§ Mr. Penhaligonasked the Minister of Transport, on the basis of the information in tables 1 and 2 of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory report 910, together with his Department's forecasts of the growth in road freight traffic, what is his Department's estimate of the percentage increases in the construction costs of an average mile of motorway at the necessary higher standard in order to last 20 years compared with the standard of road note 29 (1970); what are the estimated percentage increases for the three other categories of road given in the Transport and Road Research Laboratory report 910; and what is the estimate of the percentage increase in pavement maintenance costs for each of the four categories of road between 1979–80 and 1989–90.
80W
§ Mr. Kenneth ClarkeThe percentage increase in motorway construction costs for all the categories of traffic quoted in LR 910 designed for the latest forecast increase in heavy commercial vehicles, compared with road note 29 (1970) designs, is approximately5 per cent. The increase of cost of construction of other categories of roads is likely to be of the same order.
The extra cost of maintenance of pavements only on motorways designed before 1978 in the years 1979–80 to 1989–90 is estimated to be of the order of 25 per cent. The figure for other roads is unlikely to be significantly different.