Cromwell Road Extension

HC Deb 11 July 1956 vol 556 cc397-8

58. Mr. G. Wilson

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what steps are now being taken to improve the Cromwell Road Extension Scheme so as to avoid bottlenecks at Talgarth Road and at Gunnersbury; and whether the flyover at Hammersmith will now be constructed.

Mr. Watkinson

At Gunnersbury the new road will be carried over Wellesley Road and the Chiswick High Road by a redesigned flyover, and the surface roundabout at the junction of the Great West Road and the Chiswick High Road will be enlarged to about two acres in extent to improve the flow of traffic. I am glad to say that the London County Council has now agreed to widen Talgarth Road, thus removing a major bottleneck in the existing scheme. I have recently discussed with the Council the inclusion of the Hammersmith flyover at this stage. As full provision has now been made for it at a later stage, and as its inclusion now would greatly delay the completion of the whole of the Hammersmith section of the new road, I am satisfied that it is right to press on with the construction of the new roundabout at Hammersmith, leaving the flyover for further examination.

Mr. Wilson

While thanking my right hon. Friend for that reply, may I ask him whether his attention has been drawn to the Traffic Engineering Report on this scheme prepared by Mr. Andren and Mr. Seymer, indicating that a serious traffic bottleneck will be formed if the flyover at Hammersmith is not constructed? Has my right hon. Friend any comments to make on that?

Mr. Watkinson

I have read the Report, which was kindly sent to me by the British Road Federation. I have had it examined by my experts. I still think that the decision which I have announced is the best one to get the maximum traffic flow at the earliest possible stage. This does not in any way prejudice the construction of a flyover, which, I think, in the end will undoubtedly be necessary, but it is not necessary to put it into the scheme at this stage.

Lieut.-Colonel Lipton

Will the right hon. Gentleman give an assurance that, so far as he can contrive it, there will not be too long a delay between the first part of the scheme, which is, of course, necessary, and the flyover at Hammersmith, because Hammersmith will continue, if there is a wide gap between the two schemes, to be one of the worst bottlenecks in that part of the world?

Mr. Watkinson

I propose to try to get the road from Cromwell Road to the Bath Road, to give access to London Airport, as fast as I can.