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Dept of Transport;Highways Agency

Answer

Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to commence the upgrading of the primary route road signs within the M25; and what projections he has made as to the cost of the programme. [8419] Mr. Watts: I have asked the chief executive of the Highways Agency to write to the hon. Member. Letter from Lawrie Haynes to Mrs. Gwyneth Dunwoody, dated 13 December 1996: The Secretary of State for Transport has asked me to reply to your question on what estimate he has made of the percentage of road signs which need replacement or repair on the United Kingdom primary route network. The Highways Agency is responsible for the trunk road network in England. We do not have an estimate at any one time of the number of signs needing repair or replacement for the reasons explained below. Under the requirements of our Code of Practice for Routine Maintenance our maintenance agents (currently over 80 in number) carry out regular inspections of the highway infrastructure including signing and record defects. These defects will be assessed and a prioritised programme of treatments developed. The agents will attempt to coordinate the programme of treatments for small items such as road signs with other works to secure economies of scale and reduce disruption on the network. From these investigations our agents will produce a rolling programme of works contracts in the form of both maintenance and improvements to effect any necessary restoration of sign quality. On a network of some 6,500 miles these programmes will be updated very regularly. I can say that our budget over the last 5 years for all road sign and road marking maintenance, but not improvement, has varied between about £10m and £16m per year.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

8419; 287 c364-5W

Session

1996-97

Subjects

M25 Repairs and maintenance Road signs and markings