Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour) on Thursday, 4 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 8 March 2010. It was answered by Chris Mole (Labour) on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Roads: Costs

Question: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the cost of laying one mile of (a) sound-absorbing and (b) conventional asphalt road surface.

Answer: A recent cost estimate of laying one mile of sound absorbing road surface material ranges between £50,000 and £65,000 per lane, depending on the specific proprietary material used. The equivalent cost for laying conventional surface material is approximately £85,000. Hot Rolled Asphalt is now only used in exceptional circumstances. These costs do not allow for the traffic management and other preparatory works that may be needed prior to surfacing on existing roads, which will typically increase by two to three times the figures above.

Secondary information