Progress, however, in the shape of a multimillion-pound plan to widen the road - an attempt to boost traffic, trade and tourism between the cities - has turned it into a nightmare.

In some places, homes could be removed to widen the road and improve traffic flow, he said.

In the 1970s there were plans to widen the road to accommodate expected increases in traffic flow but this did not take place.

The next pass partially overlapped the first to widen the road.

Present plans are to widen the road to a four-lane divided expressway.