§ Sir R. Russellasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how the accident rate after dark on the lighted three-lane sections of Motorway M4 compares with that on a similar distance of an equally busy unlighted section of any other three-lane motorway.
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§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe estimated injury accident rate after dark on the lighted dual three-lane section of the M4 is 0.54 accidents per million vehicle miles; that on a comparable but unlighted length of M1 is 1.3 accidents per million vehicle miles. The comparison relates to the year 1968.
§ Mr. Carterasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what would be the cost of building the M4 as a three-lane motorway for all its through length; what was the final cost of it as a part three- and part two-lane motorway; and what will be the cost of conversion from this to a completely three-lane motorway.
§ Mr. Graham PageThe estimated cost of building the whole route to dual two-lane standard, from the approaches to the Severn Bridge to Chiswick, with the Maidenhead and Slough bypasses and the elevated section of the motorway from Langley is about £107 million. There are no plans for widening the elevated section of the motorway, but the two bypasses are being widened to dual three lanes at an estimated cost of £2.7 million, including ancillary works. To have built these bypasses to the full standard initially would have cost an extra £1.25 million at 1961 prices.