5 is saved in vt roads cuts

10th November 1979, Page 7

10th November 1979

Page 7

Page 7, 10th November 1979 — 5 is saved in vt roads cuts

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the opening of another section of don's much-needed M25 orbital route days away, the Government has ated its support for the project. But rest of the roads programme is taking "make do and mend" appearance. ransport Minister Norman Fowler ounced in the Commons last week M25 will take the first priority, with industrial routes as approaches to S coming next.

ut £40m is being cut from the 1980/81 get for motorway and trunk road struction, while more will be spent on ntenance, especially on motorways. he current financial year's maintece budget is for £385m. Next year's be for £405m.

eanwhile, Mr Fowler will be cutting tape on a 9.5 mile extension to the 5 between Godstone in Surrey and enoaks in Kent next Wednesday at m.

is increases the Surrey/Kent section of the route to give a through route from gate to Sevenoaks, and relieves orious bottlenecks at Oxted, psfield, Westerham,, Brasted, and dridge. La )nl re the

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11 no Li The south London section of M25 will run from Egham in Surrey to the Dartford Tunnels, and is expected to be open by late 1983.

Commenting on the Government's spending plans on roads, the British Road Federation said "After all the bold promises to give a new boost to industrial needs, it is clear that when the cards were really down Ministers turned tail and ran.

It is disappointed that roads, which account for less than five per cent of total public expenditure, are expected to bear 20 per cent of the £1000m overall cut in public expenditure.

"If the cuts are spread evenly through the programme, spending on roads next year could be reduced by £100m and this is bound to delay further crucial schemes of industrial value.

"Local authority road programmes in particular will be badly disrupted and there is going to be a growing threat to local road maintenance at a time when roads are visibly deteriorating."

A Department of Transport spokesman told CM this week that a white paper on roads policy up to around 1987 will appear sometime in the new year.