HC Deb 18 December 1984 vol 70 cc131-2W
Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Secretary of State for Transport at what intervals it is his Department's policy to place speed warning signs on motorways where such signs are used.

Mr. Ridley

Flashing amber lights operated at the roadside by the police are provided at 3-km intervals for the opening of individual sections of new motorway. They are superseded at the same locations by remotely controlled matrix signals in the central reservation. Where there is a need to display different restrictions over individual lanes, such as on the approaches to motorway/motorway interchanges, on an elevated motorway, or on the approaches to motorway tunnels, the matrix signals are mounted at closer intervals on gantries.

Mrs. Dunwoody

asked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost of (a) a flashing motorway speed warning sign, (b) a motorway digital speed warning sign sited in the central reservation and (c) an overhead motorway speed warning system.

Mr. Ridley

Typical costs are as follows:

  1. (a) £600 for each sign;
  2. (b) £46,000 for back-to-back post mounted signals at a nominal 3-km spacing;
  3. (c) £231,000 per carriageway for a system of three gantries, which is usually the minimum required for an overhead system.