.....Go ahead given for M6 widening this week at Carlisle.....
any more info?

 http://www.roadblock.org.uk/press_releases/2006-03-23.htm

ROAD BLOCK - alliance against roadbuilding

Press release for immediate release - 23 March 2006

M6 EXPANSION GIVEN GO AHEAD DESPITE 280% PRICE INCREASE

Today Dr Stephen Ladyman, Roads Minister, gave the go-ahead to the M6 Extension from Carlisle to Guards Mill [1], despite a whopping 280% cost increase since it was first approved in 2000 [2].

This scheme topped the list of roads schemes suffering cost increases in the government's 'Targeted Programme of Improvements' (TPI) [3]. At first approval in 2000, it was priced at £46 million, but today the scheme has been given the green light at £175 million, an increase of 280%.

Currently roads schemes in the TPI, approved since 1998 until April 2003, are experiencing an average of 67% cost escalation.

With road construction costs rising rapidly, and the tender prices and final outturn costs usually significantly higher, the cost of the road could even be much higher than the current price tag. A Freedom of Information request to the Highways Agency in October 2005 showed that the cost of constructing a mile of motorway had risen from £23 million to £28 million in just 6 months [5].

The rising cost of the roads programme has not gone unnoticed by both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives [6]. Both parties have pointed out that the roads programme is now £1.5 billion over budget.

Adding additional capacity to the M6 will result in extra traffic on feeder roads, and also more pressure for widening other parts of the M6. Currently there is a review of options being conducted into a highly controversial expansion of the 51 mile section between Birmingham and Manchester. An alliance of groups, Group Against Motorway Expansion, GAME, has set up along the whole route [6].

Rebecca Lush of Road Block said:

"Widening motorways to tackle congestion is like digging a ditch in a bog - it will just fill with more traffic. What a hugely expensive mistake to make. The roads programme is now £1.5 billion over budget, with construction costs only forecast to rise further. It is time for the government to stand by its rhetoric on reducing travel and tackling climate change, by scrapping expensive road building and investing in the sustainable alternatives. By giving the go-ahead to the scheme with the biggest cost escalation, the Department for Transport is showing that it is not prepared to tackle cost increases, or rising CO2 emissions."

Notes to Editors:

[1] Announcement on DfT website at
 http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_control/documents/contentservertemplate/dft_index.hcst?n=16318&l=5

[2] Lords Written Answers 14 February 2006
 http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60214w05.htm#column_WA157


[3] An Excel spreadsheet showing the above cost estimates of road schemes, with highest first can be viewed here
 http://www.roadblock.org.uk/press_releases/info/TPI%20and%20local%20schemes%20Dec05.xls

[4] Road construction costs revealed in a Freedom of Information request
 http://www.highways.gov.uk/aboutus/documents/2.pdf

[5] Lib Dem press release - 30 Jan 2006
 http://www.libdems.org.uk/news/story.html?id=9640&navPage=news.html
Conservative press release - 21 Feb 2006
 http://www.conservatives.com/tile.do?def=news.story.page&obj_id=128046

[6] Group Against Motorway Expansion, GAME,
 http://nom6e.blogspot.com/


Road Block
020 7729 6973 / 07854 693067
www.roadblock.org.uk

ROAD BLOCK - alliance against road building

Press release - 29 March 2006

GOVERNMENT GIVES GO AHEAD TO £209 MILLION ROAD THE DAY AFTER CLIMATE FAILURE REPORT

Today, the government has given the go-ahead to a new £290 million Mersey Gateway road crossing, which will increase traffic growth and CO2 emissions [1]. The announcement comes the day after the government released its Climate Change Programme Review which revealed that the government is failing to reach its climate emissions targets [2].

Road Block coordinator, Rebecca Lush, said:

"It is no wonder the government is failing to reduce emissions, when it is allowing traffic levels to rise by continuing to build more roads. Traffic growth has increased under Labour, and they have failed to deliver their promised sustainable transport policy. Since 2000 the government has steadily been building up a roads programme of 200 approved schemes. Just the day after the Climate Change Programme Review revealed the government is failing us on climate change, it is not hard to see the reasons why, as they give the go-ahead to yet another traffic generating road scheme."
Notes to Editors:

[1] DfT press release giving the go-ahead is here:
 http://www.gnn.gov.uk/content/detail.asp?ReleaseID=193137&NewsAreaID=112&HUserID=878,793,894,857,782,871,870,845,786,674,677,767,684,762,718,674,708,683,706,718,674

[2] The Defra Climate Change Programme Review can be found here:
 http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/ukccp/review04/index.htm

[3] According to the CCPR, transport accounts for 27% of UK CO2 emissions, with road transport being 25% of all UK CO2 emissions.

[4] Despite its rhetoric on climate change, the government have also given the go-ahead to two other big road schemes in the last month.
* The £175 million M6 Extension. See  http://www.roadblock.org.uk/press_releases/2006-03-23.htm
* and the £65 million A419 Blunsdon Bypass. See  http://www.roadblock.org.uk/press_releases/2006-03-09.htm


Road Block
020 7729 6973 / 07854 693067
www.roadblock.org.uk