§ Lord Moranasked Her Majesty's Government:
What progress is being made with the provision of quieter road surfaces on motorways and major roads. [HL539]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)Quieter noise surfaces are being specified as a matter of course for all new trunk roads, including motorways, for contracts awarded since the announcement of the new policy in the reportA New Deal for Trunk Roads. They are also being used where appropriate when existing roads need to be resurfaced in areas where noise is a particular concern. Quieter road surface materials have been extensively trialled by the Highways Agency in the preceding two or three years in response to a rapidly evolving market in these innovatory materials.