M27 Declared England’s Most Problematic Motorway Following Transport Focus Survey
Traveloasisspot.com – Drivers navigating the M27 in Hampshire have been told their frustrations are justified, as the 28-mile stretch has been officially crowned the nation’s worst motorway. According to a comprehensive new survey conducted by Transport Focus, only 56% of motorists expressed satisfaction with their journeys along this critical route. The findings come amid growing concerns about persistent roadworks and the resulting delays that have plagued the highway for some time.
One particularly vocal respondent characterised the ongoing construction work as “terrible,” noting that despite the reduced speeds and narrowed lanes, they “very rarely” witnessed any actual work taking place. This disconnect between the inconvenience caused and the visible progress has clearly frustrated many users of the motorway, which has been undergoing extensive surfacing and junction modification projects for several years now.
Positive Trends Across England’s Road Network
While the M27 struggled, Kent’s M20 emerged as the country’s most beloved motorway, achieving an impressive satisfaction rating of 79%. This contrast highlights the varying experiences drivers face across different sections of England’s motorway network. When looking at the broader picture, 71% of all drivers reported satisfaction with their journeys across motorways and major A roads, representing an improvement from the 69% recorded in the previous year.
Several categories showed year-on-year improvement, including journey times, road surfaces, and the management of roadworks. These positive developments come at a crucial moment, as England’s motorway and major A road network enters one of its most extensive maintenance periods since much of the infrastructure was originally constructed during the 1960s.
National Highways’ Five-Year Renewals Programme
National Highways has committed to a comprehensive five-year renewals programme as part of the third Road Investment Strategy. This ambitious initiative is expected to involve significant additional roadworks across the network, with officials hoping to learn from recent successes to minimise disruption for motorists.
“Overall satisfaction has increased and there are encouraging signs that drivers are noticing improvements in key areas, however drivers continue to tell us that roadworks can make or break a journey,” said Transport Focus director Louise Collins.
Collins further emphasised that by applying positive lessons from recent schemes, National Highways has a valuable opportunity to ensure roadworks are well planned, clearly communicated, and minimise disruption wherever possible.
Smart Motorways Show Improvement
One particularly encouraging development has been the rise in satisfaction with smart motorways, which increased from 60% last year to 66%. Transport Focus attributed this improvement to the completion of work to retrofit 150 additional emergency refuge areas, despite the widespread roadworks that initially caused delays during the installation process.
Nevertheless, drivers on smart motorway sections continued to feel less safe compared to those using conventional motorways, with safety ratings of 78% and 82% respectively. This suggests that while improvements have been made, there is still work to be done to address safety perceptions on smart motorways.
Best and Worst A Roads Identified
Among A roads, the A30, which connects west London to Cornwall, was ranked as the best with a 79% satisfaction score. At the opposite end of the spectrum, the A12 between the east of the capital and Suffolk received the lowest rating at just 64%.
“The picture that emerges suggests National Highways will need to up its game more consistently across England given the scale of maintenance work planned for the network through to 2030,” said Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation.
Gooding highlighted the important link between road users’ satisfaction and how well they feel roadworks are being managed, suggesting that consistent improvement is essential for the coming years.
A National Highways spokesperson responded to the findings, stating: “We manage our roads to ensure the highest levels of safety while minimising disruption to drivers. The survey results show our work to improve road conditions and incident response times have had a positive impact for drivers. When roads are well maintained, businesses and communities feel the benefit, and we are committed to tackling an ageing network head-on to keep the country moving and give drivers better experiences.”
The comprehensive survey, which gathered responses from more than 9,500 drivers over the 12 months ending in March, provides a detailed snapshot of England’s road network performance and sets the stage for ongoing improvements as the maintenance programme progresses through to 2030.
