Still Worst in Europe
Page 20
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
NO SINGLE road in London will lose even 15 per cent of its presenl traffic to the M25. This claim was made by Andrew Warren, secre. tary of the Movement for London who also said that traffic flows ir London will be reduced by no more than 4 per cent ten years aftei the completion of the motorway.
Addressing the British Road Federation conference on the impact of the M25, Mr Warren repeated the feeling that the M25 will help but not heal the capital's traffic problems.
"It is only wishful thinkers who really believe that the M25 will at a stroke solve the traffic problems of the Home Counties and most of those of inner London.
"Too many people are pinning their hopes on the M25 — a road that is as far away from central London as Coventry is from Birmingham. No doubt the M25 will prove the solution to some of the traffic problems in the outer boroughs, but in isolation it can only exacerbate the mess that is the road transport scene in London in the Eighties!'
London is unique among Western European cities in having no effective inner or outer by-pass he says. "It rightly hat the title of Worst in Europe — less than one fifth of its officially designated main roads are up tc dual-carriageway standard."
Mr Warren says that 26 milet of the M25 are now open anc that more than half the 119-milE orbital route should be completed within a "couple ol years". The entire road shoulc be under construction by May, 1984, and completion it scheduled for 1985/86 although it seems probable that furthei political hold-ups could delay the scheme's completion date.
A public inquiry into thE Swanley to Sevenoaks section 01 the route was completed early last year and a start on construetion work is seemingly nc nearer. A decision on this section is expected before Christmas, says the Department Transport.