Concrete will survive government proposal

Government plans to replace concrete surfaces on motorways and A-roads with quieter materials does not mean the end of the road for concrete according to Britpave, the British In-situ Concrete Paving Association.

"We welcome the elimination of noisy road surfaces whether they're concrete or not, because noisy roads reflect badly on the industry as a whole. It is worth pointing out though, that not all concrete roads are noisy and that other surfaces, including asphalt, can be noisy," said David Jones, Britpave director.

"We've been saying to the Highways Agency for the last couple of years that the best solution for Britain's roads is a concrete structure with a thin asphalt surface on top so you end up getting the best of both worlds.

"The asphalt surface reduces the noise and can be easily replaced when it wears out, while the concrete structure below will last for years and costly road repair schemes won't be necessary," he added. "We're advocating that the new generation of roads should be of this mix."

Between 2004 and 2007, £77m is to be spent on resurfacing 26 stretches of carriageway on the M1, M5, M6, M20, M25, M27, M42, M60, M62 and M69. Over the subsequent three years, a further 48 concrete removal schemes are scheduled to be carried out.

Commenting on the scheme, transport secretary Alistair Darling said: "We now have a programme to remove concrete surfaces from the trunk road network that will benefit many thousands of households across the country.

"We have prioritised the re-surfacing so that the worst affected homes are first. In the first phase to be resurfaced over 11,500 homes will have the blight of traffic noise reduced."