§ Mr. LoveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the contracts to upgrade the A406 at Sterling way and Fore street to be completed; and what steps he is taking to remedy the delays already announced on these contracts. [10677]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonI have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Andrew Love, dated 31 July 1997:
The Minister for Transport in London has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the improvements to the A406 at Sterling Way and Fore Street.The contract to improve this part of the A406 is expected to be completed by late Spring of 1998. However, the completion of the underpass which will take the A406 under the existing Fore Street junction and Railtrack's Silver Street Station, should be completed 2 to 3 months prior to the completion of the full contract.The delays have mainly been caused by the contractor encountering unexpected ground conditions during piling operations. The contractor is reducing the effect by increasing his resources and reviewing his construction methods. There are no plans to accelerate the main works to achieve an earlier completion date, because it would be costly. The Contractor is already working 7am to 7pm and extending those hours would create unacceptable disturbance. Other constraints on the sequence of work are imposed by lane closures and fitting out the tunnel.