§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will issue guidelines to motorway contractors asking them to ensure that all motorways keep open at least two lanes during maintenance work; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe Department's standards for traffic management at motorway maintenance sites already ensure that on three-lane motorways at least two lanes in each direction are kept open wherever possible. Reductions to one lane are permitted only as a last resort, and then we try to keep them in off-peak periods. Reductions to one lane are sometimes necessary on two-lane motorways in order to provide a safety zone between the traffic stream and the work site.
§ Mr. Macfarlaneasked the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will list the contracts and the number of personnel working on the M5 between junctions 21 and 23 on Saturday 25 October;
(2) if he or one of his Ministerial colleagues will visit the M5 between junctions 21 and 23; and if he will take urgent action to open the M5 to two lanes between these two junctions;
(3) if he will review the progress of maintenance work on the M5 between junctions 21 and 23; and who are the consulting engineers for this maintenance contract;
(4) on what basis his Department gave permission for the reduction of the M5 to one lane between junctions 21 and 22, and 22 and 23, on Saturday 25 October.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThere are three separate maintenance operations currently in progress on the M5 between junctions 21 and 23. The larger works are the replacement of a 2 km length of the wearing surface of the inside lane between junctions 21 and 22. In addition two smaller works are in progress, similarly replacing the wearing course at the approaches to the bridges over the rivers Brue and Huntspill.
In the interests of safety to both workmen and road users it is essential in each situation to close two lanes, leaving only one for traffic during working hours. The contractors are instructed, however, to open two lanes to