Business leaders in the South West have pressed the Government to increase spending on roads amid warnings that the economy is being hit by the country's "overstretched" infrastructure.
A survey by manufacturers' organisation the EEF showed businesses in the region wanted a greater focus on roads, regional airports and port links ahead of high-speed rail.
The EEF called for an independent infrastructure commission to be set up and said a greater share of public spending on transport should be allocated to roads.
In particular, they said investment must be made in the A303 around Stonehenge – a crucial bottleneck for westbound motorists – and in Devon and Cornwall beyond the M5.
EEF regional director Phil Brownsord said: "Political prevarication and policy reversals have left Britain in the slow lane in developing its infrastructure for decades.
"The forthcoming transport strategy is an opportunity to address this. Government must reassess its investment priorities, act faster on major issues like airport capacity and take the politics out of infrastructure by setting up an independent commission.
"In particular, the road network is the backbone of the economy, but it has been neglected. We are now feeling the ill effects, with the majority of firms reporting that the state of the nation's roads is significantly increasing their operating costs.
"Investment should be targeted at shovel-ready maintenance projects and bringing forward upgrades to heavily congested arteries.
"Furthermore world-class air links are critical to export-led growth and attracting inward investment. To keep up with the competition we need investment across the board, in Heathrow and in regional airports.
"Maintaining our status as a global aviation hub is critical to our international standing and expanding runway capacity at Heathrow is the most viable way to secure this."
The survey comes ahead of the publication of the Government's transport strategy and spending review this summer.
It has already announced an extra £3 billion a year to big building projects from 2015, raising hopes that widening of the A303 could get the go- ahead.
From east to west, the A303, A358 and A30 route is a bane for tourists and business, and delays around Stonehenge in Wiltshire are notorious – especially when the main M5 arterial road is closed.
Widening both carriageways from the M3 in Hampshire to the M5 at Exeter has been estimated at £2 billion.
Constructing a two-mile tunnel under Stonehenge has been put at £600 million and dualling the A303-A30 between Ilminster and Honiton at £100 million.
