A four-vehicle crash on the M5 near Droitwich shut the motorway northbound for hours on Tuesday evening, leaving drivers facing 90-minute delays and seven miles of congestion. The closure between junction 5 and junction 4A (M42) prompted National Highways to advise diversion routes marked with a solid diamond symbol. Emergency services and traffic officers rushed to the scene. By 8.24pm, traffic within the closure had been released but delays of 45 minutes remained, before all lanes reopened with no significant delays at 9.28pm.
The pile-up comes as a separate survey of more than 9,500 drivers by watchdog Transport Focus names the M27 in Hampshire as England's worst motorway, with just 56% of motorists satisfied with their journey. The 28-mile stretch has undergone resurfacing and junction work for over two years, contributing to dissatisfaction and delays – though one respondent said they 'very rarely' saw roadworks there despite describing conditions as 'terrible'. In contrast, the M20 in Kent was the most popular, with 79% satisfaction.
“Four-vehicle M5 crash closed motorway for hours as M27 named England's worst motorway”
Overall satisfaction across all English motorways and A-roads rose from 69% to 71%, but the improvement may be tested by National Highways’ five-year renewals programme – one of the largest maintenance periods since the 1960s. Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said the survey highlights the 'important link between road users’ satisfaction and how well they feel roadworks are being managed', adding that National Highways will need to 'up its game more consistently' given the scale of planned work through to 2030.
Transport Focus director Louise Collins noted that while 'positive improvements to the road user experience are possible', drivers continue to say that 'roadworks can make or break a journey'. She urged National Highways to ensure roadworks are 'well planned, clearly communicated and minimise disruption wherever possible'. A National Highways spokesperson responded that they manage roads to 'ensure the highest levels of safety while minimising disruption', and that survey results show their work on road conditions and incident response times has had a 'positive impact'. With the renewal programme set to bring more roadworks, motorists may face further disruption in the months ahead.
