§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what major infrastructure work has been carried out on the(a) A12, (b) A14, (c) A140 and (d) B1113 in the last 15 years, in each case giving (i) the aim and nature of the works, (ii) details of the Government body responsible, (iii) the length of time the works took and (iv) the costs of the works; [50643]
(2) what works are planned on the (a) A12, (b) A14, (c) A140 and (d) B1113; [50644]
(3) on how many days in 2001 the level of traffic on the (a) A12, (b) A14, (c) A140 and (d) B1113 was two or more times the daily average on these roads; [50646]
(4) how many (a) cars, motorbikes and vans, (b) lorries and (c) camper-vans and caravans use the (i) A12, (ii) A14, (iii) A140 and (iv) B1113 each day; and what the estimate is for the increase in traffic on each road over the lifetime of the Ten-Year Plan; [50645]
(5) what recent representations he has received from (a) the Highways Agency, (b) local authorities and (c) others, with regards to the (i) A12, (ii) A14, (iii) A140 and (iv) B1113. [50648]
§ Mr. ByersI have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews to write to the hon. Member.
Letter from Tim Matthews to Mrs. Theresa May, dated 29 April 2002:
I have been asked by the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions about the A12, the A14, the A140 and the B1113.During 2001, the level of traffic on the trunk road section of the A12 and the A14, at sites where traffic flows are measured, was never two or more times the daily average at those sites.The A140 ceased to be a trunk road on 1 June 2001, when responsibility passed from the Secretary of State to the Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils. At sites where traffic flow was measured by the Highways Agency before June 2001, the traffic flow was never two or more times the daily average at the same sites during 2000.The B1113 is not a trunk road and we do hold any traffic data for it. This road is the responsibility of Suffolk County Council.Details of past and future improvements to those roads that are, or were, our responsibility are set out in the Annex to this letter.The DETR publication 'National Road Traffic Forecasts (Great Britain) 1997' (NRTF) sets out the latest forecasts for growth in the volume of motor traffic (excluding motorcycles) on roads in Great Britain until the year 2031. The forecasts are based on current policies, the best available evidence of behaviour and the capacity of the current road network. The publication is available on the DTLR website www.roads.dtlr.gov.uk. The forecasts are broken down by type of road, area and vehicle. Where detailed estimates of traffic growth for a particular location are required, the Department recommends the construction of a local traffic or transport model, incorporating the Department's national trip end model forecasts. For all-purpose trunk roads, NRTF predicts growth patterns between 2001 and 2010 within the range 11.5 per cent to 18 per cent. The Highways Agency does not hold traffic data in the form requested.We have received a number of representations recently about the A12 and the A14. Particular issues included our proposals to install lighting on the A12 Brentwood Bypass in Essex and to improve the A14 between Thrapston and Brampton and at Rookery Crossroads; about traffic queuing problems on the A14 westbound at Junction 4 of the A14 (A14/A6 North) in Northamptonshire; about the 563W adequacy of the slip roads at the Swavesey and Boxworth junctions in Cambridgeshire following the opening of new service area facilities and about general issues relating to both roads.