The M62 is one of the most important - if not the most important - aspects of the transport infrastructure for West Yorkshire and the North of England.

It connects us to the coast to the east and to Manchester and beyond to the west, and thereby is our link to the motorway network that criss-crosses the entire country.

However, anyone who uses the M62 with any regularity will know only too well that this major artery can easily become blocked or congested, and that is frustrating for commuters, the businesses who rely on road haulage, and leisure motorists.

So plans to increase the number of lanes on the M62 will quite rightly be welcomed by most users of the motorway, as will an ambitious scheme to make it a so-called "smart motorway", utilising the latest technology to cut down on congestion and keep traffic moving.

For an area with the geographical features of West Yorkshire - lots of hills and valleys - road transport is still the best way of keeping businesses connected.

But to do that it has to be efficient - haulage bosses report that it can take up to two hours to get from Bradford to Manchester, which in haulage terms is really just down the road.

Any improvements in both increasing the capacity of the motorway and guiding motorists to use it more sensibly, as through the smart technology announced, should go a long way to improving business links for Bradford.

However, you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs, as the old saying goes, and widening the motorway will naturally require substantial roadworks. Let us hope that these, too, can be managed sensibly and with the minimum of disruption.