HC Deb 30 November 1981 vol 14 cc44-5W
Mr. Roy Hughes

asked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implementation of paragraph 101 of the White Paper "Policy for Roads: England 1980"—Cmnd. 7908—relating to the need to consider likely maintenance requirements in the design and construction of new roads; and if he will give examples of schemes where this policy has been applied.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

It is now our standard practice to take account of future maintenance needs in the design of new roads. In most cases, the basic design of a new road will not be affected by taking account of future maintenance. It can, however, tip the balance in favour of a higher standard in some cases. The recent statement on detailed proposals for the M40 Oxford-Birmingham route explains how future maintenance requirements on both M40 and M1 were taken into account in determining the standards. It has also influenced a number of other decisions, including that to widen the Warndon-Catshill section of M5 rather than simply repairing the existing carriageways.