THE A55 is to undergo £17 million worth of improvements.

The work will be funded from  £617m set aside by the Welsh Government to boost the economy and create 11,000 jobs.

In the 2013-14 budget, £25m was allocated for essential improvements of the Conwy Tunnel. The additional £17m will help with the continuation of this project and allow similar work on two other tunnels on the A55.

Finance Minister Jane Hutt said: “In addition to developing a range of innovative financing schemes to boost our capital investment, we will also take every opportunity to use European funding to maximise our investments in essential infrastructure that support growth and jobs across Wales.”

Other investments include £20m to support vital flood and coastal defence improvements, which will benefit an estimated 2,000 homes and businesses across Wales and protect vital transport infrastructure. £170m will be invested in housing – including £140m between 2014-15 and 2015-16 for Help to Buy Cymru – a shared equity scheme to help people buy new-build homes.

And investments in promoting economic development include £82m for Finance Wales funds to provide access to funding to support business growth, exports and create and safeguard jobs.

Welsh Government ministers will be announcing further details on specific allocations in the coming days.