Roadwork-plagued M27 named worst motorway in England

The M27 in Hampshire has been ranked England's worst motorway, with only 56% of drivers expressing satisfaction in a survey by watchdog Transport Focus. The 28-mile road has been plagued by long-running roadworks for surfacing and junction modifications, causing reduced speeds and narrow lanes.

Survey reveals stark contrasts

One respondent described the roadworks as “terrible,” noting that despite “very rarely” seeing any work happening, speed limits were reduced and lanes narrowed. In contrast, Kent’s M20 was named the country’s favourite motorway, with a satisfaction rating of 79%.

Across all motorways and major A roads, 71% of drivers were satisfied with their journey, up from 69% last year. Ratings for journey times, road surfaces, and roadworks management all improved year-on-year.

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National Highways faces major maintenance challenge

England’s network of motorways and major A roads is entering one of its largest maintenance periods since much of it was first built in the 1960s. National Highways is embarking on a five-year renewals programme as part of the third Road Investment Strategy, which is likely to involve more roadworks.

Transport Focus director Louise Collins said the survey results demonstrate that “positive improvements to the road user experience are possible.” She added: “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. By applying the positive lessons from recent schemes, National Highways has an opportunity to ensure roadworks are well planned, clearly communicated and minimise disruption wherever possible.”

Smart motorway satisfaction rises

Satisfaction with journeys on smart motorways rose from 60% last year to 66%. Transport Focus attributed this to the completion of work to retrofit 150 additional emergency refuge areas, which involved widespread roadworks causing delays. However, drivers on sections of smart motorway continued to feel less safe than those on conventional motorways, at 78% and 82% respectively.

Best and worst A roads

The A30, which runs between west London and Cornwall, was ranked the best A road, with a 79% satisfaction score. At the other end of the scale, the A12 between the east of the capital and Suffolk had the lowest rating, at 64%.

Steve Gooding, director of motoring research charity the RAC Foundation, said there is an “important link between road users’ satisfaction and how well they feel roadworks are being managed.” He went on: “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.”

National Highways responds

A National Highways spokesperson said: “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 survey of more than 9,500 drivers was conducted in the 12 months to the end of March.