PLANS to sort out crippling congestion on the A34 could be fast-tracked after George Osborne called in his top infrastructure tsar.

The Chancellor has asked Lord Adonis, the Labour peer and former Transport Secretary, to take the lead in finally sorting out the problem road, which is holding back the local economy.

He has been charged with compiling a dossier on how to improve the poor transport links between the so-called 'Brain Belt' of high-tech locations Oxford, Milton Keynes and Cambridge.

This could include an 'expressway' between the cities, building new roads and adding extra capacity to the A34, one of the worst roads in the country with a third of journeys delayed.

Lord Adonis will meet transport bosses and business leaders in Oxfordshire as early as next week in his role as chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission.

Nigel Tipple, chief executive of the Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "The A34 is a concern for businesses across the county, but it is also an important part of the national road network.

"Investment in it, along with rail improvements, is what we want to ensure the commission looks at most."

Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said: "Our main aim will be to get as much investment in infrastructure as possible, to help people get more easily from where they live to where they work.

"We want Oxfordshire's infrastructure to reflect its role in the 21st century economy."

The intervention of the National Infrastructure Commission, which was set up last year to assess the long-term needs of the UK, is significant.

Lord Adonis' calls for improving Britain's railways earlier this year led to more than £400m of investment being pledged by Mr Osborne just a few months' later.

He has been asked to hand his report on what should be done between Oxford and Cambridge to the Chancellor by autumn 2017.

Along with major schemes, the report will also look at whether new bodies similar to Transport for London could be set up to run local services, as well as how to boost the construction of housing and create thousands of jobs.

Ian Hudspeth, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, said: "This is a significant opportunity that could bring in growth and jobs for the county.

"We know Lord Adonis is keen on the expressway and I will also be pushing for further improvements to the A34.

"It is the cause of most major issues on Oxfordshire's roads and finding better solutions could have positive knock-on effects for the whole county."

Calls for improvements to the A34 were backed by Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood, who has campaigned on the issue since being elected in 2010, with the Chancellor pledging to look into the matter in 2014.

She said: "I am pleased Lord Adonis has recognised the extraordinary potential of Oxford and shares the local consensus that problems created by historic underinvestment in housing and transport infrastructure are holding the region back.

"This is exactly why I have been lobbying ministers, including the Chancellor, for improvements on key roads like the A34, as well as campaigning with many others locally for much needed housing and flood defences in order to achieve sustainable economic growth in Oxfordshire."

Several schemes over the past few years have been announced to ease traffic on the A34, including an overhaul of the Pear Tree and Milton interchanges.

A report in 2014 revealed increasing capacity by adding extra lanes in both directions could cost as much as £800m and require homes in Botley and North Hinksey to be bulldozed.

A spokesman for the National Infrastructure Commission said: "The commission will make recommendations to maximise the potential of the Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge corridor as a single, knowledge-intensive cluster that competes on a global stage, while both protecting the area’s high quality environment and securing the homes, and jobs, the region needs.

"It will recommend priority infrastructure to improve connectivity within, and between, the area’s towns and cities, including public transport.

"Commission officers are already in contact with local officials in Oxfordshire and Lord Adonis will be meeting with senior officials across the region in due course."