§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the changes in mileage undertaken by(a) heavy vehicles and (b) freight trains as a consequence of the implementation of the bridge strengthening requirements of EU Directive 85/3/EEC. [67591]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonMy Department has no information on the extent to which heavy goods vehicle mileage or freight train mileage may have been influenced by any weight limits placed on bridges as a result of the higher lorry weights allowed since 1 January this year under EU Directive 85/3/EEC.
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what(a) amounts expressed at 1999 prices and (b) percentages of moneys were allocated to highway authorities under TPPs related to bridge strengthening works, for each year since 1987. [67592]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonSeparate figures cannot be given for bridge strengthening only. The following table shows annual allocations to English local highway authorities for bridge maintenance, assessment and strengthening, both in 1999 prices and as a proportion of the total allocations as part of the Transport Policies and Programme (TPP) system. Prior to 1991–92, these resources were allocated as part of the Revenue Support Grant settlement and could not be separately identified.
Year Bridge maintenance assessment and strengthening allocations at 1999 prices (£ million) Percentage of total TPP allocations 1991–92 111 12 1992–93 132 13 1993–94 159 13 1994–95 156 15 1995–96 136 13 1996–97 109 12 1997–98 92 12 1998–99 84 13 1999–2000 128 20
§ Mr. BakerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the first bridge strengthening project began in implementation of EU Directive 85/3/EEC; what percentage by mile of work required has been completed to date; and when he expects work required under the Directive to be completed. [67594]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonThe first strengthening of a Highways Agency bridge under the current assessment and strengthening programme was carried out in 1989. Of the Highways Agency's bridges which require strengthening, some two thirds have been permanently strengthened to date and the remainder have been safeguarded pending permanent strengthening. The permanent strengthening work is expected to be completed in 2001. There is no estimate by mile of the work required to implement EU Directive 85/3/EEC but the whole motorway and trunk road network is operational for HGVs. This network carries 57 per cent. of goods vehicle traffic.
159WAbout 85 per cent. of the assessments of structures on local roads in England are complete and of these some 95 per cent. now meet the new load-bearing standard.
As assessments are not yet complete, it is not possible to determine when local road bridge strengthening work will be completed. Not all of this work, however, is a requirement of Directive 85/3/EEC. Authorities' programmes include strengthenings which meet the needs of their local communities as well as those on routes of greatest strategic importance for HGVs.