§ Lord Finsbergasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will instruct the Highways Agency that when undertaking major road works they should erect suitable advance warning signs and remove those signs on the completion of the work.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Transport (Viscount Goschen)No. This is a procedural matter of the Highways Agency, and I have asked their Chief Executive, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to my noble friend.
Letter to Lord Finsberg from the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, dated 21st May 1996.
As you know, the Minister for Aviation and Shipping, The Viscount Goschen has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question concerning the erection of suitable advance warning signs for major road works and the removal of these signs on completion.
It is already our policy to erect temporary advance warning signs for major road works, when it is likely that road users will encounter delays as a result. There are a range of signs available. These allow us to divert traffic from the current route to avoid delays and can assist drivers in planning their future journeys to take account of roadworks, as well as raising general awareness of possible hazards directly ahead 93WA related to road works. We do not erect advance warning of road works where any resulting diversions would affect road safety.
We already require contractors to remove advance warning signs on the completion of works.