§ Lord Lloyd-Webberasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether there are plans to extend the use of the road surface employed on the Newbury bypass, which has proved effective in both reducing noise from the road and spray in wet conditions, when resurfacing major roads in the future. [HL1686]
§ Lord Macdonald of TradestonIt is the Government's policy generally to use quieter surfacing when resurfacing trunk roads in England. The type of quieter surfacing used is an operational matter and I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Mr Tim Matthews, to write to the noble Lord.
44WALetter to Lord Lloyd-Webber from David York, operations director Highways Agency.
Tim Matthews has been asked by Lord Macdonald to reply to your recent question asking whether there are plans to extend the use of the road surface employed on the Newbury bypass when resurfacing major roads in the future. I am replying since Tim is currently away on leave.
The surfacing on Newbury bypass is porous asphalt, which was developed to be quieter and cause less spray than conventional surfacings. Proprietary quieter surfacings have now been developed, often referred to as thin surfacings, which have advantages over porous asphalt and it is these we now use as a matter of course for all our maintenance and new schemes. They reduce noise to a similar extent as porous asphalt, but cost less and have a longer life. They are also easier to maintain, use less premium surfacing aggregate and are therefore more sustainable.
Their ability to reduce spray is more limited and does depend on the particular product in use but in studies comparing porous asphalt and conventional surfacings, accident rates have been found to be similar. This is because whilst spray does cause drivers concern it also encourages them to drive more cautiously in wet weather, when the skid resistance is reduced.
If it would be helpful, John Williams, in our pavement engineering team, would be pleased to discuss the quieter surfacings in current use on the trunk road network with you. His telephone number is 01234 796116.