarded £300m of investment in 2014, but the projects were only granted development consent in 2022. 

The cost of the schemes has increased by tens of millions of pounds as ongoing legal challenges by eco-campaigner Dr Andrew Boswell continue to delay the process.

It is unclear how high the final bill will be, and whether any further government funding will be granted for the work.