Few things are more frustrating than being caught in roadwork traffic.

The sight of lanes lined with orange cones, dreadfully slow temporary lights and bunched up cars is enough to make even the most patient driver groan.

And this is exactly what gets drivers' blood boiling on what has been declared England's worst road: the M27, in Hampshire.

Beginning west of Southampton, in Cadnam, and ending in the northern outskirts of Portsmouth, this 28-mile stretch of tarmac has been slammed on account of its 'terrible' roadworks and long queues.

In fact, nearly half of motorists were dissatisfied with their trips on the road, according to the Strategic Roads User Survey by independent watchdog, Transport Focus. With a 56 per cent satisfaction rating, this was the lowest score achieved by any strategic road in England.

Drivers were particularly disappointed with the journey time, which scored only 55 per cent overall.

'Roadworks on M27 are terrible, the reduced speed, the narrow lanes and very rarely see roadworks actually taking place,' one driver fumed. 'The roadworks appear deserted.'

Roadworks, which inevitably result in reduced lanes, lower speed limits and long queues, were among motorists' biggest complaints in the survey of more than 9,500 drivers.

The M27 has been named the worst road in England by independent watchdog Transport Focus

Only 50 per cent of motorists were satisfied with the UK's overall management of roadworks, despite this score having improved since last year's ranking.

Another driver complained about the frequent lack of 'prior warning' about planned roadworks, and highlighted 'limited signage' as another issue.

They also said the lack of visible work being carried out made the delays feel like a 'really pointless delay/disruption'.

Some roads, however, are a real pleasure to drive on - offering motorists smooth journeys with scenic views of the British countryside.

This year, the A30 was crowned England's favourite road, boasting an overall satisfaction score of 79 per cent.

As one of the UK's longest A roads, the A30 is popular with drivers for its beautiful scenery, stretching all the way from London to Land's End.

The M20 was the highest-rated motorway, also scoring 79 per cent in satisfaction.

Running through the south-east of England, the route provides access to the Channel Tunnel in Kent.

The M56 followed closely in third place, with an overall score of 78 per cent.

Other motorways, however, did not fare so well.

The M42 placed second worst overall - ranking 31st out of 32 roads, with a score of only 61 per cent.

The 40-mile-long road is frequently packed with motorists travelling in and around the Midlands, and drivers were unimpressed with the journey time, which earned only a 55 per cent satisfaction rating.

The M60 placed 30th, with a 63 per cent overall satisfaction.

The wooden spoon for the worst A road in the UK was awarded to the A12.  Stretching from London to the East Anglian coast, it only managed to rank 29th in the table.

Some improvements were seen across the country’s network, however. Seventy one per cent of drivers were happy with their journeys overall - up from 69 per cent last year.

Journey time, road surface and roadworks management satisfaction scores were all better.

This year's results saw a particularly strong improvement in the M1, which saw its score soar from 57 per cent to 74 per cent, following the completion of roadworks.

Louise Collins, Director at Transport Focus, said: 'This year's results show that positive improvements to the road user experience are possible.

'Overall satisfaction has increased and there are encouraging signs that drivers are noticing improvements in key areas, however drivers continue to tell us that roadworks can make or break a journey.

The A30 took the crown as the best road in England - scoring 79 per cent overall

'The next five years will bring significant investment as National Highways embarks on a major programme to repair and renew England's roads.

'By applying the positive lessons from recent schemes, National Highways has an opportunity to ensure roadworks are well planned, clearly communicated and minimise disruption wherever possible.

'We'll continue to work closely with National Highways to bring the voice of road users into decisions and help ensure this investment delivers the greatest possible benefit for drivers.'