New figures from the Department for Transport show Salford is home to some of the worst roads in the country, with 13 per cent of its locally managed major roads reported in poor condition in the year to March 2026.
The report lists locally-managed major roads that councils reported as being in poor condition. Authorities are required to carry out regular surveys of the surfaces they manage and categorise them as red, amber or green, with red meaning the highways should have had major improvement.
National comparison
Nationally, Salford Council recorded one of the highest proportions of poor roads, with a seven per cent increase from previous findings. On the list, the city was only surpassed by Brent in London with 14 per cent, Nottingham with 15 per cent, and Brighton & Hove which recorded 17 per cent of roads in the red.
The closest authority to Salford in Greater Manchester was Manchester City Council, which reported seven per cent, followed by Bury, Stockport, Wigan and Trafford with five per cent.
National trend
The figures mirror a national trend which has seen almost half of councils say the quality of their main roads has declined over the years. Nearly half (45%) of councils reported an increase between 2024 and 2026 in the proportion of A roads classed as red, according to findings published by the Department for Transport. Thirty-six per cent of local authorities reported no change, while 19 per cent reported improved condition.
The figures refer to the amount of road length in each local authority area, not the number of roads. A total of 147 authorities reported data on the condition of A roads for both the years ending March 2024 and March 2026.
Greater Manchester breakdown
The figures below refer to the proportion of the total A road and motorway classed as red in each council area, not the number of roads. Authorities that used alternative methods to collect 2026 data are marked with an asterisk (*). The list is ordered by the proportion of major roads classed as red, starting with the highest.
- Salford* 13% (6%)
- Manchester* 7% (6%)
- Bury 5% (6%)
- Stockport* 5% (4%)
- Trafford 5% (5%)
- Wigan* 5% (2%)
- Oldham* 4% (4%)
- Rochdale 4% (4%)
- Bolton 2% (2%)
Council responses
Councillor Lucy Smith, Cabinet Member for Environment, Climate Change and Operations in Bury, said: "Our dedication and continued investment in our highways is working, since 2017 we have invested around £30 million and an additional £12.9 this year, this new data shows our hard work is paying off and we remain committed to getting roads fixed."
The new national data shows that just 5% of Bury's locally managed A roads are now classified as being in poor condition, down from 6% two years ago. This improvement reflects the council's long-term commitment to investing in the borough's highways network, with more than 60 miles of roads upgraded and over 700 roads improved since 2017.
"Bury's improving road condition is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our highway's teams and the impact of sustained investment in the borough's transport infrastructure. Despite the significant challenges facing highways authorities across the country, we have continued to invest in our roads, helping to deliver safer, smoother journeys for residents, businesses and visitors. While we know there is always more to do, these results show that our long-term approach is working, and we will continue improving roads, footways, bridges and road safety infrastructure across the borough."
A spokesperson for Oldham Council said: "We're continuing to prioritise investment in Oldham's roads, using all available government funding for highway maintenance. This year we saw an additional £2million of council funding made available for highways maintenance to arrest the deterioration rate. Greater Manchester Combined Authority has also announced an additional £60 million for highway maintenance, and we are now developing plans to make full use of our share of this funding and deliver improvements as quickly as possible."
