Kent’s M20 motorway and the A30, which runs from London to Land’s End in Cornwall, have been named as England’s best major roads in a new poll the Strategic Roads User Survey, conducted by Transport Focus.
While the two roads earned satisfaction ratings of 79%, the survey of more than 9,500 drivers by the watchdog Transport Focus rated the M27 in Hampshire as the country’s worst at just 56%, says the BBC.
Of all the motorways and major A roads managed by National Highways, those in the South East scored 72% for overall satisfaction – up from 66% in 2024/25 and above the country-wide average of 71%.
Transport Focus director Louise Collins said it welcomed the progress on some of the busiest roads in the network. The M27, which stretches for 28 miles (45km), has seen long-running work for surfacing and junction modifications.
One survey respondent described roadworks on the motorway as “terrible” as they cause reduced speed and narrow lanes, despite them “very rarely” seeing any work happening.
In the South East, satisfaction with the management of roadworks in the region improved, rising from 42% to 52%. Satisfaction with road surface was 70%, in line with the national average, while road users in the region rated feeling safe at 81%.
“This year’s results show a significant improvement for road users in the South East, with overall satisfaction having risen sharply,” said Collins.
“The results also show where more work is needed, and, as National Highways prepares for a major programme of renewals, it has an opportunity to build on what’s working well and keep disruption to a minimum.”
Sandie Forte-Gill, National Highways’ Customer Director, said:
“As we move into RIS3, customer insight will be more important than ever. Over the next five years, we expect an increase in demand on the road network and must deliver a substantial programme of renewals and maintenance to ensure the network remains safe, reliable and fit for the future.
“We recognise that this work will bring disruption for road users and that our success will be judged not only by the engineering outcomes we achieve, but by how effectively we minimise disruption, communicate with our road users and communities and demonstrate the positive benefits of the work.
“We know customers are more accepting of disruption when they understand why it is necessary, how long it will last and what improvements it will deliver. Building that understanding and trust will be a central part of how we deliver our renewals programme.
“We’re committed to planning and coordinating work across the network, providing timely and accurate information, delivering roadworks efficiently and ensuring customers see lasting improvements in the quality and reliability of their journeys. Working closely with Transport Focus, our road users and our stakeholders, we will continue to use insight from the Strategic Road User Survey to shape decisions and build trust in how we deliver to make journeys stress-free and create lasting satisfaction.”
(Picture: Transport Focus)
