§ Mr. Gordon PrenticeTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the capability and capacity of the A56 to handle any increased traffic flows following completion of the M65–M6 link.
§ Mr. KeyNone. This is a matter for Lancashire county council as highway authority for the A56. However, our studies have shown that the M65–M6 link could increase traffic on the M65 east of Blackburn by some 11 per cent. We estimate, from the transpennine study, that between 9,000 and 11,000 vehicles per day will use the A56 east of Colne after the link road is opened.