§ Mr. BrakeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what costs have been incurred so far in strengthening bridges to accommodate 40 tonne lorries; and what estimate he has made of the costs of works yet to be undertaken. [41902]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonFor Trunk Roads in England, where assessment indicates that bridge strengthening work is required for a bridge to carry 40 tonne lorries, the work is then grouped with nearby maintenance and construction works so as to produce a programme which is most economical and least disruptive to road users. Consequently, contracts specify a range of work and it is not easy to separate the costs attributable to strengthening work alone.
The Agency estimated at the start of financial year 1997/98 that it needed some £240m to complete the bridge strengthening programme for Trunk Roads in England.
In addition, over the period 1991/92 to 1998/99, central Government have made £913m available to Local Authorities for expenditure on bridge works. It is not possible at this stage to provide an accurate estimate of necessary future strengthening work.