'Dangerous' smart motorways compound UK road delay crisis

New figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) show a growing crisis on England's roads, with major arteries becoming increasingly clogged. The average delay on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) now stands at 11.6 seconds per vehicle per mile, marking a sharp 5.5 per cent increase in the year leading up to June 2024.

The AA has firmly pointed the finger at controversial smart motorways, arguing that the all-lane running (ALR) schemes are undermining road efficiency. The motoring group claims that the fear of encountering a stranded vehicle is causing drivers to avoid lane one, thereby creating the very bottlenecks these roads were designed to prevent.

In a move set to intensify the row, the AA is demanding the immediate publication of several unreleased Post Opening Project Evaluation (POPE) reports for ALR schemes.

Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for The AA, said: "With numerous stretches of so-called 'smart' motorway now in regular use, rather than improving traffic flow it seems to have created more bottlenecks. We need these documents released to understand what traffic flow benefits have been made, alongside a value for money assessment on these motorways drivers perceive as dangerous."

England’s cities grinding to a halt

Beyond the motorways, crippling congestion is hitting major cities hardest. London has seen speeds on strategic roads slow by nearly four miles per hour in the last year alone, putting speeds on a path to a 10 per cent decline since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The West Midlands is also suffering, showing a 7.8 per cent, or nearly four-miles-an-hour, decline since Covid. West Yorkshire has experienced a 6.0 per cent drop in average speed since Covid.

The issue isn't restricted to major routes either; the average delay on local roads now stands at a staggering 46.2 seconds per vehicle mile.

However, there is a glimmer of hope in the North East, where strategic roads around Newcastle and Northumberland have improved by 1.3 per cent over the past year, while Tees Valley major roads saw a 1.6 per cent improvement.

The AA insists that with the vast majority of all goods, services, and personal travel relying on the road network, there must be a greater focus from both national and local authorities on ways to "keep the wheels turning."

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