HL Deb 16 February 1982 vol 427 cc553-4WA
Lord Melchett

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What was the average cost per mile of new motorway completed in the latest year for which figures are available at 1981 prices, what was the average time taken to complete each mile (from the time when construction work started), and whether they know of any estimate of the number of people (in terms of full-time jobs per year) employed in building each mile of motorway.

The Earl of Avon

The construction cost per mile (at December 1981 prices) of inter-urban motorways for which contracts have been let since 1976 was in the range of £1.8 million to £7.6 million for dual two lane motorways, with a mean of £2.9 million, and in the range of £2.2 million to £17.9 million per mile for dual three lane motorways, with a mean of £4.4 million. The time specified in a typical contract is 24 months and this would, in most cases, be for a length of road of between two and five miles. The cost and size of schemes varies widely depending on numerous factors, including the terrain and the location of the new road. The number of people employed similarly varies in the building of each mile of motorway and during the period of construction.