09 July 2004
A generation of US-style super-highways in the UK was predicted this week after the government unveiled plans for Britain's second private toll motorway.
Transport Secretary Alistair Darling revealed on July 6 proposals for a 50-mile motorway between Birmingham and Manchester. The new road, which would have four lanes, will link up with the existing toll motorway, the M6 Toll north of Birmingham. It will be bolted on to the old M6.
A consultation on whether the road should be built will last until September. At 50 miles long, the new stretch of motorway would be almost twice as long as the M6 Toll road and could cost drivers more to use.
Charges for the M6 Toll are £2 for cars and £10 for lorries between 6am and 11pm. On average, some 47,000 drivers use the road each day. There are no prices yet for the new stretch of motorway.
Darling claimed that the M6 Toll, which opened last December, had proved a success. He said it was the right time to extend the notion of paying to drive and that the new motorway would 'double the capacity' at a lower cost than widening the existing road.
However, environmentalists were quick to criticise the proposal. Stephen Joseph, director of campaign group Transport 2000, said the idea was 'barmy' but 'significant'.
'The government is sticking its toe in the water to see what the reaction might be to a new generation of pay-as-you-go 'bolt on' motorways across England, and this is a toe that needs to be stamped on,' he said.
'Be afraid, be very afraid, American-style super-highways could be on their way to England.'
The M6 announcement overshadowed other aspects of Darling's transport plan, including a pilot scheme to reserve car pool lanes – for cars carrying two or more people – on four motorways, including the M1. Such schemes already operate successfully in the US.
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