Key sections of North and East Yorkshire's busiest roads are so worn they require complete reconstruction, a survey by highways engineers has revealed.

Parts of the A64 near York and near Tadcaster, the A63 at Selby and the A1079 between Pocklington and Market Weighton have all been identified as having exceeded their design life.

It raises the prospect of major road works to repair the sections, with full construction, rather than surface dressing, the only practical option.

The state of the roads was uncovered by the Highways Agency as part of its Roads Review programme.

It found that the expected lifespan of more than 100 roads and motorways around the country had expired.

And Denise Raven, AA spokesman for the Yorkshire region, said the news did not come as a shock.

She said: "I am not particularly surprised. We have known investment hasn't been made to maintain routes to the level that they require for quite a number of years, maybe as many as 20 years."

The Highways Agency said the roads were not necessarily unsafe but their "rate of deterioration was no longer predictable".

An agency spokesman said its budget had been increased by £400 million. He said: "The Government has put safety and maintenance at the top of our agenda."

The Government made it clear in the recent transport White Paper that it intended to concentrate on maintaining the road network at the expense of building new roads.

But the promise is uncertain today as Prime Minister, Tony Blair, was accused of putting the brakes on major transport legislation.

Mr Blair is reported to have told John Prescott, Transport Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister, that he could not guarantee parliamentary time for the legislation before the Millennium.

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