HC Deb 05 December 1962 vol 668 cc1293-4
17. Mr. Gresham Cooke

asked the Minister of Transport how the cost of maintenance of a reinforced concrete road compares with that of a flexible road; and by how much the concrete section of M.1 has shown lower maintenance costs than those of other sections.

Mr. Marples

A comparison between the maintenance costs of the flexible and concrete sections of M.1 can only be usefully made after many years of use. With the current motorway specification, however, the cost of maintenance of either form of construction will be small, and there should be little difference between them.

The flexible carriageways on M.1 were constructed to a less stringent specification than experience now shows to be necessary. As a result. the slow lane has had to be strengthened, but the cost cannot be regarded as normal maintenance.

Mr. Gresham-Cooke

Do not the extensive repairs on the M.1 in the last few months indicate that the bitumen-asphalt sections do not stand up to heavy lorries going at 40 miles or 50 miles an hour as well as do the concrete sections? Although concrete may not have quite such a perfect surface, would it not be better in future to have a concrete surface?

Mr. Marples

The evidence does not support that view. It is very dangerous to over-simplify this question of the maintenance costs of concrete and black top. First of all, whichever material is used, the difference in maintenance cost is very small and, secondly, it takes many years to ascertain. What my hon. Friend must bear in mind is that road maintenance does not depend merely on the top dressing, but upon soil conditions, drainage and many other factors. I can assure my hon. Friend that what is really important in a road is the soil condition, the foundation and the drainage, rather than merely the top dressing.

Mr. Gresham-Cooke

But would not my right hon. Friend agree that the concrete section of the M.1, which is of the same depth as the bitumen section, has really stood up to the traffic very much better?

Mr. Marples

Yes, but it is on different soil.