The Department of Transport have announced early its intention to widen the M1 from Leicester to Leeds (junctions 21–42) to four lanes in both directions and opposition to the plans has started to emerge. There is also widening planned for junctions 6A–13 (M25 - Luton). The plans that have been published are fragmented and it is difficult to get the full overall picture of the road building plans, its timeline and key milestones, but what is clear so far is:
No M1 widening
Construction work is planned to start on the section from junction 6A–10 (M25 towards Luton) in January 2006. The public consultation for section 10–13 was completed in April 2005. The date for a public enquiry for this section, if needed will be in 2007, with work to start in 2008.
Sections 21–30 cover Leicester to Chesterfield. Public consultation is planned for 2006. Some work within the existing motorway boundary is due to commence 2006/7. Further work at a later date will require land acquistion, building extra lanes and a bypass around Kegworth.
The sections affecting the environs of Sheffield, junction 30–42, are at an earlier stage. There are plans to embark on a full public consultation for this section in spring 2006, with a public enquiry planned for 2008.
The plans so far seem to indicate that near Sheffield the M1 will have four narrow lanes within the existing motorway boundary, and three lanes on the Tinsley viaduct. Contractors have been commissioned to undertake development work and preliminary design. These include Arup (junctions 21–30, Leicester to Chesterfield) and Mouchel Parkman (junctions 30–42, around Sheffield). The cost of the M1 widening is estimated to be over £3.5 billion. Recent experience and research has shown that road programmes frequently exceed their estimates by a factor of three.
The M1 widening plans are part of a huge national road building programme, which continues to escalate. In spring this year the government announced that twelve more roads were to enter the roads programme. This is despite the Highways Agency being previously asked to look at 'traffic management' for these schemes.
There's a national conference against road building and airport expansion on 8th October in Nottingham (contact info@roadalert.org.uk. Groups opposing the M1 widening are emerging along the route.
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