M11 London to Cambridge motorway named England's best

The M11 links Cambridge and London

The M11 has been named England's best motorway by road users, while the M20 has come bottom of the pile.

The Cambridge-to-London M11 had a satisfaction rating of 92% in a survey for Transport Focus.

Commenting on an M11 journey, a driver said: "Easy way to go, everything went well, no roadworks or hold-ups."

Brian Macdowall, deputy director of the Alliance of British Drivers, said the M11 "deserves to go up the priority ladder for improvements".

He added: "It's pretty good overall but it's certainly got its weak links: where it joins with the North Circular at the London end, the M25 and, of course, Cambridge.

"The number one factor for all drivers is 'Are you going to get there and make it from A to B in broadly the time you anticipate?', and when you get the delays and hold-ups through accidents and incidents, that's what sours your experience."

He said the junction for Stansted Airport needed a "major upgrade".

Lorries parked on the M20 near Charing, Kent, as part of Operation Stack in 2015

Jack Heald, 35, a rugby coach from Arkesden, Essex, who travels to and from Barnes in London via the M11 every day, said the road was good, but wished it was wider with more lanes.

"The main problem I find is the roadworks at night," he said.

"Coming back in the evening, the junctions can close, especially where the M25 meets the M11. That can hold me up for ages with diversions."

The M20 between London and Dover scored 63%, coming bottom for the second successive year.

It has had reduced speed limits for much of the past two years as part of a smart motorway conversion.

The installation and removal of barriers as part of no-deal Brexit planning has also caused disruption.

The top-rated "major" A road was the A66 across the Pennines from Scotch Corner to Penrith while the A34, from Hampshire to Salford, came bottom.