§ Mr. Peter Bruinvelsasked the Secretary of State for Transport what is the cost of maintenance per mile of the M3 and how this figure compares with the average for other motorways; if he will give a separate figure for the M1 and M25; if he will indicate which is the most expensive section of the M3 to maintain; and how often the stretch between junctions 3 and 4 has been repaired in each of the last five years.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyMotorway maintenance costs vary considerably with the age of the road and the incidence of major renewal schemes. Expenditure on structural maintenance in 1984–85 was as follows:
£/mile M3 82,592 All motorways 66,059 M1 149,657 M25 4,511 The highest expenditure so far on structural maintenance of the M3 has been incurred between junctions 3 and 4, the first section to be opened in 1971; 5.6 miles of both carriageways of this section have been renewed under a phased programme of five schemes undertaken between 1981 and 1986, at a total cost of about £6.5 million.