HC Deb 17 March 1969 vol 780 cc16-8W
63. Mr. Hooson

asked the Minister of Transport what is the present estimated cost per mile of building six-lane and four-lane motorways, respectively.

Mr. Marsh

The costs vary widely depending on design and on whether the site is urban or rural. On rural motorway schemes for which contracts were let in 1966, 1967 and 1968 costs per mile (at December 1968 prices) were in the following ranges:

for dual 2 line motorways—£550,000 to £800,000 per mile

for dual 3 line motorways—£600,000 to £1,300,000 per mile.

Urban motorway costs are usually considerably higher.

Mr. Walters

asked the Minister of Transport what has been the year-by-year expenditure on motorway construction since 1951; and what he estimates expenditure will be over the period 1969 to 1974.

Mr. Marsh

Separate figures for motorways expenditures are not available before 1960–61. Spending on motorways in England has been as follows:

Financial Year £ million
1960–61 21.3
1961–62 28.1
1962–63 39.9
1963–64 45.2
1964–65 51.4
1965–66 51.3
1966–67 59.0
1967–68 64.5
£ million
New construction and major improvements Maintenance and minor improvements
Financial Year Central Government Local Authority Total Central Government Local Authority Total
1945–6 … … 0.6 0.3 0.9 8.3 20.8 29.1
1946–47 … … 1.3 1.2 2.5 18.7 22.9 41.6
1947–48 … … 2.8 1.9 4.7 21.0 27.7 48.7
1948–49 … … 2.7 2.6 5.3 17.5 27.2 44.7
1949–50 … … 3.4 2.6 6.0 20.0 30.0 50.0
1950–51 … … 3.7 2.6 6.3 18.9 30.2 49.1
1951–52 … … 3.3 2.9 6.2 23.7 33.3 57.0
1952–53 … … 3.7 2.6 6.3 25.8 34.7 60.5
1953–54 … … 3.7 4.1 7.8 26.5 35.8 62.3
1954–55 … … 4.3 4.7 9.0 29.5 38.6 68.1
1955–56 … … 7.4 5.8 13.2 31.5 42.2 73.7
1956–57 … … 15.0 7.0 22.0 31.9 44.2 76.1
1957–58 … … 21.8 7.6 29.4 34.2 45.9 80.1
1958–59 … … 47.1 10.3 57.4 32.8 47.5 80.3
1959–60 … … 59.6 12.5 72.1 34.8 50.5 85.3
1960–61 … … 57.9 17.2 75.1 36.6 53.4 90.0
1961–62 … … 71.5 19.6 91.1 41.3 56.1 97.4
1962–63 … … 94.8 21.9 116.7 41.7 57.0 98.7
1963–64 … … 119.9 31.2 151.1 54.5 69.0 123.5
1964–65 … … 146.9 36.0 182.9 53.8 72.2 126.0
1965–66 … … 144.9 36.4 181.3 56.6 77.7 134.3
1966–67 … … 171.9 35.1 207.0 62.9 80.7 143.6

Figures on a comparable basis cannot be given beyond 1966–67. Since the beginning of 1967–68 minor improvement schemes, which were formerly classified with maintenance expenditure, have been absorbed into the programme of new construction and major improvement

The above figures include spending on land but exclude expenditure on short motorway by-passes on otherwise all-purpose trunk roads and on motorways built by local highway authorities.

In the current financial year spending on motorways is expected to be of the order of £70 million, expressed differently, double the average expenditure 1960–64. Spending in the period 1969–74 will depend on decisions yet to be taken about the motorways to follow the first 1,000 miles.

Figures for spending in Scotland and Wales are the responsibility of the respective Secretaries of State.

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