§ Sir Roger MoateTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement about the interruption of power to the Kingsferry bridge on the A249 trunk road between the mainland and the Isle of Sheppey and the announcement, later countermanded, that all road traffic could be delayed for hours to allow a ship to pass; if he will make it his policy to give priority to road and rail traffic in such circumstances; and if he will speed up construction of the second Swale crossing.
§ Mr. KeyOn Thursday 20 January, because of a loss of power from the electricity suppliers, Seeboard Electricity, British Rail intended to use an emergency generator to open Kingsferry bridge to allow a ship to pass. The generator takes 20 minutes to raise and 20 minutes to lower the bridge.
At the request of the local Sittingbourne police and after consultation with the British Transport police, BR decided not to open the bridge, because of the extensive traffic congestion this would have caused during the peak traffic period.
The operation of Kingsferry bridge is a matter for BR in consultation with the British Transport police and the port authorities. They are best placed to judge the conditions prevailing at the time and the limitations placed on their powers to close the bridge for emergency maintenance.
Public consultation on proposals to improve the A249 between Iwade and Queensborough, which include a second crossing of the Swale, ended on 7 January and we are now considering the response. Start of construction will depend on the completion of design work and the statutory procedures and the availability of funds.