Northern News

Yorkshire’s A19 Named England’s Favourite Major Road in Strategic Road Users Survey

The A19 has been named as the favourite major road for drivers in England in the 2023-24 Strategic Road Users Survey (SRUS), conducted by Transport Focus.

In its annual survey of National Highways’ Strategic Road Network (SRN) in England, Transport Focus revealed that from the 9,000 representative responses, the A19 had the highest road user satisfaction score among motorways and major roads with at least 100 responses.

While the A19 itself is 124 miles long from tip-to-tip — the Markets Roundabout in Doncaster on the south end, to the A1 interchange at Seaton Burn north of Newcastle — the SRUS only covers the dualled, 67-mile stretch north of Thirsk that is part of the SRN, passing Middlesbrough, Sunderland, and through the Tyne Tunnel.

Respondents gave this stretch of the A19 an 85% satisfaction score, placing it well above the second-placed road at 79% — the M40 from London to Hockley Heath near Solihull — and the next-best A-Road, Devon and Cornwall’s A38, at 75%. In fact, of the 27 roads ranked, three of the top ten are in our region, comprising the A1(M) and M56, with the M60 and M6 just outside in 11th and 12th respectively.

The A19 was also overwhelmingly top-ranked for road surface, at 89%, as well as topping the journey time and “feeling safe” categories. Only in the road markings category did it not rate highest, coming in joint-second with the A2, 1% below the M40 at 86%.

A19 Tyne Tunnel via tt2.co.uk

In general, the north rates extremely well with both of the regions in the top three of National Highways’ seven areas. The South West region in fact tops the tables for satisfaction, at 76%, but the North West and Yorkshire & North East are second and third.

Yorkshire & North East is top for road markings (81%) and road surface (78%), but is mid-table for journey time (67%) and roadworks management (48%), while North West rates second or third in every category.

It’s not all good news for the region though, as the M62 rates as the second-worst motorway, just ahead of the M42 in 25th place. Although it’s mid-table for road markings and feeling safe, poor ratings in satisfaction and journey time see it near the bottom.

As for the worst road in England, that honour falls on the A12 in Essex, with poor scores across the board but a woeful 34% road surface score being the only sub-50% value in the entire survey.

Despite the A19’s lofty position, motorways tend to rank more highly overall with 72% satisfaction compared to 70% for A-Roads. However that score is blunted by “Smart” motorways, which score 68% satisfaction, while motorways without these sections rate at 75%.

You can read Transport Focus’s Strategic Road Users Survey 2023-24 here.