HC Deb 22 February 1965 vol 707 cc35-6W
Mr. Jopling

asked the Minister of Transport what type of crossing, with dimensions, is envisaged for the crossing by the M.6 motorway of the Lancaster Canal, approximately midway between the Lancaster by-pass motorway bridge and Kellett Lane Bridge.

Mr. Tom Fraser

If Parliament approves the British Waterways Bill, I have agreed to provide a bridge of approximately the following dimensions, which I understand from the British Waterways Board would give sufficient clearance to permit pleasure craft to pass under this crossing:

Waterway width 12 feet
Height above water 8 feet 6 inches
Towpath width 6 feet

Mr. Jopling

asked the Minister of Transport what would be the cost of building bridges, acquatic creeps, and culverts, respectively, at each of the six proposed crossings by the M.6 motorway of the Lancaster Canal between Tewitfield and Millness Bridge.

Mr. Tom Fraser

The following table shows the provisional estimated costs of these six proposed crossings by the motorway or its associated road works:

Bridges Creeps Culverts
£ £ £
1. Slip Road 6,700 4,500 950
2. A.6070 13,700 9,200 1,550
3. M.6 202,600 153,600 12,400
4. M.6 60,700 41,600 6,600
5. A.65 11,400 7,900 1,400
6. M.6 36,100 24,000 5,200
28,100
Additional footpaths to preserve towpath right of way 2,000
Totals £331,200 £240,8CO £30,100

Mr. Rose

asked the Minister of Transport what survey has been undertaken in connection with the proposed route of the M.6 motorway, with a view to avoiding the necessity of three crossing points over the Lancaster Canal close to the Tewitfield locks.

Mr. Tom Fraser

An extensive aerial survey was carried out over four altenative routes in the vicinity of the canal, but three were abandoned in favour of the route now proposed, which was preferred on engineering and economic grounds. Before the exact alignment was decided, consideration was given to moving the line about ½mile to the west to avoid the three canal crossings near Tewitfield locks, but this involved two expensive crossings of the main London-Carlisle railway. A line further to the east was also considered but would have been more costly, and the high ground would have made it difficult to maintain the essential motorway standards of alignment and grading.

The possibility of reducing the number of crossings near Tewitfield to two by removing a proposed motorway interchange is now being considered.