Cost of the congestion caused by the M25/A3 junction road scheme
Case reference FOI2024/00956
Received 3 September 2024
Published 5 December 2024
Request
Response
A well-functioning Strategic Road Network (SRN) is critical in enabling safe and reliable journeys and the movement of goods in support of the national and regional economies. In 2010 the direct costs of congestion on the SRN in England were estimated at £1.9 billion.
Under 2014 estimates made by the DfT, it is forecast that a quarter of travel time will be spent delayed in traffic by 2040, with direct costs rising to £9.8 billion per annum by 2040 without any intervention. More information on this can be found in our Transport Assessment Report, which was submitted as part of our Development Consent Order application.
The table below, which is included in our Combined Modelling & Appraisal Report, dated 26 June 2020 (attached – shown in table 14-3 on page 39), presents the expected dis-benefits of traffic delays for road users during the construction of the scheme.
|
PV, £million (2010 prices and values) |
|
|
Travel times |
-11,963 |
|
Vehicle Operating Cost |
1,194 |
|
Total |
-10,768 |
In an updated addendum to the report, dated 18 February 2022 (attached – shown in paragraph 4.1.13 on page 16), it states “With consideration of the effects of delays during construction, accident benefits, indirect taxation benefits, monetised environmental impacts and maintenance costs, the initial expected BCR is therefore 2.80 relative to the scheme costs.”
The scheme is still on track to be completed by summer 2025, so this analysis has not been further updated.
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