§ Mr. MillsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport by how much the volume of traffic using the M42 motorway between the M6 junction and the M40 junction is greater than his Department's predictions; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe Department has made a number of predictions of likely traffic flows on this stretch of motorway over the period of several years during the phased construction of the M42 and M40 motorways. Projected flows for 1991 have varied between about 65,000 and 90,000 vehicles per day, with the whole of the M40 open to traffic. The figures vary for different parts of this stretch of motorway. The reasons for the disparity in the figures are changing circumstances affecting the basis on which traffic forecasts are made and the effects of developing plans for the trunk road network elsewhere. The actual flows for 1991 were about 95,000 vehicles per day.
§ Mr. MillsTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of noise levels experienced by residents of Knowle due to traffic on the M42 motorway after the completion of the link between the M42 and the M40 motorways; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Kenneth CarlisleThe Department has made no such assessment. There is no statutory basis for one. The Department will be making an assessment of noise levels in this area when it widens the M42 motorway as proposed.