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Drivers warned of Easter traffic jams with up to 17 million getaway trips planned

Drivers are warned to expect severe queues on the roads and up to 17 million leisure car journeys are forecast to take place over the Easter holiday weekend.

Major roads in the southwest of England and some in the home counties are likely to experience the worst congestion on Good Friday, according to the RAC and transport analytics company Inrix.

More than double normal traffic levels are forecast for the A303 westbound near Stonehenge in Wiltshire, the M5 south between Bristol and Bridgwater, and the M25 counterclockwise between Hertfordshire and Surrey.

Queues are likely to increase due to engineering work on the railways, including the closure of London Euston station.

A survey of 2,400 UK drivers commissioned by the RAC suggested that 2.7 million car journeys have been planned for Good Friday and Easter Sunday by drivers embarking on day trips or staying overnight.

Easter Saturday and Easter Monday are expected to be slightly less busy, with 2.3 million separate break trips each day.

Many people may be waiting to see what the weather has in store for them, as there is a chance that another seven million trips will be staggered over the long weekend.

RAC spokesman Rod Dennis said: “With many people keen to make the most of the double bank holiday this Easter weekend, we expect the usual traffic jams on parts of the road network to make this Good Friday a bad Friday. for drivers, especially those who plan to cover longer distances.

“Traffic volumes could be even higher if the sun decides to make a welcome appearance.

“The South and West are the areas to watch out for, as they are home to some vital roads responsible for transporting large numbers of people to West Country holiday destinations.

“Our advice to anyone heading that way is to get on the road as early as possible on Good Friday, or travel on a different day entirely.”

Inrix transport analyst Bob Pishue said: “We expect a large increase in driving over the holidays, with most of the congestion occurring on major roads around urban areas and popular destinations.

“Nationwide, we anticipate travel times over the holiday weekend to increase 25% compared to normal.

“Knowing when and where congestion will build up can help drivers avoid the stress of sitting in traffic.”

Dennis urged motorists to give their vehicles “a little TLC before you go,” like making sure tires are properly inflated and checking oil, coolant and windshield washer levels.

National Highways will temporarily remove more than 1,400 miles of roadwork on England’s motorways and major A-roads from 6am Thursday until Tuesday April 11.

That means that more than 98% of its road network will be free of road works.

Network Rail is carrying out more than 600 engineering projects across Britain’s railways over the Easter weekend.

There will be no trains to or from London Euston between Good Friday and Easter Monday as the West Coast Main Line will be closed to Milton Keynes Central.

This will disrupt Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway services, with Caledonian Sleeper trains using London King’s Cross.

Track and signaling modernization work on some lines to London Victoria means that the Southern and Gatwick Express services will not call at the station over the bank holiday weekend.

Some trains will be diverted to London Bridge.

Network Rail said it often schedules major engineering work for bank holidays to minimize disruption to passengers as fewer people travel during those periods.

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