After an embarrassing mix-up, the government confirmed that A11 dualling will not be finished until 2015

The government raised and then dashed hopes today that the dualling of the A11 between Thetford and Barton Mills would be finished in just over two years' time.

Roads minister Mike Penning told the Commons thsi morning that 'we hope it will be done in early 2014' and that 'if it can be done earlier, we certainly will do it'.

But it quickly emerged that drivers in Norfolk will have to wait a further year for an all motorway/dual-carriageway highway to London. It was admitted that the minister 'mis-spoke' and said 2014 when he meant to say 2015. The parliamentary record, Hansard, would be corrected to that effect.

Work on dualling the sole remaining single-carriageway stretch of the All began recently at Elveden. And Mr Penning seemed to suggest that was the start of a process of putting the whole project into the fast lane. But embarrassed officials soon reported that he had got it wrong.

The minister had been responding to a question from West Suffolk MP Matt Hancock, who said that people in East Anglia were 'thrilled' that the government was finally completing the dualling. But they were now asking, he continued, when it would be done, and when they can 'drive at an appropriate pace all the way up to Norfolk'.