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An MP has slammed the Government over a lack of investment on a notorious stretch of Runcorn motorway.

Chris Matheson, Labour MP for Chester, said investing in the M56 would boost economic growth, which instead has been ‘stifled’ by a lack of funding.

Mr Matheson said that if he was ‘being cynical’, he would predict that the project would be announced before the next election, but claimed this pledge would ‘collapse’ like its ‘£38bn pledge to upgrade the railways immediately after the 2015 election’.

He said Conservative east Runcorn MP Graham Evans had been leading the campaign for an upgrade of the M56 along junctions 12-14.

The M56 between Runcorn and Chester and junctions 12 and 14 has gained a reputation for crashes and long delays following fatal collisions and industrial incidents such as a flaming tanker and a chemical leak.

The Government has said no upgrade to a ‘smart motorway’ could happen until the next Roads Investment Strategy period, starting in 2020.

This is despite it ploughing ahead with those works between junctions 6 and 8 in east Cheshire, which has had a fraction of the serious incidents of the M56 between J12 and J14.

Mr Matheson said: “The M56 in my area is desperately in need of an upgrade to deal with the impossible congestion that drivers experience on a daily basis, but the need for investment goes far beyond this.

“I remain desperately disappointed that no action is planned by the Government before 2020.

“I remind the Minister that this is a cross-party campaign.

“My next door neighbour, Graham Evans, is leading the campaign and has support from across the parties because of the importance of the motorway for my area and as a principal artery into North Wales and parts of Merseyside.”

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