Drivers have rated the M42 as England’s worst motorway due to reduced speed limits “for no apparent reason” and a myriad of issues such as “roadworks, potholes and delays.” The 40-mile-long motorway, linking Birmingham with locations like Nottingham, Solihull, Tamworth, and Redditch, received the lowest ranking in a survey of over 9,166 road users by watchdog Transport Focus.
The survey was conducted in the year up to March and coincided with significant roadworks around Birmingham Airport, affecting respondents’ experiences. One driver criticised the M42 for its “terrible road to drive on” with a combination of roadworks, potholes, and delays. Another highlighted the frustration of variable speed limits not aligning with actual traffic conditions, leading to reduced speeds without clear reasons.
Overall, road users gave the M42 an unsatisfactory score of 56%. In contrast, the most popular motorway in England was the M40, scoring 79%, with praise for fewer delays. The A19, connecting Seaton Burn with Doncaster, was rated the top A road with 85% satisfaction, while the A12, between London and Lowestoft, was ranked the lowest at 55%.
National Highways, the government-owned company overseeing England’s motorways and major A roads, faces calls for prioritising maintenance over new road construction. Transport Focus CEO Alex Robertson emphasised the importance of ensuring safe, smooth journeys for road users amidst declining satisfaction levels in journey times and road surface quality. The overall satisfaction score for journeys on motorways and major A roads decreased from 73% to 71%, with journey times satisfaction dropping from 71% to 68%.
Delays on National Highways’ routes reached record levels, averaging 11.0 seconds per vehicle per mile, the longest time recorded since 2016. Rising traffic levels and ongoing roadworks pose challenges, including retrofitting emergency stopping areas on smart motorways. Despite over 96% of roads being deemed in good condition, only 49% of respondents expressed satisfaction with roadworks management.
National Highways assured a commitment to road maintenance and improvements for better journeys, aligning with road users’ priorities. The top five motorways by satisfaction score were M40 (79%), M4 (78%), M5 (77%), M56 (73%), and M3 (73%). Conversely, the bottom five included M42 (56%), M62 (60%), M25 (67%), M11 (68%), and M1 (69%).
In a bid to address concerns and enhance road user experiences, ongoing collaboration between the government, National Highways, and organisations like Transport Focus is essential. Prioritising road maintenance, journey time improvements, and road surface quality remains crucial to meet the expectations and needs of drivers navigating the country’s network of motorways and major roads.