§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects work on the M5 around the Avon Bridge to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [45163]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonI have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Lawrie Haynes, to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mr. Adrian Sanders, dated 16 June 1998:
The Transport Minister, Glenda Jackson has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the roadworks on the M5 at Avonmouth.The strengthening of the M5 Avonmouth Bridge to comply with new loading standards, including 40 tonne lorries, will take longer than anticipated to complete due to the bridge being in a much worse condition than expected. Some traffic management will have to remain in place whilst the strengthening is completed. All parties to the contract are working in a partnering arrangement with the aim of completing the strengthening work by the end of the year 2000.However, the actual widening of the M5 Motorway between Junctions 18 and 19 to dual four lanes, and the associated improvements to the junctions, is expected to be completed in August this year. This will allow more than half of the existing contraflow to be removed.