Bolton drivers experienced growing delays on the 'A' roads last year

It comes as motorists across England encountered more congestion than ever on the strategic road network, which includes local and major A roads - which are major roads - and motorways, with the RAC blaming the problem on too many roadworks.

Department for Transport figures show drivers travelling on local A roads in Bolton were delayed by one minute per mile on average when compared to the pace they would have made if driving at the speed limit in free-flowing conditions.

This was up from 55 seconds per mile the year before.

In 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic which saw traffic levels plummet, the average delay for motorists in the area was 57 seconds per mile.

A table showing the difference in delays per second per mile on roads in Bolton between 2019 and 202 (Image: Data from Department for Transport)The A575, the road which connects Walkden and Farnworth, saw the greatest delays in Bolton at one minute and 43 seconds per mile.

On the A579, Bolton Road, in 2022 the average delay was 69.8 seconds per mile. This rose to 78.4 in 2023.

On the A6053, the road which connects Farnworth to Little Lever and Radcliffe, in 2022 the average delay was 53.7 seconds per mile. This rose to 63.3 in 2023.

On the A673, Chorley New Road connecting Bolton to Horwich, the average delay in 2022 was 53.5 seconds per mile and 65.5 seconds per mile in 2023.

While on the A6145, Hulton Lane, the delay time actually decreased from 81.4 seconds per mile in 2022 to 64.1 seconds per mile in 2023.

Bolton Council’s Executive Cabinet Member for Transport, Housing and Highways, Cllr Hamid Khurram, said: “Small increases in car journey times are to be expected in built up areas with a growing population.

“Despite this, journey delays in Bolton are the lowest in Greater Manchester.

“While there have been some significant works on major routes in recent years, these have been designed to make our network safer and more efficient for all road users.”  

Nationally, drivers were held up by 48 seconds per mile on local 'A' roads – the highest figure since 2019.

The figures cover only 'A' roads, which account for around 10 per cent of England's highway network but carry around a third of all traffic.

Meanwhile, factoring in motorways and major 'A' roads, drivers across the country were delayed by a record 11 seconds per mile.

Speeds were measured using samples of vehicles recorded at different times of the day.

RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: "It’s very concerning to see delays on our most important roads increasing to above pre-pandemic levels and average speeds are dropping.

"With more people than ever working from home at least part of the week and no growth in the number of cars on the road since then, we’re struggling to see what the cause can be other than roadworks."

He added: "Given today’s disappointing findings, it’s more important than ever that National Highways, which is responsible for the strategic road network, is given sufficient funds in the next five-year road investment settlement to tackle these issues head-on."

The data also shows the average speed drivers travelled along local 'A' roads, with the national average falling to 23 miles per hour last year, the lowest figure since before the pandemic.

In Bolton, motorists averaged 20.1 mph – down from 20.7 in 2019.

A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "This Government backs drivers, which is why we’re getting on with our plan to invest over £24 billion into our roads to reduce congestion, improve road safety and grow the economy.

"As well as investing more into new and improved roads, we have a plan for drivers to slam the brakes on anti-driver measures and help keep our country moving."

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