Despite repeated calls for investment to improve the safety of the M56 , no work has been done to see how much it would cost.
A minister has revealed no progress has been made to estimate the price of upgrading a notorious stretch of the motorway.
Andrew Jones MP, parliamentary under-secretary for transport, said a scheme to turn the M56 between junctions 12 and 14 into a ‘smart motorway’ was not included in the Government’s first Road Investment Strategy (RIS) for 2015-20.
Mr Jones’s comments were in reply to a question from Chester MP Chris Matheson , over costings.
Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans had to ask the transport secretary for an update on whether any study will be carried out to establish whether there are any common causes for collisions on the route.
The route, between J12 at Clifton and J14 Hapsford but also affecting the neighbouring network at J11 and J15, has gained a reputation as being a crash hotspot.
In September a Freedom Of Information request revealed the Government was to upgrade the M56 J6-8 to a smart motorway despite it having been the scene of zero fatal crashes during a period when four motorists died on J12-14.
Highways England has said that work to widen the off-slip road at J12 to four lanes will ease traffic flows as will the installation of a junction 11a between Clifton and Preston Brook.
The Halton Curve railway route, which links North Wales with Liverpool via a stretch of line running parallel to J12-14, is also to be upgraded providing an alternative mode of transport for commuters.
Related: New improved M56 service station arriving soon
In Mr Jones’s written answers to Mr Matheson, Mr Jones hinted that the M56 J12-14 could feature in the next RIS.
He said: “Highways England is working hard to deliver the schemes set out in the RIS in the first Road Period 2015-20.
“Future investment in the strategic road network is currently being developed through Highways England’s route strategies process, which will be used to plan new investments in the second road period 2020-25.”
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