Road cash priorities
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TRANSPORT Minister William Rodgers has said that the London Orbital — M25 — will be given priority when road building begins again, and will be started in the Autumn.
But other schemes, including two stretches of the M20 between Ashford and Folkestone, have been put off until Spring 1978, while two "small, sensitive by-pass schemes" are to go ahead this year.
The small priority schemes are the Ludlow by-pass which will be built to relieve the historic town which is "under great pressure from heavy lorries," and the Malton bypass which will relieve local industry.
Road schemes to the tune of £40million have been postponed in the Government's freeze on public expenditure. The Minister says further public expenditure cuts are likely to be ordered by the Chancellor, "but it is too early yet to settle the final ordering of road schemes."
A spokesman for the British Roads Federation commented that the delays were much as had been expected. "We had to accept the moratorium on roads, although it was against our interests."