§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of vehicles that use the M6 in Staffordshire each day. [93279]
§ Mr. JamiesonI have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.
Letter from Tim Matthews to Ms Joan Walley, dated 27 January 2003:
I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent question about the number of vehicles that use the M6 in Staffordshire each day.The annual average daily totals of vehicles using the M6 between Junctions 12 and 16 in Staffordshire for the period September to December 2002 were as follows:
Average daily totals of vehicles using M6 between junctions 12 and 16—September to December 2002 Junction Northbound Southbound 12 to 13 53,367 52,657 13 to 14 52,653 52,546 14 to 15 49,754 49,673 15 to 16 54,326 55,675 Note:
These figures are averaged over a seven-day week. The equivalent figures for a five-day (Monday to Friday) period would be approximately 3,000 above those shown.
I hope this is helpful. If you would like any further information, the Highways Agency's Route Manager for the M6, Godfrey Short, would be pleased to help. He can be contacted at our offices at Broadway, Broad Street, Birmingham B15 1BL, or by telephone on 0121 678 8135.
§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects work to start on widening the M6 in Staffordshire; and if he will make a statement. [93280]
§ Mr. JamiesonAt this stage it is too early to say when work on the M6 widening scheme will start. The Secretary of State announced his response to the Midlands to North West Multi-Modal Study on 10 December 2002. At the same time he asked the Highways Agency to carry out further detailed work on the implementation and timing of the widening between junctions 11A and 19 and to bring forward a scheme for inclusion in the Agency's Targetted Programme of Improvements in the first half of 2003.