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Roads: Construction

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new road have been built in each year since 1997. [180280] [Official Report, 6 February 2008, Vol. 471, c. 1153-54W.] Letter of correction from Paul Clark: An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 6 February 2008. The answer given was as follows: Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of new road have been built in each year since 1997. [180280] Ms Rosie Winterton [holding answer 21 January 2008]: The following table shows the total miles of trunk road and motorway built in each year from 1997 to December 2007. [Table as originally provided printed. Click on Web Location to view]. These figures are currently being reviewed. Data on lengths of non-trunk roads are not collected centrally and an overall figure is not therefore available. The Highways Agency in carrying out its review found that over the years there had been an inconsistent approach in how the information was recorded and reported by its regional offices and scheme project teams. The aforementioned data included trunk road widening as well as schemes that delivered new roads adding length to the strategic road network. The following data represents only new roads adding length to the strategic road network and does not take account of any de-trunking or realignment of the strategic road network which may be within the scope of schemes completed in the years given. The amended answer is as follows: [Corrected table printed - click on Web Location to view] The Highways Agency is intending to compile a comprehensive set of data in terms of road lengths and capacity. This will clarify whether any ‘new build’ creates additional length to a road in miles or is a widening of an existing length of road which creates increased capacity in the number of lanes provided and therefore increases lane-kilometres rather than road length. The Agency intends that this information will be available on its website in the future.