Bank holiday gridlock: Drivers prepare for bumper-to-bumper traffic with roads set to be 'busiest in a decade'

19 August 2024, 13:06 | Updated: 19 August 2024, 13:15

Britain's roads are set to be the 'busiest in a decade' this August bank holiday, with drivers poised for getaway delays ahead of weekend getaways and music festivals.

Roads are set to be the busiest since 2015 as the sunshine continues, with an estimated 19.2m journeys set to be taken by car.

According to the RAC, the number of vehicles on the road is set to be the highest since the breakdown service began.

Drivers are set to go “day-trip crazy”, with the bumper-to-bumper traffic made worse by disruption to three key rail lines.

Pre-planned Network Rail engineering projects taking place between Saturday 25 May to Monday 27 May mean that trains on the East Coast mainline between London and Yorkshire are set to be severely affected.

Journeys to the northeast of England and Scotland are also set to be slower and more complicated.

It comes as severe delays are expected on the A1, A1(M), M1, M62 and A64 from Thursday (22 August) ahead of Reading and Leeds Festivals.

Saturday will see the largest number of journeys taken on Britain's roads, with 3.7m getaway trips planned.

The figure means Saturday is set to be the most congested of the weekend, with an estimated 3.1m further trips taking place over Sunday and Monday.

The RAC also noted that those figures would rise, with a further 6.2m trips anticipated at some point over the late summer break.

However, National Highways' Dale Hipkiss has said that "97% of the network will be free from roadworks" this weekend.

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It comes as transport analytics firm Inrix predicts severe delays on the road network, with the worst times to travel between 10am and 6pm on Friday and 10am and 1pm on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Network rail has said passengers travelling from London Kings Cross are set for disruption, with no long distance services running to or from the station from the early evening of Saturday 24th August until early morning on Monday 26th August due to work being carried out between Biggleswade and Potters Bar.

London Overground services will face disruption between London Euston and Watford Junction across the weekend due to planned engineering work taking place between 06:30 and 20:20, with a reduced train service running between Kilburn High Road and London Euston.

A reduced timetable will be in place between Euston and Milton Keynes on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August.

Engineering works will also see no services will run between Sydenham and Crystal Palace across the weekend.

Services will also be disrupted in the Stoke area from Saturday 24th August until Tuesday 27th August due to track replacement works.

Back on the roads, highways in Kent will also be incredibly busy, with many holidaymakers set to travel to Europe via Dover.

Around 20,000 cars are expected to travel through the Port this coming weekend.

It comes as figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show overseas visitors spent over £31bn in the UK last year.

RAC Breakdown spokesperson Alice Simpson said: “With the end of the school holidays fast approaching it seems day trips will be the main cause of traffic this weekend, so for many drivers it could be a case of ‘day trip delays’.

"As our data shows, this weekend is likely to be the busiest August Bank Holiday on the roads for nine years, so it’s important everyone ensures their vehicle is in good condition to avoid facing an unwanted breakdown.

“Whether you’re off to a festival, the coast or a theme park or meeting up with friends and family elsewhere, the usual trusted advice applies: leave as early as you can to avoid the jams or be prepared to sit in some lengthy queues.”