§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of porous asphalt have been laid on motorways in each year since 1995. [118535]
§ Mr. HillI have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Peter Nutt, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Peter Nutt to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 14 April 2000:
You recently asked the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of porous asphalt have been laid on motorways in each year since 1995.286WDetailed records are not held centrally by the Highways Agency but we estimate the lengths of porous asphalt laid during these years to have been as follows:
Year Lengths of porous asphalt laid 1995 1.0 mile, M25 (one carriageway) 1995 0.5 miles, MI (both carriageways) 1996 1.5 miles, M25 (one carriageway) 1997 2.3 miles, M25 (both plus carriageways), plus 1.5 miles (one carriageway) 1998 7.5 miles, M40 (both carriageways) 1999 0.2 miles. Ml (one carriageway)
Porous asphalt was introduced by the Highways Agency for use on trunk roads in 1993. At that time it was the only option available for providing a quieter road surface but was not suitable for use in all situations. Further development resulted in alternatives including proprietary quiet, thin surfacings, and in 1998, 'whisper' concrete. These two materials offer many of the advantages of porous asphalt with few of its drawbacks, not least its high cost. This has meant that porous asphalt has been little used.The new quiet surfacings are now being used widely by the Highways Agency both for surfacing new roads and for maintaining existing roads. Their performance is very effective and in use they can often be mistaken for porous asphalt being quiet, and reducing spray in wet weather.If it would be helpful, John Williams our road surfacings specialist, would be pleased to discuss both porous asphalt and other road surfacings in current use with you. His telephone number is 020 7921 4635.