§ Mr. Andrew SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what plans he has to undertake a review of departmental procedures relating to motorway repairs, in respect of(a) evaluating the costs of delays to road users, and (b) the potential for keeping at least two motorway lanes open during repairs;
(2) what studies he has undertaken of the costs to road users of long delays caused by motorway repairs; and what action he has taken and plans to take, following such studies;
(3) if he will make it his policy always to keep open at least two motorway lanes during motorway repairs.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe Department is continually looking at ways of improving its procedures, including the programming and timing of roadworks, traffic management at roadworks and the time taken to execute works. A number of improvements have been introduced in recent years, such as better layouts for contraflow systems, mobile lane closures and lane rental contracts.
The costs of traffic delays expected at major roadworks are assessed using the Department's computer model QUADRO (queuing and delays at roadworks). Bonus payments to contractors for early completion of lane rental contracts, or charges to contractors for late completion, are based on QUADRO assessments. Since lane rental contracts were introduced in 1984 we estimate that they have saved about 2,000 days of delay worth £35 million to road users.
Current developments include improvements to QUADRO, a new computerised system for the co-ordination and scheduling of roadworks, and traffic management experiments designed to increase lane capacity through roadworks.
Our policy is not to reduce three-lane carriageways to one lane except where this is unavoidable, and then normally only in off-peak periods, often at night.