§ Mr. Wilkinsasked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware that on 15th July, 1962, traffic choked the Exeter by-pass with a 15-mile queue in both directions at one time; and what steps he has now taken to secure a freer flow of traffic in this area.
§ Mr. MarplesI am aware that there were lengthy queues of vehicles on the Exeter by-pass on Saturday, 14th July.
140WI propose to construct two new roundabouts on the by-pass. These should greatly relieve congestion, at two junctions which cause serious delays at times of peak holiday traffic.
In the meantime alternative routes are signposted.
§ Mr. Wilkinsasked the Minister of Transport whether, in view of the traffic jams in the Exeter by-pass area, even before the summer peak volume is reached, he will consult the Secretary of State for War with a view to investigating the possibility of securing the cooperation of the Royal Engineers in duplicating the present bridge over the River Exe at the southern end of the by-pass with a Bailey bridge, thus enabling one-way traffic to operate at this bottleneck.
§ Mr. MarplesThe 30 feet wide bridge over the River Exe is adequate for the single carriageway road that leads to it. The bridge over the canal nearby is narrower. But the provision of a Bailey bridge over it would be impracticable owing to the needs of navigation.