§ Mr. Bessellasked the Minister of Transport if he will publish details of the cost of constructing the Blackfriars underpass; how this cost compares with previous estimates; and what benefit he anticipates will accrue to road users as a result of this scheme.
§ Mr. Tom FraserThe expected cost of the Blackfriars Bridge Underpass scheme, for which the City of London is the highway authority, is £3.42 million.
A preliminary estimate in 1959 amounted to £2.9 million and a detailed estimate in 1962 was £3.43 million.
This scheme will greatly improve the flow of traffic over the bridge and along the Embankment by relieving the surface intersection of about 45 per cent. of its traffic at peak hours.