Wouldn’t be great if Norfolk could be one of the areas which were given the trial for the new motorway speed limit to 80 mph announced by Roads minister Mike Penning this week.
We are making progress on getting the A11 dual carriageway, the advance work on farm access roads is underway, archaeological works need to be undertaken but the main works will start early 2013 with an expected duration of 20 months so completion by the end of 2014. We may have to wait a little longer to get a motorway
The government is to take forward its proposal for increasing the motorway speed limit to 80mph by trialling the new limit on selected managed motorways.
Roads minister Mike Penning said this week that his department “is carrying out work to assess the potential economic, safety and environmental impacts of trialling 80mph speed limits on motorways where variable limits are currently in place”.
He said it hadn’t yet been decided which stretches of managed motorway would be included in any proposed trial.
“We plan to bring forward detailed proposals and start consultation during the next few months,” he said.
Ministers are also believed to be pressing the police to use a lower enforcement threshold than the current guideline of 10% +2mph that equates to 90mph, which is the reason why motorists aren’t presently stopped for driving a little over 70mph
It was last September, when Philip Hammond was transport secretary, that the government announced it would be consulting on an increase in the speed limit, but it has yet to happen. Mr Penning has said that any proposals would come with an impact assessment that would include research about road safety as well as emission.
Norfolk Chamber will keep you posted on this and all other infrastructure stories which affect Norfolk businesses.
