The Department of Transport has released a list of the most congested roads in the UK.
Most jammed-up is the four-mile stretch of the A556 from Knutsford to Altrincham in Cheshire, with the average rush-hour delay totting up to 24 minutes. This is a major commuter route in the Greater Manchester area, with further delays added when Manchester United play a home game at the nearby Old Trafford stadium. Around 50,000 drivers use the road each day.
The list was compiled using data from sensors in the road. Also on the list were the A404 in Buckinghamshire, the M26 in Kent, the A27 near Hastings and the A453 in Nottinghamshire, as well as stretches of the M25.
Transport secretary Alistair Darling announced a programme yesterday to reduce delays in the worst areas by 10% by 2008, a climbdown from the target of 15% scrapped in 2002.
He said: 'Make no mistake, simply building more roads cannot be the answer. That is why I believe that road pricing has a part to play.'
Traffic rose by 11% between 1997 and 2005. Tolls are to be introduced in selected areas in 2011.
Channel 4 News - 15th February 2006