§ 15. Mr. Straussasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation when the work of converting into a dual carriageway the three miles of the London to Brighton trunk road between the Crawley by-pass and Handcross was commenced; and when it is expected to be completed.
§ Mr. WatkinsonThis scheme has been divided into three parts, of which the first from Handcross to Woodhurst was started in June, 1957, and is now open to traffic; the second from Woodhurst to the north end of the Pease Pottage diversion was started in January, 1959, and will be completed in March, 1960; and the third extending up to the Crawley by-pass was started in January, 1958, and will be open to traffic in September this year.
§ Mr. StraussWhen the Minister says that these were started on certain dates, does he mean that work on laying the new roads was started? Is he aware that work in cutting down the trees and preparing these new roads was started about five years ago and that it is ridiculous that a small extension, laying down dual carriageways over three miles, should take five years between the time the men get on to the job and the time it is completed? Cannot he do something about it, although some responsibility rests with the county council?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThat shows how difficult it is to go into these questions of road schemes unless we know the whole problem. I am only too glad to tell the House what the problem was here. It arose on the middle section from Woodhurst to the north end of the Pease Pottage diversion and it was because we could not buy a certain piece of land at the time we needed it, due to difficulties 184 with the owner of the land, who refused to sell. That, unfortunately, put the whole scheme out of phase, and, I agree with the right hon. Gentleman, made it take a great deal longer than it should. The fault was certainly not that of the road builders and arose from the difficulty of acquiring one essential piece of land.