Bid for A14 revamp is 'hopeful'
The proposed widening of a stretch of the A14 to relieve congestion has got a "fighting chance" of going ahead after it was revealed one in five vehicles using the route are HGVs.
The issue was raised in the House of Commons by Kettering MP Phillip Hollobone who asked if any decision had been taken on proposals to add an extra lane in both directions between junctions seven and nine.
Michael Penning, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, said the scheme was still to be the subject of the Government's comprehensive spending review, but acknowledged the issues with the road's capacity.
The Highways Agency was scheduled to start work on widening the A14 in December 2011, but earlier this month it was revealed that the plans could be scrapped due to the current Government spending review.
Mr Penning said: "Not only are there 70,000 vehicles a day, but 20 per cent are HGVs, which is 10 per cent higher than the average (for major routes] in the UK.
"The project will cost between 86 million and 142 million. When the spending review is over, we will assess the problems that Kettering is having because of that huge amount of traffic."
Mr Hollobone said: "I was very pleased to be able to highlight the impact of the A14 on the local area and the minister clearly got the point.
"It is a worry for the Government that the road has so many vehicles on it per day and that there is so much lorry traffic. It is not a problem which is going to go away.
"I think we have got a fighting chance that it will still go ahead. It is an important road and I will be applying the pressure."
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Friday 10 February 2012
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