I am delighted to see the A11 improved and reopened.

It is already bringing huge benefits to the people of East Anglia. Parents are spending less time commuting and more time with their families. Business owners are delivering their products quicker and getting their staff into work on time. And residents of Elveden are no longer waking to the sound of rush-hour traffic – and they can even hear birds sing.

Then there are the economic benefits. For every £1 we have put into this scheme, the economy gets back £17. That means more jobs, more growth and more opportunities in East Anglia – and it means we were right to back this scheme.

These improvements were never inevitable. For years, the scheme faced holdups and setbacks. When this government came into office, after the worst recession in peacetime history and with one of the worst deficits in the developed world, we could have easily put it off.

We could have said 'these are tough times, the country cannot afford it', and put it back on the backburner. But despite the tough times, despite the constraints on public spending, we made Norfolk a priority and put up £105 million for the A11 dualling and the Elveden bypass. In fact, we are planning to invest more in transport infrastructure here in the East than anywhere in Britain outside London and the South East.

I make no apologies for taking that step. Infrastructure is not a luxury; it's a necessity. Right at the heart of our long-term economic plan is making sure we have roads, railways, energy and broadband fit for modern Britain.

After all, these are the things business needs to create jobs and to grow. Put simply, a country where people can get around is a country where people can get on in life.

So I want to thank the Highways Agency for all their work in bringing this to fruition, especially the local engineers who worked day and night. I want to thank the local MPs Liz Truss and Matt Hancock and all of their Norfolk colleagues for pressing the need for the scheme.

I want to thank the Eastern Daily Press and its readers for campaigning tirelessly for these improvements. And above all I want to thank the motorists and the residents of Norfolk for their patience as the improvements were made.

This is a fantastic county with a strong and diverse economy; from the centres of excellence for the life sciences at the Norwich Research Park, to engineering at Hethel and offshore energy at the Enterprise Zone in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk is going from strength to strength.

It also has some of the best food and farming on offer in Britain and The Broads and its beautiful beaches rightfully make it one of our most popular tourist destinations.

I know the people of East Anglia love this region and are dedicated to make this great county even greater – and in that, the Government is right behind you.

See today's special edition EDP for a 48-page supplement about the road to a completed A11, including how we got there, who did the work and the difference it will make to the region.

The Evening News will carry a 16-page special on the impact for Norwich.