West Midlands motorway dubbed England’s ‘worst’ as drivers pinpoint biggest issues

Motorists have slammed the M42[1] as England’s least favourite motorway. Seemingly arbitrary speed limit reductions and a mix of “roadworks, potholes and delays” were given as their main grievances. The 40-mile stretch that links Birmingham[2] with key destinations such as Nottingham, Solihull[3], Tamworth[4], and Redditch[5] came in at the bottom in a Transport Focus survey, which gathered opinions from over 9,166 road users.

The survey period ended in March and coincided with significant roadworks near Birmingham Airport[6]. One driver lambasted the M42 for its “roadworks, potholes and delays”, labelling it a “terrible road to drive on”. Another expressed frustration over the variable speed limits arguing they “do not always reflect the traffic conditions” and seemed to be enforced “for no apparent reason”.

The overall satisfaction score for the M42 stood at a mere 56%. In stark contrast, the M40,[8] connecting London with Birmingham, was crowned England’s most beloved motorway with a satisfaction score of 79%. A satisfied user praised the M40 as “one of the few motorways that has few delays when I travel on it”.

Meanwhile, the A19 took the title for the country’s top A road with an impressive 85% satisfaction rate, stretching from Seaton Burn, near Newcastle, to Doncaster. Conversely, the A12, running from London to Lowestoft in Suffolk, was deemed the worst, scoring just 55%. National Highways, a government-owned company, is charged with the upkeep of England’s motorways and major A roads.

Alex Robertson, boss of watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Drivers tell us that the maintenance of motorways and major roads how most of us get around the country is more important to them than building new roads.” He continued, “With road user perceptions of road surface quality deteriorating since 2022 and declining satisfaction with journey times National Highways must continue to focus on delivering safe, smooth journeys.” Robertson added, “We’re committed to working with the Government and National Highways to help them to deliver on road users’ top priorities: improved journey times and satisfaction with surface quality.”

The report also revealed a decline in overall satisfaction for drivers’ most recent trips on motorways or major A roads, dipping from 73% in the 2022/23 period to 71% in 2023/24. Stats highlighted a slump in contentment related to journey times too, down from 71% to 68%. Freshly-released figures by the Department for Transport last week show that delays on the roads overseen by National Highways have hit unprecedented highs.

The average delay was logged at 11.0 seconds per vehicle per mile in the year ending June, the highest recorded since data collection began in March 2016, when it stood at 8.6spvpm. It was noted by Transport Focus that though there was a 2.3% uptick in traffic on motorways and major A roads from 2022 to 2023, numbers are still one per cent down from pre-pandemic statistics. The watchdog also pointed out that roadworks for the retrofitting of 150 additional emergency refuge areas as part of smart motorways improvements present “a further challenge”.

The watchdog’s research indicated that satisfaction with the quality of road surfaces has dipped from 73% to 68%.

Only 49% of those surveyed expressed satisfaction with the management of roadworks, a figure consistent with last year’s results.

National Highways was contacted for a response.

Here are the top five ranked motorways, along with their overall satisfaction scores:.

1. M40 (79%).
2. M4 (78%).
3. M5 (77%).
4. M56 (73%).
5. M3 (73%).

And here are the bottom five ranked motorways, along with their overall satisfaction scores:.

1. M42 (56%).
2. M62 (60%).
3. M25 (67%).
4. M11 (68%).
5. M1 (69%).

References

1. ^ M42 (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
2. ^ Birmingham (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
3. ^ Solihull (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
4. ^ Tamworth (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
5. ^ Redditch (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
6. ^ Birmingham Airport (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
7. ^ The ‘long standing’ driving issue that motorists can ‘no longer tolerate’ (www.birminghammail.co.uk)
8. ^ M40, (www.birminghammail.co.uk)