SIR – Recent correspondence has raised doubts about the efficacy of dualling the southern link if Carrington Bridge is not widened and the northern continuation is not built. However, as the latter will reputedly cost £150 million and there is no prospect of obtaining this Worcestershire County Council appear to be saying, “That’s it”.

However, there is an alternative. Build the northern link in stages. The money from developers of the proposed 800 home ‘super village’ next to Dines Green should be ring-fenced to ‘prime the pump’ to attract funds for a first section from Crown East to Martley Road.

This would not involve any major civil engineering work but would relieve St John’s of a significant amount of traffic. Martley Road to Hallow, a further mile, is surely not beyond possibilities either?

I admit this is not perfect – this traffic would still have to use Holt Fleet bridge, and nothing short of a third river crossing to the A449 will suffice in the long term. But it is a practical proposal to start the scheme, and I submit, infinitely better than doing nothing!

MARTIN HARRIS

Worcester