Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether the benefit to cost ratio of the Oxford to Cambridge Expressway road includes the (a) cost and (b) effect of (i) new feeder roads and (i) increases in road capacity.

The estimation of scheme benefits and costs in the strategic outline business case for the ‘missing link’ between Oxford and Milton Keynes was not based on any specific route design considerations. They were derived using the appropriate modelling tools, which take account of the effect of the new capacity on traffic demand, journey times, safety and environmental impacts.

Highways England is in the process of identifying potential routes within the preferred corridor which will enable a more thorough assessment of benefits and costs.