The long-awaited final section of the Llanelli coastal link road and a new carriageway running directly to Burry Port harbour have been given Objective One funds.

Council managers say the schemes will open up key development sites in the region creating hundreds of jobs.

But residents are more relieved that the roads will reduce traffic problems outside their homes.

These road are key to opening up many of our employment sites and will now act as a catalyst for developers Dave Gilbert

People living in the Lower Trostre Road area of Llanelli have been campaigning for more than five years for the completion of the link road.

Every time a major event is held in the town, including Llanelli rugby matches at Stradey Park, cars queue bumper-to -bumper outside their homes.

Now work on the new �5.4million link running from Morfa Cross to Berwick Park on the Swansea side of town is set to start in months.

Carmarthenshire Council working with the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) was told an Objective One grant of nearly �2m had been secured this week.

The rest of the money will come from land for the expansion of Trostre Retail Park, some of which has already been sold.

A further �1.8m in European money has been secured for the Bury Port Southern Distributor Road.

A link will run from the A484 to the harbour, railway station and industrial areas.

Council officers say it will open up employment land including access to 15 hectares of key economic development sites.

The council's regeneration director Dave Gilbert said: "These roads are key to opening up many of our employment sites and will now act as a catalyst for developers."