§ Mr. Rookerasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on repairs to the Titford viaduct of the midland link motorways, outlining the cost of repairs, delays in completion, added costs in respect of work not in the contract and details of the supply of vehicles for inspecting engineers.
§ Mrs. ChalkerA contract for the repair of a length of the M5 immediately south of Titford viaduct is currently in progress. In the course of that work a subcontractor misjudged the boundary of the contract site and cut through the road surface and into the reinforced concrete deck of the viaduct to a depth of about 3 in. This damage has since been repaired, under a separate contract, at an estimated cost of £40,000; the Department is seeking reimbursement.
Other additional costs have been incurred by the contractor carrying out the major maintenance contract but these are his responsibility. Completion of the contract has been delayed by about three weeks, part of that delay is attributable to the damage discussed above. Under the terms of the contract the contractor supplied 12 vehicles for the use of the site staff employed by West Midlands county council who are our agents for this work.