§ Mr. Nottasked the Minister of Transport by which date the South-West Spine Road will be completed by a dual carriageway along its entire length to Penzance.
Mr. Bob BrownRoutes between Bristol, Exeter and Penzance are in the strategic network proposed on the Green Paper for comprehensive improvement to dual-carriageway standard during the 10 to 15 year period from 1972. No firm date can be given for completion throughout but many major schemes on these routes are already under construction, in preparation or programmed for construction during the first half of the 1970s.
§ Mr. Nottasked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated cost at present-day prices of completing a dual carriageway along the route A38 from Exeter to Bodmin, the A30 from Exeter to Bodmin, 154W the A38 from Plymouth to Bodmin, and the A30 from Bodmin to Penzance.
Mr. Bob BrownI regret that estimates for the whole of these lengths are not available. I can however say that the estimated cost of works extending over 29 miles to complete the provision of dual carriageways on A38 from Exeter to Plymouth is £20.4 million and that the provision of 22½ miles of dual carriageways on A30 between Exeter and Okehampton including Okehampton by-pass, is estimated to cost £12.1 million. Major schemes being prepared and covering 27½ miles of dual carriageway on A30 between Launceston and Penzance, including Launceston by-pass, are estimated to cost £17.4 million.
§ Mr. Nottasked the Minister of Transport what is the estimated cost of constructing one mile of motorway and the cost of dualling an existing trunk road per mile, respectively, on the assumption that the route passes through West Country rural areas primarily consisting of agricultural land.
Mr. Bob BrownRepresentative costs for individual regions are not readily available but the national average cost for constructing one mile of dual 3-lane rural motorway is currently £0.774 million and £0.38 million for adding a 2-lane carriageway to an existing trunk road. These figures do not include the cost of land, for which it is very difficult to produce a meaningful figure. However, as a rough guide only, £0.30 million and £0.15 million respectively might be added to the above figures to cover land costs in the type of area to which the hon. Member refers.