Answers to Parliamentary Questions submitted by Adam Holloway MP

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 28 November 2016 to Question 54114, how many times per month traffic is stopped at the Dartford River Crossing to allow hazardous and oversized vehicles to use the tunnels for each month since November 2016; what the average duration of each such stoppage has been; and when the future work referred to in his Answer will be undertaken to model the potential reduction in the number of escorted vehicles per day. (67032) Tabled on: 08 March 2017

Answer:
Mr John Hayes: The number of times that traffic has been held at the Northbound Dartford Crossing on a red light in order to escort vehicles are as follows;

This does not count the total number of occasions when escorts occurred. To minimise the number of times necessary to hold traffic to escort vehicles, staff are trained to conduct escorts when traffic is held at red lights by the Traffic Safety System for others reasons e.g. extracting an over height vehicle before it enters the tunnels. Due to a number of operational activities carried out at the same time as the escort it can be difficult to determine an exact average duration that each escort may take. However, the majority of escorted dangerous goods vehicles and abnormal loads going through the Dartford tunnels do take less than two minutes on each occasion. A new arrangement is being developed to accurately measure the duration of each crossing and Highways England anticipate making decisions on when new arrangements could become available later this year. The answer was submitted on 16 Mar 2017 at 10:37.

The Department for Transport has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (67074):

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will place the cost-benefit analysis of Option A14 of the Lower Thames Crossing in the Library; and what the data sources and supporting information were for that analysis. (67074) Tabled on: 08 March 2017

Answer:
Mr John Hayes: Option A14 for the Lower Thames Crossing was assessed by Highways England as part of the Options Phase appraisal. The cost-benefit analysis demonstrated that the route would represent poor value for money with a benefit-cost ratio of 0.4. The appraisal was based on a level of design development and environmental assessment appropriate for the wide range of options considered at this early stage of the project. The cost-benefit analysis uses costs built-up from Highways England’s cost database for UK highways projects, the results of traffic forecasting for this option which include greenhouse gases, accidents, vehicle operating costs, noise, reliability and wider economic impacts and have been measured in line with DfT’s WebTAG guidance. As requested, the cost-benefit analysis will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses shortly. The answer was submitted on 16 Mar 2017 at 10:41.

 

The Department for Transport has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (67097):

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make a revised estimate of traffic volume forecasts for 2025 and 2041 as published in tables 4.3 and 4.4 of volume 5 of the Lower Thames Crossing Pre-Consultation Scheme Assessment Report, published in January 2016, using information from traffic surveys undertaken since that report was published, including information from ANPR cameras and traffic counters. (67097) Tabled on: 08 March 2017

Answer:
Mr John Hayes: Highways England will produce revised traffic volume forecasts as part of the development phase of the scheme. These forecasts will be informed by data collected from a number of sources, including ANPR cameras and traffic counters. This revised modelling work is expected to be completed in 2018 at the earliest. The answer was submitted on 16 Mar 2017 at 10:54.

The Department for Transport has provided the following answer to your written parliamentary question (67152):

Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will
(a) set out the data sources, supporting information and the assumptions used and
(b) estimate traffic volumes per (i) day and (ii) peak hour for (A) Option A14 and (B) Option C of the Lower Thames Crossing Option on (1) the existing Dartford Crossing, (2) a new Option A14 crossing, (3) a new Option C crossing, (4) the A282 between junction 30 and junction 2 of the M25, (5) the A2 between the M25 and the A227, (6) the A2 between the A227 and the M2, (7) the A227 between the A2 and the A20, (8) the A228 between the M2 and M20 and (9) the A229 between the M2 and the M20. (67152) Tabled on: 08 March 2017

Answer:
Mr John Hayes: a) The data sources, supporting information and assumptions used in Highways England’s traffic modelling have been set out in the Pre-Consultation Scheme Assessment Report which is available on the Lower Thames Crossing public consultation website. b) The estimate of traffic volumes requested for Option A14 was aggregated in terms of changes in traffic flows across the network, and then compared with other options (including Option C) in terms of overall economic performance. Consequently the breakdown of traffic volumes is not currently held in the form requested. The estimate of traffic volumes for selected links for Option C is reported in the Pre-Consultation Scheme Assessment Report. The answer was submitted on 16 Mar 2017 at 11:01.