§ 33. Sir D. Gammansasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation his estimate of the saving in time for passengers travelling by road to London Airport when the Cromwell Road extension is finished; and what would be the additional saving of time if the fly-over junction at Hammersmith were put in hand.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe saving in journey time will be considerable, particularly during the busier hours of the day. I cannot give precise up-to-date figures, but I am having a survey made to establish as nearly as possible what the savings are likely to be when the new road is open to traffic.
§ Sir D. GammansCan my right hon. Friend say what the saving would be if there were a fly-over junction? As, in the very nature of things, there is bound to be a vast increase in the traffic to London Airport, does not he think that a fly-over ought to be constructed?
§ Mr. WatkinsonOne of the reasons why I am having this survey made is that one of the figures in the possession of my Department shows that there would be only from two to two and a half minutes' advantage in time with a flyover, and I thought that I had better have it checked.
§ 34. Mr. Russellasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation in what way a decision to build the Hammersmith fly-over as soon as possible would delay the carrying out of the ground-level scheme, in view of the estimate that the latter will be completed by the middle of 1958 and the unlikelihood of the contract for the fly-over being let before then.
§ Mr. WatkinsonBecause it would then be necessary at the outset to acquire more land, demolish more property and do more works to provide for raising the main carriageway on to the fly-over.