§ LORD TWEEDSMUIRMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government when it is expected that the resurfacing of the Cromwell Road will be completed, and why it has taken so long.]
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, I have been informed by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, acting as agents for the Greater London Council, that the resurfacing of Cromwell Road between Exhibition Road and Earls Court Road, a distance of approximately one mile, should be completed by the middle of July. Some delay has been caused by the weather, but otherwise the timing of the work and the way in which it has been done have been agreed between the police and the Royal Borough authorities, in the interests of safety and of keeping to a minimum the interference with traffic on this busy road. The opportunity has been taken to make alterations to the traffic signals at intersections necessary as part of the West London Area Traffic Control Experiment which we hope will start next year. This should help to control and improve traffic flows over a wide area of West London.
§ LORD TWEEDSMUIRMy Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his reply can he tell the House what was the original target date for the completion of this section of road, which is such a vital link with London Airport?
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, the middle of July. But this road is being resurfaced by the hot, rolled asphalt process, and when one gets a morning like this morning no work can be done.
§ LORD MERRIVALEMy Lords, can the noble Lord tell us why Cromwell Road has been resurfaced between Exhibition Road and Earl's Court Road, because in fact it was in perfect condition?
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, the original road surface was of rock asphalt and had been down for over twenty years, and those who are supposed to know about these things thought that it ought to be resurfaced.
§ LORD CARRINGTONMy Lords, I do not know much about these things, but I use that road quite frequently. May I ask the noble Lord whether he thinks it satisfactory that it should take almost three months to resurface one mile of road?
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, it is not really an excessive time if one appreciates that this is a six-lane road and that, because of the heavy traffic, one lane at a time has to be done. These lanes are nine feet wide, so there is an appreciable total surface to be done.
§ VISCOUNT DILHORNEMy Lords, are the "Clearway" signs still exhibited?
§ LORD LINDGRENMy Lords, I could not answer that question without notice.