Motorists face a weekend of travel chaos as 17.6 million car journeys are expected during the August bank holiday. The RAC has warned drivers to set off as early as possible or "be prepared to spend longer in traffic".
This represents the final extended weekend before Christmas in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, driving exceptional demand. Around three million trips are planned for Friday, rising to 3.4 million on Saturday, before falling to 2.4 million on Sunday and 2.7 million on Monday. These figures are derived from a survey of 2,080 UK adults and then projected to the 34 million cars registered in the UK.
An additional 6.1 million motorists have plans for leisure journeys at some point during the weekend.
Worst-affected routes
The M5 between Bristol and Devon will experience the most severe getaway congestion. The section from junction 15 north of Bristol to junction 23 for Bridgwater faces delays exceeding 40 minutes on Friday and Saturday.
The M20 in Kent is also predicted to see hold-ups surpassing 30 minutes on Friday. This route is heavily used by vehicles heading for Channel crossings via Dover or Folkestone, with delays expected from junction seven near Maidstone to junction three, and from junction one at Swanley to junction five at Aylesford.
Travel timing advice
According to the Guardian, optimal travel times include after 7pm on Friday, before 9am on Saturday, and before 11am on Monday.
RAC mobile servicing and repairs team leader Nick Mullender said: "With this bank holiday being the last opportunity to enjoy a long weekend before Christmas, our study shows a real eagerness to get out and about with nearly 18 million drivers planning getaway trips. More traffic on the roads will inevitably lead to more vehicle breakdowns, especially if the sun makes an appearance and people decide on the day to visit popular destinations."
Rail disruption compounds problems
Network Rail is conducting 261 engineering projects across Britain, causing significant rail disruption. Long-distance services between London King's Cross and Peterborough will be completely suspended on Sunday, affecting Anglo-Scottish journeys.
Avanti West Coast will run a limited service to and from London Euston. Services between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International will be suspended from Saturday through Monday, with affected services rerouted and extended journey times.
Helen Hamlin, Network Rail's chief network operator, said: "With the August bank holiday weekend approaching, we've carefully planned our engineering work to minimise disruption, allowing people to rely on the railway and make the most of the late summer bank holiday weekend. While the vast majority of the railway will be running, works on some parts of the network are unfortunately unavoidable, as we complete major work to support a better, more reliable railway that we wouldn't be able to complete in a normal weekend."
Sources used: "Express", "Independent", "Guardian" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
