Motorway Madness: Britain's Turtle Pace vs Europe's Giants
United Kingdom constructed only 65 miles of motorway during a decade-long period.
The miles of motorways in Britain have barely budged over the past decade, with just 65 additional miles added – a figure inflated by a statistical oddity, instead of concrete construction.
From 2014 to 2024, the length of Britain's motorways expanded from 2,265 miles to 2,330 miles, as per Department for Transport data. But let's face it, this growth is paltry compared to other European nations.
Germany, France, Spain, Turkey, and Poland have left us in the dust with thousands of miles of new highways during the same period. Yet, Britain's motorway expansion is a slugfest, with a snail's pace.
Former DfT civil servant Michael Dnes spilled the beans to the Financial Times. He explains that only three new motorway stretches were opened in the past decade – on the A1(M) to Newcastle, the M8 near Glasgow, and the M90/Queensferry Crossing. Combined, their length totals 24 miles, according to Dnes's calculation. So where did the other 41 miles vanish?
The discrepancy can be attributed to the growing accuracy of Ordnance Survey maps. Great Britain's national mapping agency is becoming more precise, measuring so-called "wiggle" in the roads, which extends the recorded highway length ever so slightly. However, it's questionable if this minor increase justifies the communication gap.
Building new motorways is a thorny issue for environmentalists, given their impact on climate change and local biodiversity. Yet, drivers are constantly frustrated by Britain's congested roads. The stats will undoubtedly fuel questions regarding the UK's lackluster motorway expansion over the last few decades, with just 422 miles added since 1990.
One DFT official claimed the UK has refused to build much motorway in recent years, simply because the government has "prioritised enhancements to the existing motorway network." Another official added that Britain's motorway system is more "mature" than other much larger European countries, having experienced rapid growth in the 1950s and 60s, therefore requiring less expansion.
However, Edmund King, president of the AA, sees a different picture. He believes that successive governments have focused on "smart" motorways – sections of road with adjustable speed limits – "to the detriment of actually improving the network." In practice, these motorways don't work, King argues, because many drivers fear broken vehicles on the inside lane. Moreover, sudden lane closures can create even more congestion than on regular highways.
Despite the government's pledge to ramp up road network investment, spending on new road construction is expected to decrease by as much as 5% in the coming year. Noble Francis, economics director at the Construction Products Association, remarks, "Anyone who travels on the roads in the UK knows that we need improvements in both the quality of existing roads and new, additional roads to make traveling easier and quicker."
The decline in asphalt sales volumes, now at their lowest in a decade, supports Francis's concerns. Asphalt producers continue to struggle with delays, cancellations, and a dearth of new work projects. Aurelie Delannoy, MPA director of economic affairs, highlights that road maintenance budget pressures, along with delays, cancellations, and a shrinking pipeline of new work, continue to bedevil asphalt producers.
Environmental concerns, funding and prioritization, alternative infrastructure focus, policy and regulatory framework, and economic factors all contribute to Britain's turtle-like approach to motorway expansion. In contrast, other European nations have zipped ahead, driven by factors like economic growth, EU funding, and strategic transportation planning.
- The discrepancy between the claimed motorway expansion in Britain and the actual construction is questionable, with Michael Dnes, a former DfT civil servant, stating that only three new motorway stretches were built in the past decade.
- While building new motorways is a contentious issue due to environmental concerns, the UK's lackluster motorway expansion over the last few decades, with just 422 miles added since 1990, raises questions about the government's policy and commitment to transportation infrastructure.
- Instead of focusing on new motorway construction, successive British governments have prioritized smart motorways – sections of road with adjustable speed limits – which Edmund King, president of the AA, argues don't work effectively and have possibly come at the expense of improving the overall network.
- In contrast to Britain's turtle-like approach to motorway expansion, other European nations have been more proactive, driven by factors like economic growth, EU funding, and strategic transportation planning, resulting in thousands of miles of new highways during the same period.
