HC Deb 05 November 1975 vol 899 cc393-5
16. Mr. Madel

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he is satisfied with the rate of progress in repairing the M1 between Luton and Hemel Hempstead; what lessons his Department has learnt as a result of this work; and how long it will be before further repairs on this section of the M1 are necessary.

Dr. Gilbert

Yes, Sir. Weather permitting, it is expected that the resurfacing between Junctions 8 and 10 will be completed by mid-November. That is earlier than originally expected. There will be consequential alterations to the central reserve and safety barrier.

Two short sections between Junctions 7 and 8 remain to be treated next year. After this, no further major repairs are likely to become necessary for about 10 years over the whole length between the M10 and Luton.

All aspects of the performance of the work are being monitored and reviewed, but it would be inappropriate to draw conclusions yet.

Mr. Madel

In view of the number of accidents that have occurred during this work and the huge traffic jams that have built up, will the Minister see to it that when future major work is needed, it will be done at night during the spring and summer months? Will he also look again at the contra-flow system, because it has caused great chaos and has added to the burden of the Hertfordshire police in sorting out the traffic?

Dr. Gilbert

The hon. Gentleman has asked several supplementaries in one. First, traffic control arrangements were made with the full agreement of the police. Secondly, we are sorry for the delays, of course—I have suffered from them myself—but this problem always arises when a motorway is already saturated with traffic, as in the case of the Ml, and when necessary repairs of this sort occur. If the repairs were to be undertaken only at night, as the hon. Gentleman suggests, I am advised that in this case that would have added about £500,000 to the cost of what was expected to be 12 weeks' work and will now, it appears, be only 11 weeks' work.

There is, unfortunately, always a certain increase in the incidence of accidents when repair work of this sort is carried out. I have no evidence yet to suggest that the increase is anything beyond what would be normally expected.

Mr. Corbett

Will my hon. Friend take steps to congratulate both the management and the men involved in this dangerous and difficult work, which has been done under appalling conditions?

Is my hon. Friend aware that one reason for many of the accidents during this work was the absolutely scandalous and idiotic behaviour of drivers ignoring police speed restrictions?

Dr. Gilbert

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his remarks and hope that the general public will take note of them.

Mr. Les Huckfield

Although I recognise the difficulties to which my hon. Friend has referred, is it necessary to have, particularly at weekends, either one lane or two lanes coned off for mile after mile? Would not it be possible, for example, to put the cones off the roads at the weekends so that we do not have these traffic jams for no reason at all on Friday nights and Sunday nights?

Dr. Gilbert

I am advised that it is not practicable for work to be suspended at peak hours, as my hon. Friend suggests. The traffic arrangements are organised to take peaks into account on a weekly but not a daily basis.