§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Transport if she will make a statement on the progress on the Yorkshire-Lancashire motorway, M62, tabulating in the OFFICIAL REPORT progress on each section, stating the route where designated and confirmed, whether tenders have been placed, and where contracts have already been placed, the planned completion date.
§ Mr. SwinglerThe route from the East Lancashire Road (A580) north-west of Manchester to the A1 at Ferrybridge has been confirmed. The advance works, tabulated below, are now in progress. Tenders have not yet been invited for any other works, but the whole motorway is programmed to be open to traffic by the early 1970's.
Advance works in progress Contract completion date Lancashire Lowering and dualling of A.580 September, 1967 A.580 to Whitefield—advance bridges August, 1968 Whitefield—temporary road and rail diversion works July, 1967 Rakewood Viaduct July, 1968 Milnrow to Rakewood—earth-works April, 1969 Yorkshire (West Riding) Pennine Section—earthworks November, 1969
§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Minister of Transport (1) what plans she has to improve road communication between Sheffield and Lancashire; and what plans she has for improving the access to the M62 from Sheffield;
(2) what steps, in addition to the Yorkshire-Lancashire Motorway, M62, she is taking to improve road communications across the Pennines by surveying alternative routes and determining traffic requirements between Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicester on the one hand and Lancashire, Cheshire and Staffordshire on the other; what specific motorway routes are now being surveyed or considered; what progress has been made in each instance; and what consultations she has had with the appropriate regional boards.
§ Mr. SwinglerMy right hon. Friend initiated last year a large scale study of traffic movements in the area bounded172W by Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Nottingham, Lichfield and Stoke-on-Trent, including movements between Sheffield and Lancashire with a view to the improvement of east-west communications. Consideration of possible new routes must await the outcome of this study which is expected by the end of the year and no consultation with the appropriate regional boards about particular proposals has therefore been possible.
Access from Sheffield to the M62 will be by means of the extension of the M1 to Lofthouse which is at present under construction.