Alarm over shock rise of HA projects

23 July 2008
 
Highways Agency regional trunk road improvements under development have increased further in cost by between 47%-96%, compared with the hikes uncovered by a government review last year.

The 11 schemes, including the A46 Newark to Widmerpool upgrade, the A57/A628 Mottram to Tintwistle bypass, and the scheme to widen the A453 between the M1 and the A52, had approval for £945M. The HA now expects the total to be at least £1.4bn, and as much as £1.9bn – more than double the figure identified by the Nicols review into HA cost overruns.

The regional HA schemes currently under construction, such as the A3 Hindhead improvement have also continued to creep up in cost by £45M, according to the latest estimates, or 9%, compared with the spring 2007 figures.

The revelation prompted alarm among local highway authorities, as regional HA schemes compete with local transport projects for regional funding allocation cash. Anti-roads campaigners are to challenge the regional transport boards to scale back the plans, given the continuing hikes in the cost of schemes which have to be delivered within fixed funding allocations up to 2016.

National HA schemes are also spiralling in cost, such as the widening of the A14 from Haughley New Street to Stowmarket, up from £490M last year to £690M-£1.2bn now. Transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, had raised the Campaign for Better Transport’s hopes in January that she was prepared to scale back the HA improvement programme, telling MPs that ‘tough choices will have to be made’, due to the escalating costs. She warned last week that projects would only be confirmed for entry into the HA programme in the period up to 2014, ‘subject to confirmation of value for money’.

Matthew Lugg, engineering committee chair of the County Surveyors’ Society, said the HA had to look at ‘how the same or similar benefits can be delivered at reduced cost’. A Campaign for Better Transport spokesman this week expected ‘some of these schemes to be revisited’, suggesting alternatives such as new rail freight facilities to take heavy goods vehicles off the A14.

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