THE debate over the dualling of the outer ring road (The Press, January 27) revives what actually happened when it was built.

As we know, politicians and government officials always know best over us common hoi polloi. York’s residents called for it to be built as a dual carriageway because they knew the amount of traffic it would attract, but the decision makers said their own forecast figures showed that a single carriageway would suffice.

From memory, the total cost was about £20 million, but because the builders would be on site, the additional cost of dualling would be about £4 million. To dual it now would cost £350 million according to James Alexander.

This isn’t being clever after the event. The powers-that-be were told at the time, but what does little old Joe Public know?

Geoff Robb, Hunters Close, Dunnington, York.