§ 55. Sir B. Jannerasked the Minister of Transport what information is now available regarding the comparative cost of maintaining the different sections of the M.1 motorway which have different surfaces; and how this knowledge will be utilised in the future construction of motorways.
§ Mr. MarplesThe maintenance costs of different types of motorway construction can be usefully compared only after many years of use. The strengthening of the M.1 carriageways to bring them up to current standards is not normal maintenance.
As a result of lessons learned on the M.1 the specification for motorway carriageways has been strengthened. With the current specification the cost of maintenance of either flexible or concrete forms of construction should be small, with little difference between them.