The Highways Agency is taking its first steps toward improving a notorious stretch of the A47 - a year after an accident claimed a Norfolk teenager's life.

The Highways Agency is taking its first steps toward improving a notorious stretch of the A47 - a year after an accident claimed a Norfolk teenager's life,

David Jackson, from Mattishall, was just 19 when he was killed a year ago tomorrow in a five-vehicle crash at the Honington junction on the Norwich/ King's Lynn road while travelling to a job interview in the city.

An Agency spokesman confirmed that a team had been sent to the area to assess the volume and movement of traffic before work can begin on improvements.

David's mother, Andrea Jackson, has since campaigned tirelessly for changes to make the road safe and yesterday spoke of her relief that steps were finally being taken to try and prevent another mother suffering as she has.

She said: “I am really pleased they finally seem to be doing something.

“I know David would be very happy too because his friends and family still use that road every day and he really cared about people. He would want them to be safe.”

In the last year Mrs Jackson has collected more than £8,000 for the East Anglian air ambulance, enlisted the help of local MP Keith Simpson, held meetings with the roads minister Stephen Ladyman and taken a petition of more than 10,000 signatures to Downing Street in memory of her son and to try and get road improvements.

She said: “I feel very hopeful that this is the beginning of changes to that road. The A47 Alliance has been pushing very hard for this at the highest levels.

“The coroner's report into David's death said something should be done about that stretch of road and now hopefully we are beginning to see signs that it will be.”

Plans were announced in June this year to spend £60,000 conducting surveys on the Mattishall, Berry's Lane and Wood Lane junctions on to the A47 ahead of a £2.5m re-vamp to take place over four years.

Mrs Jackson, 42, who has two other children, Daniel, 18, and Laura, 14, plans to have a quiet day tomorrow and take flowers to the scene of the accident.

She said: “It won't bring him back. It seems like two weeks ago it all happened but it feels like years since I have spoken to him.

“I would love just to be able to phone him up and hear his voice.

“But I've had a lot of support from some great friends and my family over the last year.

“And recently I have had letters from the people who got his organs and their families.

“He had no use for them so now they are helping other mother's sons to live.”