HC Deb 28 February 1994 vol 238 cc567-8W
Mr. Dunn

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for starting new construction on trunk roads in 1994–95.

Mr. MacGregor

I am pleased to announce that, subject to the completion of the remaining statutory procedures and availability of funds, we will begin work on 22 major national road starts in 1994–95. These starts represent new investment in total over the whole construction period of over £1 billion. The Highways Agency, which will assume responsibility for managing, maintaining and improving the trunk road network at the beginning of the new financial year, will oversee the construction of these starts.

I am also publishing today a reserve list of seven starts that could also begin in 1994–95. In the event of unavoidable delays in the planned starts, these will be brought forward.

The planned and reserve starts are as follows:

Planned starts

  • A564 Doveridge Bypass1
  • A564 Derby Southern Bypass and Spur
  • M1 Junction 21–21A Widening Phase 1
  • M40 Junction—1A-13 Widening
  • A13 Wennington—Mar Dyke Improvement
  • A428 Bedford Southern Bypass
  • A1(M) Alconbury—Peterborough Upgrading Contract 11
  • A12 Hackney—M11 Contract 2
  • A12 Hackney—M11 Contract 3
  • A406 Silver Street—Fore Street Improvement
  • A568 Widnes Eastern Bypass (South)
  • M66 Denton—Middleton Contract 2
  • M65 Blackburn Southern Bypass Contract 2
  • M6 Junction 20–21A (bridge renewal)
  • A19 Norton—Parkway Improvement
  • A34 Newbury Bypass
  • A34 Chieveley/M4 Junction 13 Improvement
  • M25 Junction 8–10 Widening1
  • A30 Honiton—Exeter Improvement
  • M5 Junction 18–19 Widening
  • A50 Blythe Bridge—Queensway Phase 2
  • M621/M1 Link

Reserve list

  • All Roudham—Attleborough Improvement
  • M25 Junction 16–19 Widening1
  • A406/A1/A598 Regents Park Road Junction Improvement1
  • A13 West of Heathway—Thames Avenue Improvement
  • A69 Haltwhistle Bypass
  • A27 Polegate Bypass
  • A35 Tolpuddle—Puddletown Bypass

1Design and build schemes.

All the 1994–95 starts will bring substantial economic and safety benefits to users of the national road network and local residents. They are particularly important in helping to reduce the cost of congestion to industry. All the schemes have been subject to full environmental assessment and have been designed in accordance with the latest techniques to minimise the impact on the environment. The planned starts include six bypasses particularly designed to remove traffic from town and village centres.

Three of the planned starts and two of the reserve starts are being progressed under design and build contracts, where the contractor is responsible for both scheme design and construction. These contracts offer increased certainty over timing and cost and greater efficiency of design.

The 22 new starts are in addition to the current construction programme. There are over 50 contracts currently under way. In 1994–95 we estimate total expenditure on new construction will be some £1.3 billion.