[Closed] Worst road in Britain

I was on that road on Thursday - I was glad to get on the M40.

M6. Perpetual roadworks and accidents almost every time we go near it.

M60/62, left many weeks of my life on there

The one behind the Nationwide.

M1.
Pretty much all of it to be honest. Shit services, perpetual roadworks, atrocious drivers. I see more middle lane hogging, tailgating and general ****wittery on that road than even the M6.

They're all lovely if you're not in a rush 🙂

A6 From Stockport to Disley. The road through glossop. Any road heading into Manchester on a weekday morning.

I see more middle lane hogging, tailgating and general ****wittery on that road than even the M6.

You never get the opportunity to do any of that on the M6 as you're usually doing 10-20mph.

I used to do quite a bit of work for a company idaaaaahn saaaaaarf which would entail the A34. I'd rather be spoon fed my own freshly sautéed testicles than have to do that again on a regular basis

The rest of the journey was mainly on the M6, so the whole thing was absolutely hellish!

A6, Hazel Grove to Manchester. I think someone got a traffic light grant and put them on every lamppost,

M6 congleton to Stafford. Why do people just drive onto each other on this bit of road?

I guess I'm lucky, cos I only ****in hate the M6. At least, I hate it when I turn left to go south. Going right is ok, its deserted (and good views) past lancaster. But I'm sure there are a lot worse roads around the country. Once did most of the M25 with a knackered taxi driver who drifted out of lane a couple of times while falling asleep. That wasn't much fun either.

M1.
Pretty much all of it to be honest. Shit services, perpetual roadworks, atrocious drivers. I see more middle lane hogging, tailgating and general ****wittery on that road than even the M6.

+1

A34? How can it be when you have to use the M3 to get on it? A34 is a dream compared to the M3.

Another vote for the A6 between Hazel Grove and Stockport, a hideous drive at any time of day. You can't progress more than about 5 metres at a time.

Big problem with the A34 is the lorries overtaking each other but only on the uphill bits! My colleague used to travel from near Peartree to Totton every day and it drove him nuts!

Agree with A6 between Disney and Stockport/Manchester. I spent alot of my youth commuting on it ether via bike or car. Surprised i'm still around to tell the tale. Nearly cost my mate his life in a motorbike accident.

I was on the A34 last night on the way back from Portsmouth and had a lovely diversion double backing on myself for a good 5 - 10 minutes before being diverted onto what I think was the Oxford ring road to get onto the M40. Lucky it wasn't too busy.

After 2 weeks in France and 500 miles of mostly empty motorway driving and a few bike rides on rural empty roads with buttery smooth tarmac surfaces and chilled out drivers who give you loads of room and a friendly wave and cheer as they pass its a bit of a shock coming back onto UK roads. But then again France does have over double the mileage of roads in its road network for about the same sized population so traffic density is bound to be alot better.

Honestly, it's got to be the M6. There is no driving horror anyone could tell me that could beat the hell I have faced driving up and down the M6. From Birmingham to Manchester, it is unlike anything I have encountered anywhere in the UK, across the Continent, Canada, the USA, or the Caribbean.

Hell. Just hell.

The M6 was a dream last night. Probably because I'd spent 8 hours phuking about on or around the A34, so by the time I got to it there was hardly anyone else on it.

It used to be the A9 for me, but since they set the speed cameras and allowed the large trucks to do 50mph on the single carriageway sections it has much improved. You can still get the convoys behind caravans though.

The A1M/A1 is my least favorite now.

Strangely the A34 doesn't ever seem that bad to me, perhaps it's because I tend to use it outside normal working hours or early at weekends. Just been lucky I guess

Its not the roads that are the problem... Its the sheer amount of people that choose to use them when I want to use them 😉
As a trucker whos often on the roads before the mongs.... My vote goes to the m11 as the worst road in the uk... Literally nothing to look at along its entirety and feels a hell of a lot longer than it actually is.

A34 is a dream compared to the M3.

M3 is a dream compared to the M27!

Surely the A14 has to get a mention. Especially now with added permanent road works and 40mph limit until 2020.

They are closing it next week completely during the night. I think they should just leave it closed.

ThIs is the worst Road in Britain. I mean, it doesn't even look anything like a road...

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ThIs is the worst Road in Britain. I mean, it doesn't even look anything like a road...

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The road through glossop

Hands down this is the winner for me.

M6 Brum to Blackpool turn off, both directions.

All roads in and around Mankychester

All roads within South Staffordshire. Fewer holes on the dark side of the moon

Yes, Glossop, A6, M6, and even the A70 are all far worse than the A34. I guess a bit of regular queuing at the Winnell end happens at peak times, but it's no M6.

Edit - another bad one is the A303. In fact any trunk road where you can buy strawberries without getting out is a holiday time nightmare.

A403

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Honestly, it's got to be the M6. There is no driving horror anyone could tell me that could beat the hell I have faced driving up and down the M6. From Birmingham to Manchester, it is unlike anything I have encountered anywhere in the UK, across the Continent, Canada, the USA, or the Caribbean.

Hell. Just hell.

They're all lovely if you're not in a rush

Most of the time I'm never in a rush. And most of the time I set off in a nice relaxed mood.

But I always seem to arrive at my destination just glad to get out of the bloody car.

EDIT: but as for road suggestion - any in Bradford.

So, having been working in Cornwall today, I am particularly looking forward to tomorrow's trip up the A30, M5, M6 back to Manchester on the last day of the school holidays

The A27 between Eastbourne and Lewes, Lancing to Arundel and the million roundabouts of Chichester. Hateful, dangerous road, head-ons on the single carriageway bit out of Eastbourne are pretty common.

Any road that is on any main route between Hampshire and Dorset/ Devon/ Cornwall.

The A31-A35 stretch past Ringwood, Ferndown and beyond is beyond abominable. BUT there are so many awful roads...

M27, A34, A30/303, M62, M11, A14 will all have a special place in road hell and the M25 at the Dartford crossing going north through the tunnels too.

Edit: Ming how did i forget that little gem!

The M6 between Stoke and Stafford is the only motorway you can regularly see people standing in lane 3 exchanging details after 3 or 4 of them have crashed into the back of each other at 5 mph.
How do you manage to do that at that speed and what makes them think that standing in lane 3 of a motorway is a good idea. 😥

A470 between Heads of the Valleys and Cardiff.

It's a two lane battle ground jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive every morning and every evening as the people of the South Wales Valleys head into Cardiff for work.

Lane 1 is full of plodders doing 40 (when it isn't at a standstill which is often is) lane 2 is full of lunatics doing 80 2m from the car in front with another 2m behind.

Women doing their hair and Lads brushing their teeth in lane 2 is a fairly common sight, no quarter is given or received, ever, couple all that with lots of roundabouts with 3 methods of use: the correct way as dictated by signs, the correct way as dictated by the Highway Code (aka the wrong way) and the "whichever queue is shortest and cut in at speed at the last moment" way - this means they jammed a lot, which means the queue stretches well into lane 1, when the plodders reach it, they'll swing out into lane 2 with little warning, a 40mph speed difference and no space - rarely a great mix.

It sort of works in Summer (I'm going the other way thank god) but in a few weeks the worst day of the year for driving will happen - I'll be dark for the first time at rush hour and accidents will happen, mostly as the valley dwellers will find out for the fist time in 6 month of their headlights work, many won't. If it's raining that day (50-50 chance in Wales in autumn) it will be charnage. For the rest of the GMT their will be accidents more mornings and evenings than not.

Nicely done redthunder, nicely done. 😀

Oh and +1 for the M6, though if I still lived in Oxfordshire the A34 might get my vote. The road through Glossop is shit, but it accesses Peaky goodness on the bike so can't be that bad - set off early and it's fine, then just accept the crawl back when you're knackered.

This thread simply isn't SE/Londoncentric enough, so I'll hereby nominate the M25 between the A3 and Heathrow. It was absolute shite before I left the UK and I simply cannot believe that it would in anyway have improved since.

The A14 between Bar Hill and the A1. Highways are currently improving things (for a value of improve that isn't). 2 lanes of idiots in boxes in each direction. I'm staying away until it's finished.

DezB - Member
A34? How can it be when you have to use the M3 to get on it? A34 is a dream compared to the M3.

Yip, this. A34 only stacks up when you get the OxfordEntitlemnetQuota slam braking to get into Town, or out of it and joining the A34 on the north side.
The M3 coming from Sotty all the way to Basingstoke is one huge pile of shite, you can see the anger and frustration on every driver using it. Particular junctions are the Eastleigh and Winny exist, where it becomes compulsory to ignore other road users and cross 4 then 3 lanes of traffic, then proceed to swap lanes 422 times along a stretch of about 2miles.
Again most of this is caused by the "Eastleigh" factor and the WinnyEntitlementQuota.
Then dear God the two lanes of it going up to Basingstoke, if your destination is Basingstoke then this sad stretch just prolongs the agony and distinct lack of ecstasy...
The M27 is a hoot unless it's rush 4 hours, morning and evening, when it becomes an irate metal snake intent on making its slow progress to somewhere less noisy.

But I'm offering up the A27 Chichester hellhole bypass, once again it's the ChichesterEntitlementQuota that seem to think the road is only for them and proceed to slam brake into spaces no bigger than a child's face.

We often cycle this road near us,but made the mistake of driving along it the other day...
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Surprised the m3 'smart' motorway hasn't got a mention. seemingly always closed at night, I've been in tears of frustration especially when the diversion led all traffic into a high street with more roadworks.

A1 Ferrybridge to M18....absolute despair any time in a morning!!

M1, M62,M60,M6.All pants.

Locally, anything in and around Bratford. The locals use it has their own personal race track. Absolutely frightening at times.

I get about a bit, and whilst is despise the M25, not much gets close to as bad as the M5 in holiday season (it improved quite a bit the single year they made caravans stick to the left lane). Why the f*** people want to put themselves and their families through that shit is beyond me. Cornwall is not even that nice.

M1.Pretty much all of it to be honest. Shit services, perpetual roadworks, atrocious drivers. I see more middle lane hogging, tailgating and general ****wittery on that road than even the M6.

I agree with crazy-legs. I think the A1 has marginally worse driving though.

Cornwall is not even that nice.

The thing is it's quite a lovely place when viewed in isolation.

BUT

It's certainly not worth the M5 or either of the routes from central Southern England at any vaguely holiday related time of year.

Nice to see the Chichester bypass getting another vote although out towards Arundel is also pretty shocking.

Why the hell do I live in the South again?

The thing is it's quite a lovely place when viewed in isolation.

A14, particularly between Huntingdon and just east of Cambridge.

It takes most of the HGV traffic that leaves from the ports on the east coast and is no way man enough for the job.
Couple that with all the commuter traffic and it's a nightmare.

Oh, and there are currently road works to basically stick a new road in that won't be finished until Dec 2020.

One of my colleagues' brother-in-law is project managing the works and it is a massive project!

A31 & a35 through Dorset. 45 mph for miles and miles behind coffin Dodgers unless you are really eat or really late.

Gary Rhodes

I too detest the A34 but the A27/M27 has to be above it on my list. Absolute chaos, especially around J11, J9 & J7.

M25 clockwise from jct 29 to the QE2 bridge...was three lanes of pure driving hell and now it's four lanes of total dispair...all caused by people queuing up to get into Lakeside shopping centre (the third circle of Hades) and IKEA ( the second) and then the cars, trucks, busses that either slow right down, break down or crash as soon as they hit the incline of the QE2 bridge. One high point was watching two drivers having a post cut-up incident fight/wrestling match/heavy petting sesh (wasn't sure as I didn't want to stop as I was in a hurry to get home) in the middle of lane 3 of the bridge one sunny afternoon in bumper to bumper traffic...
Only positive now is that the toll booths have gone so you now avoid the 12 lane automotive equivalent of "Runaround NOW!" (One for older viewers) once you finally reach Kent.

Very closely matched with jct 4/3/2 ( depending on the severity) to jct 30 via the Dartford tunnel...abandon hope all ye who enter...

11 years of my life was spent commuting on that road, the day I quit my job and realised I didn't have to do that commute was a very special day indeed.

Now the queuing on the local A27 at Arundel, whilst bad, seems pretty tame in comparison, not being in a hurry any more and a mix of flexi-time/working from home helps greatly too 🙂

No-one's mentioned the A12! The East Anglian superhighway! Awful, awful road to use.

Surely the A14 has to get a mention. Especially now with added permanent road works and 40mph limit until 2020.
They are closing it next week completely during the night. I think they should just leave it closed.

I was also going to post up both the A13 out of Town and into Essex, but coming into Townnis the worst.... but then you are only doing 15mph in an 8mile queue.. but it's mainly residential.. and it's North East London where everywhere is a rammed arrogant place to drive.
So the A13 is out.

What about the A2? That can be annarse of a road, but since the AveSpeed cameras have been fitted it's actually not that bad.. unless you come within 3miles of the Dartford Tunnel... then you encounter blindside idioticness and pure arrogance.

But I've one more to add to the A27 ChichBypass...

The A286 on any hint of a sunny day, weekends and bank holidays are especially cruel to the locals.. because it's the road that leads off the A27 at Chichester and heads towards...
West
Wittering

Pure hell.

It's not a very long road, normally from the roundabout to Witts it takes 15mins to the beach, but during "peak times" it takes 2+ hours!!!! Honestly sitting in a queue in 30C to get to the beach with engines running powering a/c's in cars is quite repugnant.

Welcome to the South Coast fellas.

Seems like all major roads are dreadful in one way or another. Happen its not the actual road?

Happen its not the actual road?

It's not always the road but the design does play a part.

The common factors across all the hate roads above (more than half of which have been a regular part of my life for too long) are a combination of 3 main things to my mind.

1) high traffic density
2) driver behaviours
3) high junction frequency and poor road design

3 & 1 impact 2 and 2 makes the effects of 1 & 3 worse. Self perpetuating problem!

There's a 4th factor too which is the lack of any redundancy in the transport network by which I mean if something relatively minor occurs the knock on to secondary routes (or absence of secondary routes) is horrific.

We are decades behind some European countries (Germany and Netherlands for example) in our road/junction design and transport infrastructure generally. While they have more space per capita / lower densities they also seem to have the appetite and political will to invest. We have the attitude that we can put a sticking plaster on a compound fracture.

Nothing wrong with any of those roads, just all you lot clogging them up in your cars. Oh, but of course it's not [i]you[/i], it's everyone else...

I don't commute regularly so I don't get to see this rush-hour hell that often. I'm usually driving up the M6 on a weekend or evening when it's just busy. However whatever time of day it is the M62 seems to have the worst drivers on it. Shockingly bad.

We are decades behind some European countries (Germany

Hah. I used to live near some unbelievably terrifying badly designed junctions in Munich. Worse than anything I've seen here, even M4 J27.

M5 J26 to Avonmouth, Bristol Junction.

I LOVE the A34.

A34 = holidays. In all honesty, the only bad bit is at Winchester where it meets the motorway but peel off through Winchester, stop at Sainsbugs for a meal deal and hop back onto the motorway, missing the traffic. Jobs a good 'un.

It used to be the A9 for me, but since they set the speed cameras and allowed the large trucks to do 50mph on the single carriageway sections it has much improved. You can still get the convoys behind caravans though.

the North Circular (A406). it's basically a race track with no normal rules:
- speed cameras are just an opportunity to test your emergency braking
- you stay in the middle lane unless you're overtaking
- you use the outside or inside lane to overtake depending on which lane your opponent has chosen
- sounding your horn is basically an invitation to a death-match

The A14.

Totally unsuitable for being _the_ major road from Felixstowe to the midlands and, now that people have recognised this, it is just a mess of roadworks that will be in place for another 3 years.

Total FUBAR.

For me its a close thing between the M25 (J16 [M40] - J10 [A3]) and the A40 between Witney and Oxford!