Weekdays · 370 motorway sensors · measured between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026
The worst motorway junctions in England
The 30 slowest stretches on a normal weekday, each at its own worst hour.
The slowest spot is on the M25 clockwise, about 700 m from junction 14, Poyle, in Slough: 84% below normal at 16:00 on an average weekday, about 10 mph. The M25 has the most spots in the list (13).
The 30 slowest spots
Weekday average at each spot’s worst hour| # | Road | Where | Worst hour | Below normal | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M25 | About 700 m from junction 14, Poyle, in Slough · Clockwise | 16:00 | 84% | 10 mph |
| 2 | M25 | About 800 m from junction 2, Darenth, in Dartford | 17:00 | 75% | 15 mph |
| 3 | M25 | About 50 m from junction 15, Thorney, in Slough · Clockwise | 17:00 | 73% | 17 mph |
| 4 | M25 | About 1.4 km from junction 2, Darenth, in Dartford · Anti-clockwise | 16:00 | 71% | 16 mph |
| 5 | M4 | About 1.2 km from Heston Services, in Hounslow · Eastbound | 07:00 | 70% | 17 mph |
| 6 | M25 | About 500 m from junction 2, Darenth, in Dartford · Anti-clockwise | 16:00 | 68% | 20 mph |
| 7 | M61 | About 400 m from junction 2, Worsley Braided Interchange, in Bolton · Southbound | 07:00 | 68% | 20 mph |
| 8 | M4 | About 200 m from junction 4B, Thorney, in Hillingdon · Westbound | 17:00 | 67% | 20 mph |
| 9 | M1 | About 1.0 km from junction 6A, Chiswell, in St Albans · Northbound | 17:00 | 63% | 25 mph |
| 10 | M11 | About 600 m from junction 12, Haggis Farm Interchange, in South Cambridgeshire · Northbound | 16:00 | 61% | 27 mph |
| 11 | M25 | About 200 m from junction 13, Runnymede, in Windsor and Maidenhead · Anti-clockwise | 16:00 | 60% | 26 mph |
| 12 | M60 | About 500 m from junction 24, Denton, in Tameside | 07:00 | 60% | 27 mph |
| 13 | M25 | About 200 m from junction 23, Bignells Corner, in Hertsmere · Clockwise | 17:00 | 59% | 26 mph |
| 14 | M25 | About 500 m from junction 20, Kings Langley, in Three Rivers · Anti-clockwise | 17:00 | 59% | 26 mph |
| 15 | M62 | About 300 m from junction 26, Chain Bar Interchange, in Kirklees · Westbound | 17:00 | 57% | 26 mph |
| 16 | M25 | About 1.3 km from Clacket Lane Services, in Tandridge | 07:00 | 56% | 30 mph |
| 17 | A1(M) | About 300 m from junction 1, Bignells Corner, in Hertsmere · Southbound | 16:00 | 55% | 17 mph |
| 18 | M42 | About 200 m from junction 3A, Umberslade, in Stratford-on-Avon · Southbound | 16:00 | 55% | 28 mph |
| 19 | M60 | About 400 m from junction 2, Roscoe's, in Stockport | 16:00 | 55% | 29 mph |
| 20 | M6 | About 300 m from junction 6, Gravelly Hill Interchange, in Birmingham · Northbound | 18:00 | 53% | 23 mph |
| 21 | M27 | About 400 m from junction 3, Rownhams, in Test Valley · Westbound | 08:00 | 53% | 28 mph |
| 22 | M11 | About 200 m from junction 7, Hastingwood Interchange, in Epping Forest · Northbound | 07:00 | 52% | 26 mph |
| 23 | M6 | About 700 m from junction 6, Gravelly Hill Interchange, in Birmingham · Northbound | 16:00 | 52% | 30 mph |
| 24 | M25 | About 2.9 km from junction 2, Darenth, in Dartford · Anti-clockwise | 17:00 | 49% | 21 mph |
| 25 | M67 | About 400 m from junction 1A, in Tameside · Westbound | 07:00 | 49% | 27 mph |
| 26 | M25 | About 200 m from junction 6, Godstone, in Tandridge · Clockwise | 07:00 | 48% | 35 mph |
| 27 | M25 | About 1.4 km from junction 17, Maple Cross, in Three Rivers · Anti-clockwise | 07:00 | 48% | 36 mph |
| 28 | M56 | About 200 m from junction 4, Kingsway Interchange, in Stockport | 08:00 | 47% | 31 mph |
| 29 | M25 | About 600 m from junction 19, Chandlers Cross, in Three Rivers · Anti-clockwise | 07:00 | 47% | 34 mph |
| 30 | M62 | About 200 m from junction 26, Chain Bar Interchange, in Kirklees · Eastbound | 07:00 | 46% | 36 mph |
“Below normal” compares each spot with its own free-flowing speed, so a spot that is always slow can rank lower than one that usually flows and then jams. Both columns are shown for that reason. See the slowest roads overall and rush hour times.
Questions about the worst junctions
What is the worst motorway junction in England?
On the measured motorways, the slowest spot is on the M25 clockwise, about 700 m from junction 14, Poyle, in Slough. On an average weekday at 16:00 it runs 84% below its normal speed, about 10 mph. Measured from National Highways roadside sensors between 1 May 2026 and 15 June 2026, not estimated.
Which road has the most slow spots?
The M25, with 13 of the 30 slowest spots. Roads with more sensors have more chances to appear, so this is a count of measured spots, not a verdict on the whole road.
How is this worked out?
Each sensor’s weekday hours from 06:00 to 21:00 are compared with that spot’s own normal speed. The five weekdays are averaged first, so one bad day (a crash or a closure) cannot top the list. A spot’s score is its worst weekday hour. Places are named from the nearest junction in OpenStreetMap, with the distance.