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Where are the bypasses we were promised?
Page 6
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THE ROAD USERS' Alliance (RUA) says the government has quietly abandoned its promise to build 70 bypasses by the end of the decade.
Several hundred bypasses have been proposed but the RUA reports that only 20 have been built in the past six years, and only 15 are expected to be completed in the next four years. Among the most delayed schemes are the Marcham bypass, which has been in the plpeline for 70 years and will now cost £13m: the A5225 Wigan Gateway, planned for 57 years and expected to cost £75m; and the West Lancaster link, also planned for the past 57 years and expected to cost almost £85m.
The bypass around Stone henge on the A303 has also been delayed predicted costs have hit the -£500m mark.
Traffic has risen by 20% since 1996, but the length of the road network has only increased by 1.6%, or 3,800 miles. In the 10 years to 1995 it grew by 24,000 miles, RUA director Tim Green says: "Roads carry 93% of our passenger travel and 89% of freight. Yet they aren't viewed as a funding priority."