§ Mr. Fryasked the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) trunk and (b) local road bypasses were opened each year since 1975; and how many are currently under construction.
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe number of bypasses opened on trunk roads in England is as follows:
Number 1975–76 21 1976–77 18 1977–78 12 1978–79 8 1979–80 7 1980–81 5 1981–82 9 1982–83 14 Seven bypasses have been completed so far during 1983–84 while a further 15 were under construction on 1 December. Other completed schemes in the motorway and trunk road programme, including the M25, also have a bypassing effect, while many schemes relieve more than one community of through traffic. The statutory planning and inquiry procedures governing bypasses generally take three years to complete following earlier design work
306W
§ Mrs. ChalkerThe expenditure figures in cash terms are set out in the table with the percentage changes since 1977–78*shown in brackets.
before construction work gets under way. Bypasses generally tak about two years to build. Thus, the number of bypasses open in any one year reflects decisions taken many years earlier.
Local highway authorities are not required to let my Department know of the number of bypass schemes completed in their programmes of construction.