§ Fiona MactaggartTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which stretches of motorway are subject to cyclical closures for maintenance; how frequent these closures are; at what time of day they occur; and what estimate he has made of the average extra journey time of diverted vehicles.[35129]
§ Dr. StrangI have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Jon Seddon to Fiona Mactaggart, dated 25 March 1998:
The Minister of Transport, Gavin Strang has asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the cyclical closure of motorways for maintenance. I am writing on his behalf.150WIn principle motorways are not closed for routine maintenance on a cyclical programme nor in response to ad hoc needs. There are, however, some exceptions where closure is the only way that safety can be assured.Tunnels are usually closed for routine cleaning, light replacement etc. to maintain Health & Safety standards. These closures are restricted to one weekend night at appropriate intervals and, wherever possible, to one bore at a time to allow contraflow working.Some slip roads also have to be closed for safety reasons when routine maintenance is undertaken.On the M50 there is a stretch where the hard shoulder provision is inadequate and occasional closures have had to be made though on and ad hoc basis rather than to a pre-determined cycle.The special circumstances of metropolitan London give rise to three cases on the western side of the capital where routine maintenance does require cyclical closure. The details are;
- M4 from Junction 1 to Junction 3—each carriageway is closed at intervals of six weeks for four nights between 9pm and 6am.
- M41 West Cross Route—each carriageway is closed at intervals of six weeks for one night between 10pm and 6am.
- A40(M) Westway including Marylebone Flyover—both carriageways are closed at intervals of six weeks from 2am to 10am on Sundays.
The Highways Agency has not made an analysis of the additional journey time imposed on traffic by these closures. We do, however, use our knowledge of traffic flows to ensure that the inevitable disruption occurs only when traffic is at a minimum.Cyclical closure of carriageways can be caused by matters other than routine maintenance. You will know that the Maidenhead, Windsor and Eton Flood Alleviation scheme on the River Thames will cause some closures of the M4 in and around your constituency from April to September. Notices giving the details of the closures are due to be published soon. The diversion route for the whole has been assessed as being 7 minutes longer than the M4 route.