DRIVERS in Warrington are experiencing growing delays on A-roads through the town, new figures show.

It comes as motorists across England encountered more congestion than ever on the roads, with the RAC blaming the problem on too many roadworks.

Department for Transport figures show drivers travelling on A-roads in Warrington were delayed by 48 seconds 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 44 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 47 seconds per mile.

The A5061 Knutsford Road saw the greatest delays in Warrington at one minute and 10 seconds per mile.

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

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

In Warrington, motorists averaged 22.2mph – down from 22.3mph in 2019.

The figures only cover 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.

Simon Williams, head of policy for the RAC, said: “It is 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 are struggling to see what the cause can be other than roadworks.”

A Department for Transport spokesman added: “This Government backs drivers, which is why we are getting on with our plan to invest more than £24billion 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.”