A new transport scheme has been unveiled in Luton that will help combat traffic jams while making the town centre easier to navigate for cyclists and pedestrians.

The £24 million Luton town centre transport scheme will help to cut congestion on the city's road network and encourage economic growth and inward investment.

A new road has been built to complete the 'missing link' of the town centre ring road. This will serve proposed residential and mixed-use development to the east of the town centre and support changes to traffic circulation on the north side of the town centre.

Transport minister Baroness Kramer, who declared the project open, said: "This new scheme will drive down congestion in the town centre and boost the local economy."

Some £16 million of government money helped to fund the new infrastructure, which is expected to support 4,000 new homes and approximately 11,700 new jobs.