Skip to main content

UK’s roads most congested in Europe

The results of a European traffic study should surprise few UK drivers. According to the research by Inrix, the UK has Europe’s most congested roads. The study evaluated traffic densities in 123 major cities across Europe and revealed 20,375 areas in the UK where traffic congestion is a problem. By comparison Germany had less than half as many areas where traffic is a problem. This is in spite of the fact that Germany has a significantly higher population than the UK. According to the study, a spot where
November 30, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
The results of a European traffic study should surprise few UK drivers. According to the research by 5367 Inrix, the UK has Europe’s most congested roads. The study evaluated traffic densities in 123 major cities across Europe and revealed 20,375 areas in the UK where traffic congestion is a problem. By comparison Germany had less than half as many areas where traffic is a problem. This is in spite of the fact that Germany has a significantly higher population than the UK.

According to the study, a spot where traffic congestion is an issue is a section of road for which a driver has to reduce speed by 65% for a minimum of two minutes. The data used in the research was collated using information from on-board GPS systems and cellphones during September 2016. The study evaluated traffic in cities with populations of 250,000 or more. In the UK, 21 cities of the required size had 20,375 areas of congestion, compared with 8,517 congestion spots in 27 German cities, 5,069 spots in 12 Italian cities, 1,844 spots in nine French cities and 2,335 spots in 16 Spanish cities.

The most congested section of road in Europe is Hamburg’s A7 Autobahn. In the UK, the M25 around London and the A720 Edinburgh bypass suffer the most frequent delays. The M25 in particular carries 250,000 vehicles/day, with the section between Junctions 15 and 16 having the most frequent hold ups for drivers.

The UK Government is planning to spend £1.3 billion on improving the road network, with £220 million being targeted at cutting congestion on sections known to suffer delays.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Kapsch for Kekava Bypass
    March 6, 2024

    The Ķekava Bypass - Latvia's first "high-speed road" - opened in October and with it a traffic management system from Kapsch TrafficCom started operation.

    The bypass is providing an efficient alternative for motorists travelling between the Latvian capital Riga, on the Baltic Sea, and neighbouring Lithuania to the south. Traffic in the small town of Ķekava is now being reduced.

  • What kind of future is there for road tolls?
    November 12, 2013
    Hugh Basham, transport strategy and policy director, UK and Ireland, at DHL Supply Chain, enters the ongoing global debate around the use of road tolls Road pricing has always polarised opinion. Whilst road users - who are already struggling to cope with high fuel prices and insurance premiums – may resent the additional expense, environmentalists and frequent drivers often welcome the introduction of tolls as offering an escape from gridlocked roads. Charging to use the road network isn’t a new phenomenon
  • Kazakhstan’s London road show woos consortia for Almaty ring road
    March 2, 2015
    Kazak and EBRD officials visited London to highlight the possibility of a public-private partnership under the country’s revised PPP legal framework. David Arminas reports. To build a road, you go on the road, and that is what Kazakhstan did in London in mid-December. Representatives of more than 100 organisations, a mix of construction companies and financial institutions, attended the roadshow-style presentation to attract foreign capital for BAKAD, the Almaty Ring Road Concession. The message was that Ka
  • BAM half year results show jump in pre-tax profit
    August 19, 2016
    Dutch construction and related services group Royal BAM posted improved half-year results, despite Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. Half-year results to June showed pre-tax profit to €45 million, up from €4 million the previous year. However, group revenue slipped back €3.4 billion, down from around €3.5 billion. Construction and mechanical & electrical services suffered a €23.8 million loss, blamed on poor trading in Germany. But civil engineering and property helped profitability.