§ Mr. AmessTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what representations his Department has received concerning the delay in opening the Whipps Cross-Redbridge relief road; [67458]
(2) how much money has been spent on the Whipps Cross-Redbridge relief road; [67459]
(3) when the Whipps Cross-Redbridge relief road will be completed; [67461]
(4) what the projected opening date was for the Whipps Cross-Redbridge relief road on 1 May 1997. [67460]
§ 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. David Amess, dated 27 January 1999:
The Minister for Transport in London has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the Whipps Cross/ Redbridge Relief Road.I am assuming that you are referring to Contract 4 of the A12 Hackney to M11 Link Road which goes from Whipps Cross to the Redbridge roundabout on the A12.On 1 May 1997, we anticipated that the contract would be completed in the Spring of 1998.Several local people, including the local Member of Parliament, have asked about the cause of the delay and we have explained that there have been difficulties with the specialist equipment necessary for safety in the tunnel at George Green. We now expect the road to be open to traffic this Spring although finishing work could take a little longer. This does not affect the overall completion date of Autumn 1999.The cost to date of the works on Contract 4 is £53.2M (excluding VAT).