Gridlock feared as more than 14m cars expected to get away for August bank holiday
More than 11m people have journeys planned, with a further 3m undecided on what day to travel
Those anticipating a relaxing getaway over the August bank holiday weekend may have to contend with the country’s road network running at full capacity.
That’s the warning from the RAC, which says as many as 14.4 million cars will take to the roads between Thursday and bank holiday Monday.
According to the motoring organisation, 11.2m people already have car journeys planned over the weekend, while a further 3.2m intend to travel but aren’t yet sure on which day they’ll take the plunge.
Spokesman Rod Dennis said: “While the late August bank holiday is not typically one of the busiest on the roads, it still has huge potential to bring gridlock to major roads, especially if we were to see the sun make a welcome comeback.”
Friday and Saturday are expected to be the busiest days, with 3.6m cars predicted to be on the roads on each day. But it would seem plenty of motorists are making the most of the long weekend and taking an extra day off, as 3.2m cars are also expected to travel on Thursday.
The bank holiday itself will see some 2.4m cars take to the roads, while Sunday is set to be the quietest, with 1.6m leisure trips made.
Highways England says it is doing its best to alleviate congestion, with more than 300 miles of roadworks on motorways and trunk roads being lifted from early Friday.
However traffic analytics specialist Inrix still predicts heavy delays. It says the M5 will be the worst hit on Friday, as families head to the south-west to enjoy the long weekend. The journey time between junctions four and one will increase from the typical 21 minutes to a whopping one hour and 21 minutes.
Meanwhile, the M1 is expected to be badly affected on Saturday, with the journey time between junctions 22 and 25 increasing from the usual 16 minutes to just over an hour.
Inrix data scientist Josh Kidd said: “The best general advice is to travel as early or as late in the day as possible in an effort to avoid the worst of the traffic.
“However, on Friday, the joint busiest day this weekend, our data suggests drivers should set off between 10am and 1pm to avoid clashing with commuters and other people planning a bank holiday getaway.”
He added: “With delays expected across the country all weekend, it is great to see Highways England lifting roadworks – a move which will no doubt ease traffic conditions.”
