§ 82. Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will issue a list showing the estimated dates on which the 68 road construction
ROAD PROGRAMME ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATES OF SCHEMES ALREADY BEGUN OR EXPECTED TO START BY 31ST MARCH, 1957 Schemes started in 1955 Bridges : Estimated completion date Conway Bridge, Caernarvonshire … … October, 1957 Langstone Bridge, Hayling Island, Hampshire … … December, 1956 London and approaches : Cromwell Road Extension … … December, 1959 Urban Schemes : Bridgwater, inner relief road … … September, 1957 Lincoln, bridging of Pelham Street level crossing … … March, 1958 Warrington, bridging of Wilderspool level crossing … … August, 1957 Trunk Road Schemes : A. 1. Browney Bridge to Farewell Hall, Durham ; diversion and dual carriageway … … June, 1957 A. 5. Markyate, Herts., by-pass … … May, 1957 A. 6. Cavendish Bridge, Derbyshire ; reconstruction … … March, 1957 A.20. Ashford, Kent, by-pass … … July, 1957 A.40. Oxford to Islip turn ; widening … … October, 1956 A.52. Borrowash to Sandiacre, Derbyshire ; widening … … June, 1957 A.57. West Drayton, Notts.; diversion … … March, 1957 A.69. Newcastle City boundary to Throckley ; widening … … December, 1957
Schemes started January-June, 1956 Bridges: Runcorn-Widnes Bridge, Lancashire-Cheshire … … December, 1959 London and approaches: A.12. Newbury Park Station, Essex, bridge reconstruction … … March, 1958 A.40. Western Avenue, Middlesex, dualling Victoria Road to Park Royal … … October, 1957 Urban Schemes: Manchester, Western Road, Wythenshawe, new road and bridge … … April, 1957 Plymouth, Eastern approach road, Gasking Street-St. Andrew's round about … … December, 1958 Southampton, inner ring road … … December, 1957 Swansea, East Side Approach Road, Vale of Neath railway bridge … … June, 1959 Swansea, Neath Road, reconstruction of Wychtree Bridges … … December, 1959 Trunk Road Schemes: A. 1. Stamford to Kesteven boundary, Rutland ; improvement … … January, 1958 A. 1. Gosforth to Gosforth Park, Northumberland ; widening (completion) … … June, 1958 A. 6. Preston by-pass (motorway) … … June, 1958 A.23. Handcross, Sussex, by-pass … … December, 1958 A.34. Stratford Road, Shirley, Warwickshire ; widening … … July, 1957 A.34. Stafford-Strongford Bridge (Part I), Staffs., second carriageway … … March, 1957 A.45. Ryton-on-Dunsmore to Coventry, Warwickshire, second carriage way … … June, 1957 A.59. Liverpool-Aintree Road, Lanes.; improvement … … May, 1957
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Schemes expected to start by 31st March, 1957 Bridges and Tunnels: Dartford-Purfleet Tunnel, Kent-Essex … … 1962 Barton High Level Bridge, Lanes … … December, 1959 schemes, started in the first six months of 1956, or expected to start by 31st March, 1957, respectively are likely to be completed.
§ Mr. WatkinsonYes. The following is the information :
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Estimated completion date London and Approaches : Route 11, City of London, new road … March, 1960 Elephant and Castle, improvement, Part I … December, 1959 Notting Hill Gate, widening, etc. … March, 1960 Roehampton Lane, widening … December, 1957 Strand widening … December, 1958 A.1/A.41. Mill Hill to Page Street, Middlesex, second carriageway … December, 1957 A. 3. Kingston by-pass, Hook Road flyover, Surrey … September, 1958 A.10. Great Cambridge Road, Bury Street-Carterhatch Lane, Middlesex, second carriageway … March, 1958 A.40. Western Avenue, Middlesex, dualling, Alperton Lane-Greenford Railway Bridge … December, 1957 Uxbridge Road (A.4020), Middlesex ; widening … January, 1958 Urban Schemes : Billingham, Durham, Saltworks Bridge, diversion … December, 1958 Birmingham, inner ring road (Part I) … December, 1958 Cheadle, Cheshire, completion of Kingsway … March, 1959 Christchurch, Hampshire, by-pass … December, 1958 Gloucester by-pass, completion … June, 1958 Leeds, Headrow, extension … March, 1958 Portsmouth, new road (Cosham) connecting London Road (A.3) and Southampton Road (A.27) … February, 1958 Slough, Bucks., reconstruction of Uxbridge Road bridges … March, 1959 Stone, Staffs., by-pass … December, 1957 Trunk Road Schemes : A. 1. Alconbury Hill to Water Newton by-pass, Hunts., dual carriageways (three schemes) … October, 1958 A.1/A.57. East Retford, Notts., by-pass (Part II) … September, 1958 A. 1. Doncaster Mill Bridge ; reconstruction … October, 1959 A. 1. Wetherby, West Riding, by-pass … July, 1959 A. 1. Allerton Station (Hopperton), West Riding, by-pass … October, 1958 A. 1. Sinderby, North Riding, bridge and approaches … December, 1958 A. 4. Newbury, Berks., East-West relief road … March, 1958 A. 6. London Colney, Herts., by-pass … June, 1959 A.23. Handcross to Crawley by-pass, Sussex, second carriageway … December, 1959 A.38. Alrewas to Lichfield, Staffs., second carriageway … August, 1958 A.45. Meriden, Warwickshire, by-pass … December, 1958 A.48. Neath, Glamorgan, by-pass (Part II) … 1960 A.48. Tabernacle Chapel to Llanfair, Discoed Arches ; widening … October, 1959 A.48. Redhill to Stormy Down, Glamorgan ; improvement … April, 1959 A.52. Borrowash, Derbyshire, by-pass … March, 1958 A.59. Longton, Lancs., by-pass … September, 1957
§ 85. Captain Pilkingtonasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, in view of the growing increase of vehicles on the roads, what change there is to be in the Government's road development plans.
§ Mr. WatkinsonI intend to add a number of important schemes to the present programme as the country's financial and economic progress enables more funds to be devoted to road improvements. The standards of construction adopted allow for anticipated increases in traffic.
§ 88. Mr. Ernest Daviesasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if he will make a statement on the progress made in carrying out the expanded roads programme ; what changes he proposes to make in it ; and to what extent it is proposed to extend it.
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§ Mr. WatkinsonIn the period from 1st April, 1955, to 30th September, 1956, schemes costing the Exchequer some £37 million have been authorised, and work has actually begun in the same period on more than 1,500 schemes costing about £26½ million. These figures include Scotland up to 31st March, 1956, but not subsequently.
The programme is proceeding broadly on the lines of the announcements already made but there are many other important schemes which I intend to introduce as the country's financial and economic progress enables more funds to be devoted to road improvements.
§ 93. Sir W. Wakefieldasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he has noted the view of the Road Research Board that the present road programme is out of scale with 165W need and has no hope of even keeping pace with the large increase in the number of vehicles ; and, in view of this, what steps he is taking to remedy the situation.
§ Mr. WatkinsonI have noted the Board's Report and what they say about the present road programme. The Government have in hand the largest programme which in their view is possible in present economic circumstances. As and when conditions allow I intend to expand the programme to include many further important schemes.