Yahoo News RAC reveals the 8 road journeys where Easter weekend traffic could be worst
The motoring group has listed the Easter traffic spots where roads will be busiest, after warnings of 'Carmageddon'.
With the Easter getaway fast approaching, drivers are once again being warned that long delays on the roads should be expected.
More than 14 million trips are planned over the Easter weekend, with journeys on some popular routes potentially being twice as long, according to the RAC. They say that the combination of the bank holiday weekend and the starty of the two-week break for many schools will lead to a surge in traffic.
Transport analysis company Inrix predicted that the worst congestion on Thursday will be between 2pm and 7pm as people on leisure journeys compete for road space with regular commuters. Some 2.6 million leisure journeys by car are expected to be made on Good Friday.
Some 2.3 million getaway trips are planned for each of Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday, with another two million expected to take place on each of Thursday and Easter Monday. Drivers hoping to plan for the best day have also been warned that a further 3.3 million Easter leisure journeys have been planned by drivers who have not decided which day to travel.
The RAC has identified eight roads which are likely to see particular congestion, and journey times are expected to double in some areas. These include the stretch of the M25 from the M23 for Gatwick to the M1 Hertfordshire, where travelling at 5pm on Thursday will take 2.2 hours, more than double the hour the journey would normally last.
On Good Friday, when the RAC says will see most of the Easter weekend traffic, a lunchtime trip along the M5 from Bristol to Taunton, which would usually take 0.9 hours, will take double that at 1.8 hours.
The 8 stretches of road of busy Easter traffic:
1. M25 from M23 for Gatwick to M1 Hertfordshire - expected travel time: 2.2 hours vs normal travel time 1.0 hours
2. M25 from M1 Hertfordshire to M23 for Gatwick - 2.0 hours vs normal travel time 1.1 hours
3. M5 from Bristol to Taunton - 1.8 hours vs normal travel time 0.9 hours
4. M3 from the M25 to South Coast - 2.3 hours vs normal travel time 1.3 hours
5. A590 & A591 from M6 to Lake District - 1.1 hours vs normal travel time 0.7 hours
6. A303 from Ilminster to Andover - 2.5 hours vs normal travel time 1.3 hours
7. M5 from Taunton to Bristol - 2.5 hours vs normal travel time 1.1 hours
8. M55 from Blackpool to Preston - 0.4 hours vs normal travel time 0.2 hours
On Easter Monday, a bank holiday, late afternoon journey times on the A303 between Ilminster and Andover, the M5 between Taunton and Bristol and the M55 between Blackpool and Preston will all be twice as long as normal, the RAC says.
In a survey of 2,136 drivers' intentions compiled with transport analysis company Inrix, the RAC found that 2.6 million leisure journeys by car will be made on Good Friday, while 2.3 million getaway trips are planned for each of Easter Saturday and Easter Sunday, with two million expected to take place on each of Thursday and Easter Monday.
But another 3.3 million trips are planned over the long weekend by drivers who haven't yet decided which day they will travel, meaning a total of about 14.5 million estimated journeys over the five-day holiday period.
The survey has also indicated the best and worst times for travel on each particular day.
On Good Friday, the busiest period will be between 11am and 3pm, with things much quieter after 5pm, the RAC said.
On Easter Monday, the worst time to travel is between 10am and midday, with the roads at their least busy after 8pm.
RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With Easter falling earlier than usual at the start of the school holidays, it could be ‘carmageddon’ for holidaymakers.
"Anyone who can delay leaving on Thursday 28 March until much later in the evening or set off as early as possible on Good Friday is likely to have a better journey than those who travel during the peak periods of the day.
“On every journey there are key pinch points where you can save yourself lots of valuable time if you can get through before everyone else. This will be especially true over the whole Easter holidays as our research shows two-thirds of drivers will be making a leisure journey on major roads at some point.
“Lengthy queues can be expected along routes to the usual hotspots like the West Country, the Lake District and the south coast, especially during the middle of the day when most people make trips."
She warned that the roads could be even busier if the weather improves this weekend.
"While a good proportion of drivers aren’t yet tying themselves to a date, there may be even more cars on the road than anticipated if the sun decides to make an appearance," she said.
According to the Met Office long range forecast, Easter weekend is "likely to be unsettled with rain or showers in most regions at times, but also some drier and brighter spells".
Inrix transportation analyst Bob Pishue said: “Although travel times will peak on Thursday and Friday afternoons, drivers should be prepared for longer journeys than normal throughout the entire weekend.
“To avoid the longest delays, we advise adjusting departure times so you’re not travelling in peak commuter hours.”
Tourist board VisitEngland said about 11 million people in the UK are planning an overnight Easter trip, generating an estimated £3.2bn boost to the economy.
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