A Wiltshire's A-road has been voted one of the best roads in the country for driver satisfaction.

The A303 is the middle section of the London to Exeter trunk road which takes a more northerly route across Salisbury plain than the A30.

Passing places like Andover, Stonehenge, and Wincanton, it also carries much of the summer seasonal traffic between London and the south-west and is now reportedly the UK's favourite road.

As per the Daily Mail, Transport Focus said that overall, 73 per cent of road users were satisfied with their last motorway or major 'A' road journey, an improvement on last year's 69 per cent – and that journeys on smart motorways had lower levels of satisfaction with road users than those that did not include a smart section (smart 69 per cent, not smart 76 per cent).

Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said: "England's motorways and A roads are at the heart of how many of us move around the country. It's good to see the M5 and M40 perform well.

"As the so-called backbone of Britain, the M6 is a vital route which National Highways must continue to focus on, [to] deliver safe, smooth journeys. We'll continue to keep pushing National Highways to improve these issues."

England's motorways and roads ranked for 2023:

  1. A303 - 85% satisfaction rating
  2. M5 - 82%
  3. M40 - 82%
  4. A30 - 79%
  5. M11 - 79%
  6. A50 - 78%
  7. A19 - 77%
  8. M4 - 76%
  9. A46 - 76%
  10. A1(M) - 76%
  11. A14 - 75%
  12. A38 - 74%
  13. A45 - 74%
  14. A3 - 73%
  15. A2 - 73%
  16. M3 - 72% 
  17. M1 - 72%
  18. A34 - 72%
  19. M20 - 70%
  20. M62 - 69%
  21. M56 - 69%
  22. A1 - 68%
  23. M27 - 68%
  24. M60 - 68%
  25. M42 - 68%
  26. M25 - 67%
  27. A5 - 67%
  28. A47 - 66%
  29. M6 - 66%
  30. A12 - 61%
  31. A27 - 59%

The A12, which runs from London to Lowestoft in Suffolk, ranks second from last in the table with an overall satisfaction score of 61 per cent. One driver describes its surface as 'terrible'.

The A303 Stonehenge scheme has been hitting headlines recently after a legal challenge was lodged against the plans for a tunnel past Stonehenge. 

It comes after the Department for Transport announced in July that the £1.7billion project would go ahead.

Derek Parody, National Highways project director for the A303 Stonehenge scheme, said: “We have been notified of the legal challenge and will follow the due legal process, but we remain confident this scheme is the best solution for solving the traffic problems along this notoriously congested section of the A303 while preserving and enhancing the World Heritage Site, improving journeys, bringing much needed relief to local communities and boosting the economy in the South West.

“Ultimately, by removing the existing road we will return the Stonehenge landscape to something like its original setting.”