The A12, which cuts through Havering north of the centre of Romford as the Eastern Avenue, has fared badly in a motorists’ survey.
The road received the second lowest satisfaction rating of motorways and A-roads in England at 61 per cent, according to the Strategic Roads User Survey.
Respondees described it as “unpleasant” with “terrible tarmac conditions”.
It starts in Poplar before heading north through Bow, Hackney Wick, and north-east through Romford and out into Essex.
The survey, launched by independent watchdog Transport Focus, quizzed more than 9,000 motorists.
Only the A27 fared worse, given a 59pc satisfaction rating by the watchdog.
Anthony Smith, chief executive of Transport Focus, said: “England’s motorways and major A-roads are at the heart of how many of us move around the country.”
Assessment criteria included journey time, traffic flow and how busy a particular road was.
The A12’s satisfaction rating was significantly lower than the highest scoring A303 at 85pc.