Bullish council leaders remain confident they will get more money to bankroll the Norwich Western Link, despite millions of pounds being committed to roads in other parts of the country.
The Department for Transport last year committed £213m towards the Norwich Western Link.
But officials left the door open to give £38m more towards the 3.9-mile-road's £274m price tag, using money 'saved' by scrapping the northern section of the HS2 high speed rail link.
However, chancellor Jeremy Hunt's recent Budget did not commit any more cash towards the road, which would connect the Northern Distributor Road to the A47 west of Norwich.
And ministers announced £4.7bn of the HS2 project cash will be shared between towns and cities in the north of England and the Midlands - which means that money will not be heading to Norfolk.
However, Graham Plant, the Conservative-run council's cabinet member for transport, said: "The government’s announcement late last year gave us a very clear steer on the priority ministers are putting on infrastructure spending across the country, so we remain confident that Norfolk will get its share of the money freed up by the decision on HS2.
"We already have a national funding commitment for the Norwich Western Link via approval of the outline business case and this has allowed us to get on with finalising the planning application documents, which we hope to submit very soon.
"We’re awaiting confirmation on additional funding from the Department for Transport, which we understand will follow the publication of updated guidance.
"We are also in contact with colleagues at the Department for Transport regarding the full business case for the Long Stratton Bypass and outline business case for West Winch Housing Access Road.
"These are progressing through the process and clearly we are very keen to gain approval for them at the earliest opportunity, but the timescales are not within our control.”
But David Pett, from campaign group Stop The Wensum Link, said: "In the wake of the budget's omission of funding for the road, we find an opportunity to champion a more sustainable Norfolk.
"This is our chance to shift focus towards investments in public transportation and eco-friendly infrastructure, prioritising environmental preservation and community well-being over short-term gains."
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